BOTOX COSMETIC (BOTULINUM TOXIN A) INJECTIONS
Botox (Botulinum Toxin A)
Reduces the Appearance of Wrinkles
Over the past decade, BOTOX has become part of the American culture as a treatment for facial lines and wrinkles. In a quick, in-office procedure, small amounts of the purified protein are injected to cause specific muscles of the face to relax. The result is temporarily smoothing of the appearance of moderate to severe facial lines. Dr. Binder conducted early studies and established guidelines for the safe and effective use of Botox for treating facial wrinkles.
BOTOX® Treatment for Facial Wrinkles
The First Non-Surgical Therapy that Safely and Effectively Reverses the Signs of AgingIn the late 1980s and early 1990s, Dr. William J. Binder, along with colleagues in New York City, pioneered much of the early work showing that BOTOX was safe and effective in treating facial wrinkles.
Prevents and Treats Migraine Headaches
In 1992, Dr. Binder discovered that BOTOX was also effective for eliminating and preventing pain from migraine headaches. Learn more on Dr. Binder’s BOTOX for Migraines treatment.
COSMETIC BOTOX FAQ
WHAT IS BOTOX?
BOTOX , the brand name for BOTULINUM TOXIN A, is a purified biological protein that is produced by the growth of Clostidium Botulinum bacterium under rigorous laboratory conditions. BOTOX, when injected, weakens and affects only the muscles that are treated.
HOW DOES IT WORK ON WRINKLES?
BOTOX (Botulinum Toxin A) has been proven to be the most effective, non-surgical aesthetic technique for eliminating dynamic facial wrinkles. These active, deep wrinkles are due to contractions of the muscles of the face which pull the skin inward creating creases in the skin. The more expressive you are, the deeper these lines are likely to become over time. A simple injection directly into the facial muscle temporarily paralyzes or weakens the muscle. This reduces the pull on the skin and eliminates the formation of the deep expression lines on the face. It is easily administered during a routine office visit and you can quickly return to work or normal activity.
WHERE CAN IT BE USED?
BOTOX can be used on frown lines, horizontal lines of the forehead and crow’s feet around the eyes. BOTOX can also be used in specific ways to selectively elevate either the medial (inner) or lateral (outer) portion of the eyebrow. BOTOX is used alone or in combination with facial fillers, skin care or as a compliment with surgical procedures.
HOW IS BOTOX ADMINISTERED?
Extremely fine needles are used to inject the solution into the target areas. The number of injections needed will depend upon the degree of wrinkling. Dr. Binder refined the BOTOX injection technique to maximize its effectiveness and to minimize pain, redness and bruising.
HOW LONG DOES IT LAST?
The effects of BOTOX begin to work in approximately 24 to 72 hours and the effects usually lasts from 3 to 6 months or until muscle function begins to return. The effectiveness and duration of treatment is also associated with the dilution or amount of BOTOX units that the patient receives. The treating physician has the option to use a high or low dilution in your treatment. You should make sure that the amount charged for each treatment contains the necessary amount of BOTOX. You should make sure that the amount charged for each treatment contains the necessary amount of BOTOX. There is some evidence that the effects last longer after repeated injections.
IS IT SAFE?
BOTOX treatments typically have minimal discomfort. The safety profile of BOTOX is unparalleled in that there are no major or permanent side effects reported for cosmetic use in over 30 years and after millions of injections. BOTOX, however, should not be used in patients with certain rare neuromuscular disorder. Minor side effects may occur, but are self limited. Pain, redness or bruising localized to the injection site are minimized by using proper injection technique.
IS BOTOX APPROVED BY THE FDA?
BOTOX is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of strabismus and blepharospasm, (disorder of the eye muscles that control blinking), benign essential blepharospasm or VII nerve disorders, treatment of glabella furrows (frown lines), hyperhydrosis, cervical dystonia and other spastic disorders. It is not yet approved for the treatment of migraine headaches (approval pending in 2010). BOTOX is the only Botulinum Toxin medical product currently approved for marketing in the U.S.
OTHER AREAS BOTOX CAN IMPROVE
- The wrinkled or dimpled chin (First reported by Dr. Binder in 1992)
- Reduces the “bunny lines” which describe wrinkles that some patients have on the side of their nose when smiling.
- Helps to reduce muscle bulges below the lash line of the lower eyelid.
- In selected patients, helps to reduce the platysma neck bands (usually in younger patients)
- Able to raise drooping corners of the mouth.
- Help smooth out lines around the mouth (usually in conjunction with fillers and skin resurfacing techniques)
- Can reduce the heaviness and size of the masseter muscle at the angle of the mandible. This helps to thin out the excessively wide jaw and give a square face a more pleasing facial oval.
- Helps to eliminate Migraine Headaches (see BOTOX for Migraines).
- Treats excessive sweating (hyperhydrosis) under the armpits.
Doctor Binder's Experience & Innovation
Dr. Binder authored and co-authored the original articles discussing BOTOX as a treatment for wrinkles, as well as chapters in text books on facial rejuvenation. He also conducted the first double blind study and major clinical multi-institutional studies that now provide the basis for establishing dosage guidelines and techniques that thousands of doctors use today.Dr. Binder published a milestone article in the Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery on the long term effects of BOTOX. The study compared identical twins (only one of which received BOTOX over a period of 13 years) The study actually proved that BOTOX eliminated the formation of the passive or imprinted wrinkles that form with time. He became the first physician in California to inject BOTOX for wrinkles.While working to establish guidelines for aesthetic procedures, Dr. Binder then made headlines for discovering and establishing the precedent-setting treatment for the use of BOTOX in the treatment of migraine headaches.
