How are BOTOX® Injections Done?

The lines that appear between your brows (glabellar lines) actually result from muscle movement and the passage of time. You may have heard the expression "wearing your emotions on your sleeve," but in reality you wear them on your face. If you're angry or annoyed, for example, you knit your brows together. Underneath your skin, your facial muscles contract, cause a pleating of the overlying skin, and then, as anyone can see, you're frowning.

How Does It Work? Botox works by paralyzing the muscles which cause the dynamic wrinkles, preventing them from repeatedly producing those problem lines. Botox, or Botulinum Toxin, is a neurotoxin protein produced by the bacterium Clostridium Botulinum. By injecting very small amounts of the protein we are able to immobilize the muscles which are causing the frown lines or wrinkles. Generally an improvement can be seen within several days of the treatment and may last up to 4 months, although results may vary.

After years of crinkling and wrinkling, those glabellar lines start to linger longer and can become more pronounced. For women, whose faces tend to be more animated than men's, and whose skin is typically more delicate, these lines may appear exaggerated and more permanent.

Fortunately, there is a way to temporarily reduce moderate to severe glabellar lines. Treatment with BOTOX® Cosmetic can visibly smooth and soften moderate to severe frown lines between your brows. An improvement can be seen within days and may last up to 4 months, although results may vary. In clinical trials, nearly 90% of men and women surveyed rated the improvement in the appearance of frown lines between their brows as moderate to better 1 month after treatment.

A doctor uses a thin needle to inject tiny amounts of BOTOX® into specific muscles. By carefully choosing the muscles to treat, the doctor weakens only the wrinkle-producing muscles to preserve your natural facial expressions.

The number of injections needed depends on many factors, including your facial features, the extent of the wrinkling and the specific area being treated. For example, crow's-feet usually require two to five injections. Furrows in your forehead could take eight or more injections.

Botox injections take about 10 to 15 minutes and are usually done in a doctor's office. You may experience mild pain with the injections, but most people find the discomfort tolerable. The procedure requires no anesthesia.