Incorporating Botox® into Your Wellness Routine

Botox® is the country’s most popular non-invasive cosmetic procedure, with nearly 7.5 million Botox treatments administered in 2018 alone. But can Botox be more than a vanity procedure? Research shows that Botox can not only make fine lines and wrinkles invisible, it can literally remodel your skin to decrease the chance of new wrinkles forming.

As an ophthalmologist and ophthalmic plastic surgeon practicing in Encino, California, Dr. Mark A. Baskin works with many patients who have seen their skin age quickly under the California sun. Botox is one of the anti-aging treatments he provides to help rectify skin damage and reduce the signs of aging.

What is Botox?

Botox injections use a purified form of a toxin produced by the microbe that causes botulism, a type of food poisoning. This toxin, known as onobotulinumtoxinA, has been  FDA-approved as a cosmetic treatment for facial lines and wrinkles. When Dr. Baskin injects Botox into your facial muscles, those muscles are temporarily paralyzed. This means when you smile or frown, the wrinkles that would normally appear or deepen as a result of muscle contractions are minimized. 

What does Botox treatment consist of?

First, Dr. Baskin will talk to you about your smile and frown lines and decide which areas of your face to target. Once your decision is made, he will carefully use Botox in a series of injections using a very fine needle so as to cause minimal discomfort. 

You might feel a split-second pinch, like being bitten by a mosquito, but many patients say they don’t feel the injections at all. You can go back to normal activity on the same day, and if you have any discomfort later, you can use an ice pack to cool and soothe it away. Avoid direct sun exposure for a few days, and don’t rub your face roughly.

It can take about four days for the effects of Botox on fine lines and wrinkles to start to show. Relaxation of the facial muscles that cause lines or wrinkles can take up to a week. At around the ten to fourteen day mark, the effects will be complete. 

How often should Botox be administered?

Every patient is different, but you’ll likely want to have your Botox injections repeated every three to six months. As time goes by, the results will last longer and longer, since your skin will be free from wrinkle damage during the lifespan of each set of injections. With continued use, you may be able to stretch the time between Botox treatments up to a year.

If you are interested in adding Botox to your wellness routine, contact our office at 818-233-8254 for an appointment or use our convenient online booking tool to schedule your consultation with Dr. Baskin today.