Liven up your look ad your spirit
With a little help from Botox

To look good is to feel good. That said, with all the beauty alternatives available to us in today’s world, trying to “look” good is as tempting as the apple was to Eve. Getting a stylish haircut, being waxed or having a pedicure are treats that can boost our self-esteem making us perform better in any social environment. In 2002, a process previously used for the clinical treatment of migraines and neck pain became a breakthrough in “looking good to feel good”. Botox, a purified protein made from the botulism bacteria arrived as a safe and quick option to “erase” facial wrinkles. A Botox solution injected into specific muscle groups on the forehead or around the eyes temporarily blocks nerve impulses, paralyzing them, which prevents the deepening of wrinkles during normal facial muscle movements. We can now grow old kindly… and slowly.

We acquire wrinkles largely due to overexposure to the sun in our youth, although smoking and excessive frowning can contribute. As we age, the skin loses collagen causing wrinkles to deepen, which may require several Botox injections to eliminate. Contrary to popular belief, thinner facial lines, especially on younger faces, show excellent results from minimal Botox treatments.

The most common complications of Botox treatments are raised eyebrows and drooping eyelids. Such side effects are not permanent since the muscle paralysis from Botox wears off.

According to Dr. Seymour Greenstein M.D. – F.A.A.F.P. in Pleasant Hill, California, Botox has an additive effect. The more treatments you do, the longer they last. By preventing the facial muscles from creasing the skin, Botox allows the skin to repair itself. Such improvement can be noticed over time with the regular use of Botox.

Dr. Greenstein believes that an honest approach to counseling and administering Botox on his patients gives them the confidence they seek. Impatient or unrealistic clients may not realize that too much of a good thing can create a creepy-looking result. Dr. Greenstein says, “You can look naturally young or you can look artificially young”.

The durability of the Botox results is affected by both the potency of the solution and technique of the practitioner. The more saline solution that is added to the Botox powder, the weaker the Botox will be, resulting in a shorter term result. Likewise, an experienced and attentive practitioner will give you the lasting and quality result that you hope to achieve. Dr. Greenstein cautions, “To do it is easy, to do it right is an art.”

In the hands of a competent practitioner, Botox can be appropriate and safe for patients of any age, giving very pleasing results.