Botox Injections

It’s the most popular cosmetic treatment in the United States, but Botox continues to inspire fear and confusion in certain cautious corners. (And, OK, millions of dollars’ worth of admiration.) But is it right for you? That depends on your taste, pocketbook, and tolerance for needles. We explain all in 2 minutes.

Cosmetic botulinum toxin therapy, aka neurotoxin injectables, work to help diminish the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles by paralyzing the muscles underneath. Botox is an injectable neuromodulator that works to relax nerve-muscle imbalance, simply put, it blocks the nerve signals that make you wrinkle parts of your face and forehead. Specifically, Botox blocks the release of the neurotransmitter Acetylcholine telling the muscle to contract thereby producing wrinkles (rytids). Basically, wherever Botox is injected it temporally paralyzes the muscles underneath the skin.

In addition to relaxing frown lines in between the eyebrows, Botox can also lift the corners of the mouth and eyebrows that sag with age, smooth out the “pincushion” look in some chins, soften smoker’s lines around the mouth, and soften vertical neck cords.