Who could have guessed that a powerful and naturally-occurring toxin could be harnessed into the most in-demand cosmetic treatment available today? Dominating all classes of surgical and non-surgical aesthetic services, Botox® Cosmetic provides a unique treatment approach to eliminating certain lines and wrinkles that often suggest tension and age your appearance.
You may not think of Metairie Village Dentistry, located in Metairie, Louisiana, as a Botox spa destination until you learn the essential role facial anatomy plays in natural-looking treatment results. Knowledge of facial structure and muscle location is essential. In fact, our practice specializes in injectable cosmetic procedures that complement the appearance of your winning smile. Can Botox really help you look younger? Yes, it can, and here’s how.
The active properties of Botox start with its abilities as a neuromodulator — a substance that inhibits the transmission of nerve impulses. In muscles, that means Botox can stop the firing of muscle contraction signals around the point of injection.
The original development of Botox worked on muscles around the eye that would spasm uncontrollably, disrupting a patient’s eyesight. Carefully targeting these muscles stopped the spasms. The patient’s eyes stopped twitching while the Botox injection remained active, typically for months.
In 2002, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Botox for cosmetic use on certain expression muscles.
The thickness of skin changes as you get older. Thinner and less elastic, your skin starts to reveal more structures beneath its surface as it loses its volume. Bone structure might appear more angular, for example.
The profile of your muscles may also be revealed. When these muscles can no longer relax, they maintain a contracted or partially contracted resting position. Unlike other lines and wrinkles that aren’t associated with muscle tissue, these active wrinkles can’t be improved by other facial treatments.
Botox can block the nerve signals that keep these muscles contracted. Once they release, the overlying skin follows these new contours, smoothing naturally.
But how does that make you look younger? It has to do with the muscles that most often adopt semi-permanent contraction.
Muscles on your forehead and between your eyes contract when you express concentration, concern, or worry. These include horizontal creases across your forehead and vertical lines between your eyes, sometimes called “the 11s” for their resemblance to the number.
When these muscles don’t relax, the lines become a permanent part of your expression, whether you’re feeling the emotions behind the expression or not. That can add years to your appearance.
Crow’s feet beside your eyes, also known as laugh lines, are different. While they can give your eyes a happy appearance, the effect may be lost if the folds of your crow’s feet become deep and prominent, making you look older than your years.
Carefully targeted Botox injections release these muscles, smoothing your expressions and reducing the depth of muscle folds. Your resting appearance reverts to relaxed and youthful. Better still, Botox is a long-lasting treatment with results appearing a few days after treatment and remaining active for three months or longer.
Learn more in consultation with Dr. Lisa Wyatt at Metairie Village Dentistry. You can contact our office by phone or online, so reach out today to discover why so many people turn to Botox for a naturally younger appearance.
