Anyone who knows anything about medical cosmetic procedures knows about BOTOX®, right? It’s used to treat wrinkles of the face and neck, millions of treatments have been performed since its approval by the FDA in 2002, and if overused, it can cause a “frozen” look.
All of this is correct, but it’s what you don’t know about BOTOX® Cosmetic that’s really interesting. Did you know that BOTOX® has been used for several decades in the US to treat medical conditions, such as twitching in the eye area (blepharospasm), and is currently in wide use as a treatment of headache, excess sweating, and muscle spasm in patients with disabling spastic disorders, to name just a few? Did you know that the current use of BOTOX® Therapeutic (used for medical indications) is a greater percentage per volume than BOTOX® Cosmetic (used for cosmetic procedures)? That it is used medically in doses exceeding 20 times that used for a cosmetic procedure? And did you know that it is the most widely performed, and yet considered the most safe, cosmetic medical procedure today?
Joan M. Hardt, M.D. was among the first physicians in Oklahoma to administer BOTOX® for cosmetic purposes. Dr. Hardt has refined her technique treating thousands of patients to achieve a more natural look. As a result, she is among a select few licensed physicians across the U.S. who have earned platinum Plus status by Allergan, the makers of BOTOX®.
At Rejuvena, we do not charge for consultations. To schedule your free consultation, please email or call us at (405)842-1100.
Q: How long does the procedure take?
A: After the consultation is complete, all of your questions have been satisfactorily addressed, and Dr. Hardt has a clear understanding of what you want to achieve with the treatment, then consent is obtained and photos may be taken. This may take ten to fifteen minutes, but the procedure itself takes a matter of minutes. If you have previously been treated with BOTOX® Cosmetic at Rejuvena Cosmetic Medical Center, you should be able to get in and out in just minutes. We welcome drop-ins for Botox® Cosmetic treatments.
Q: How long is the recovery time?
A: There is no recovery time, in the traditional sense. You will be instructed to avoid certain activities, allowing you to remain upright, for about four hours. Any application of make-up, sunscreen, or other lotions should be applied gently and with the motion away from the treated area. If the forehead is treated, you will be asked to avoid hats and headbands, as well as facials or other vigorous manipulation of the area, for 24 hours.
Q: Is it painful?
A: Dr. Hardt uses a very fine needle for her injections and uses minimal dilution (therefore there is less expansion of tissue during injection). She also uses a special technique to re-constitute and withdraw the BOTOX® from the vial to the syringe. As a result, most patients do not experience much discomfort. Many patients remark on how much more comfortable the procedure is than prior treatments performed elsewhere. If you are getting treatment around the lips, a topical anesthetic will be applied and ice will be used to maximize comfort.
Q: How long does BOTOX® last?
A: The duration of your BOTOX® treatment is highly variable. As a general rule, re-treatment is needed every three to six months. Most people average four months, with some less, and a small percentage get up to six months or more. Patients with more muscular foreheads, more animation, and deeper wrinkles usually require more than the usual dose. Men generally require larger doses than women.
Q: What can I do to get the most out of my treatments?
A: There are many things you can do to increase the longevity of your BOTOX® treatments. The muscle is only partially immobilized (a percentage of the millions of fibers), therefore your brain will continue to send signals to the area to make the expression that you are so accustomed to. Take the opportunity to re-train the muscles of your forehead to contract less. In other words, think about it. When you feel movement begin to come back, usually around three months, this is when you need re-treatment. In this way, the muscle fibers are allowed to shrink a bit, and the wrinkle will eventually disappear (with the exception of deep folds, that will decrease, but probably not disappear). Crows feet require more frequent treatment if you smile a lot (don’t stop!) or squint a lot (don’t forget the sunglasses). Lip lines require a very small dose every six to 12 weeks.
Q: Do I need as much BOTOX® every time I get treated?
A: If you return for treatment as soon as you detect movement, and/or see lines reappear, you can usually get a smaller dose. If you continue in this way, your dose will eventually decrease, and your need for treatment may spread out more.
Q: I have heard that BOTOX® is a poison. Is it true?
A: Many medications that save lives are derived from poisonous plants, etc. Furthermore, all medications are poisons if given incorrectly. People die from medications that can be purchased off the shelf of the drugstore, and certainly from prescription medications. No patient has ever died from BOTOX® Cosmetic treatments. You should, however, make certain that your doctor uses BOTOX® Cosmetic, and purchases it from the U.S. This can be checked on www.botoxcosmetic.com web site. A few tragic cases made the news of people who were made very sick. These people had received some form of counterfeit botulinum toxin, not BOTOX® Cosmetic.
Q: Will I be able to make facial expressions?
A: It is a fallacy that the entire face can be frozen with BOTOX®. If this were done, you would not be able to talk or to open your eyes. Those women who appear to have no expression have had a lot more than BOTOX®! However, BOTOX® can be overdone on the forehead and other areas. The key is to chose an experienced injector, so you can still smile or look surprised, i.e., you will retain the ability to make facial expressions.
Q: Will I look unnatural?
A: You may have seen someone who has had work done on their face and the resulting look is unnatural. To attain optimal, natural-looking results, it is important to select a licensed physician who has a depth of experience injecting BOTOX®. You want a doctor with experience, because when it comes to your face, experience counts.
To determine whether your doctor has enough experience, one benchmark is to find out if the doctor is a platinum Plus injector. This is a distinction given by Allergan, the makers of BOTOX®, to licensed physicians who have a greater depth of experience than other injectors. Joan M. Hardt, M.D. has not only been designated Platinum Plus, she helped pioneer BOTOX® procedures for cosmetic purposes in Oklahoma. Dr. Hardt has performed thousands of BOTOX® procedures.
Q: What are the side effects?
A: Bruising is the most common side effect, but this is usually easily avoided with good injection technique. A “heavy brow” seldom occurs; this is well tolerated in men, but not in women, and it wears off in a matter of weeks to a few months. It can usually be avoided by closely following aftercare instructions. An unevenness of the brows is easy to correct; return to your doctor after two weeks.
Q: Who should not get treated with BOTOX® Cosmetic?
A: It is recommended that pregnant or nursing women should not get treated because the effect is not known, although inadvertent use has not resulted in problems. Patients with certain neuromuscular functional disorders may suffer from significant side effects. Treatment is not recommended in these groups of patients. If you have infection at the injection site it is recommended that you wait.
Wrinkle Correction
