The lines that appear between your brows actually result from muscle movement and the passage of time.

Two muscles are largely responsible for frown lines between the brows. When those muscles contract, they draw the brows together. As skin becomes less elastic over time, repeated frowning can result in those moderate to severe lines between your brows.

Botox injections are performed by the doctor. The cost is $10 per unit. Additonal discounts given per visit for Brilliant Distinctions members. Please call office to become a member.

It seems Botox is getting as popular as Starbucks. As a patient, you can now get Botox treatments at medi-spas, family practice offices, dental offices, as well as cosmetic, dermatology and plastic surgery offices.

Often the Botox is given by a nurse or physician’s assistant. Sometimes the nurse or doctor may come to your home and provide a “Botox Party”. This has all made Botox treatments seem simple, safe and every day, but are they?

Botox and now Dysport (a new company making a Botox product) treatments have proven themselves to be safe and effective. In fact, they are one of the safest cosmetic procedures offered. Both Botox and Dysport have been around and used medically for over 30 years! In the past 10 years, they, (especially Botox), have become extremely popular anti-aging treatments for wrinkle improvement.

The most popular Botox treatment is the frown area between the eyebrows. A little Botox in that area eliminates the “angry” look associated with those lines. “Crows feet” and forhead wrinkles can also be treated with good results. People with chronic headaches often find relief when they have Botox placed in their forhead.

Like any cosmetic medical procedure, technique and experience counts. The exact placement of the Botox can make the difference in a good, average or bad result. A “bad” result is one where the patient fails to get the desired result or improvement, or gets some unwanted change. Fortunately, Botox is temporary and forgiving but it is advisable to seek an experienced Botox physician or technician.

lso, Botox is extremely “fragile”! Its potency wanes if the Botox is not used immediately or if it is allowed to sit around the office and get warm. I constitute (mix with sterile fluid) the Botox each morning and keep it refrigerated between uses to assure potency. Botox is expensive. If your doctor only uses it once in a while, they may be reluctant to throw it away, resulting in loss of potency and effectiveness.

Lastly, only your physician or Botox technician knows exactly how much Botox you are given. It is charged and measured by how many units are given regardless of the dilution. Botox costs the doctor $5.25 per unit. Most doctors charge $10-$12 per unit to the patient. If it seems like too good a deal it probably is and you may not be receiving as many units as you were charged for.

Try to keep track of the area treated and the number of units used so you may give this information to another office should you change offices or doctors.

Botox takes 3-5 days to take effect. The first thing you will see is a loss of muscle contraction and “movement” in the area treated. Complete wrinkle removal may take weeks or months. The Botox should be repeated as soon as the muscle movement is noted for maximum benefit and the Botox will usually last longer with each subsequent treatment up to about 6 months.