What is BOTOX^® Cosmetic?

• BOTOX^® Cosmetic is the trademark name for Botulinum Toxin Type A, a purified natural protein toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, and is the registered trademark of Allergan Inc.  In large amounts this toxin blocks the nerve impulses to muscles, causing a form of paralysis called botulism
  BOTOX^® Cosmetic, in controlled small doses, is injected directly into the muscles that cause frown lines.  These isolated muscles are weakened by the BOTOX^® Cosmetic, and can no longer contract.  Because the specific muscles no longer contract, the action of frowning is stopped, and the frown lines soften, relax, and diminish.

Frown Lines

• Frown lines are caused by the bunching of skin from facial muscle contraction.  When we frown, the skin between the eyebrows is gathering into a fold, which produces a constant furrow or frown line.  This can give a frustrated, discourage, angry look to the face, which is distracting to others and a bother to ourselves.  Now you can soften and reduce these frown lines without surgery and without scars by a simple treatment with BOTOX^® Cosmetic.

Where does the BOTOX^® Cosmetic go?

• The frown line between the eyebrows is caused by the action of a muscle called the corrugator.  You can feel this muscle as a thickening just below the inside of your eyebrows when you purposefully make yourself frown.  Injecting BOTOX^® Cosmetic directly into the corrugator muscle stops your ability to draw your eyebrows together when you frown.  Once the muscle is paralyzed, it cannot contract, and the frown line gradually fades away.  BOTOX^® Cosmetic can be selectively injected into the muscles that cause facial frown lines, to produce a relaxed, youthful appearance.

When does BOTOX^® Cosmetic start to work, and how long does it last?

• The results of your BOTOX^® Cosmetic treatment will begin to appear in three to four days.  The effect will last three to four months, after which the treated muscles will gradually regain their action.  When the frown line starts to reappear, a simple repeat treatment is all that is necessary to maintain the desired results.

What are the other uses of BOTOX^® Cosmetic?

• BOTOX^® Cosmetic is effective in softening and relaxing wrinkles around the eyes such as crow's feet and forehead wrinkles.  BOTOX^® Cosmetic can also reduce the appearance of lines that are caused by the activity of other facial muscles, such as nose creases, neck lines, neck bands, and some of the lines on the upper lip.  BOTOX^® Cosmetic can dramatically reduce sweating from the armpits, and also effective in controlling marked sweating from the palms of the hands.

Who can perform BOTOX^® Cosmetic treatments?

• BOTOX^® Cosmetic therapy should only be performed under the direction of a physician experienced and trained in the cosmetic use of BOTOX^® Cosmetic.

Has BOTOX^® Cosmetic been tested?

• BOTOX^® Cosmetic has been used since 1980 for the treatment of strabisms (lazy eye) and blepharospasm (uncontrolled eye blinking).  Since 1989, it has also been used for hyperfunctional facial lines.  There have been many scientific articles showing the positive effect of BOTOX® Cosmetic on facial lines.  In 2002, the FDA approved BOTOX^® Cosmetic for the cosmetic treatment of frown lines in the mid face, known as glabellar furrows.

Side effects?

• As with any injection, there can be temporary swelling, redness, bruising, headache, or local discomfort.  Rarely, patients have been reported to develop a slight lowering of the eyelid (ptosis), or slight lowering of the forehead.  This is temporary, and resolves in a few weeks.  Some patients may have an uneven or incomplete response to treatment.  BOTOX^® Cosmetic does not reduce the action of the muscles of facial expression distant from the site of treatment.  Patients with neuromuscular disorders should inform their doctor before therapy.  BOTOX^® Cosmetic treatment should not be administered to women who are pregnant.

BOTOX^® is a registered trademark of Allergan, Inc.