Botox Injections for Wrinkles: Help or Hype?

Many of us are searching for the proverbial fountain of youth today, and some believe they have found the answer with Botox injections for wrinkles. This wonder treatment became known in the medical community more than twenty years ago as an effective procedure for some types of neurological conditions. A couple of decades later, it was approved by the FDA as an effective cosmetic treatment for the frown lines that form between the eyebrows. Today, Botox injections for wrinkles are used for many areas of the face, and this treatment has been found effective in treating a whole host of other medical conditions as well.

Do Botox Injections for Wrinkles Work?

Botox injections for wrinkles are done in your doctor's office and are rarely covered by insurance because they are usually considered a cosmetic procedure. This makes the treatments a bit pricey and leads many women to wonder if these procedures really do what they promise. Botox injections for wrinkles generally work best for the frown lines between the eyebrows, crow's feet that develop at the outer corners of the eyes, forehead creases and thick bands that can form around the neck. These treatments are generally not effective on wrinkles that are caused by sun damage and it doesn't tend to work well on the lines around your mouth.

The other important factor when you are considering Botox injections for wrinkles is how long it takes to see results and how long those results will last. Most people will see a marked improvement in a matter of days after the procedure, and the results will often last for four to six months. At that point, you can schedule an appointment with your doctor to have another treatment done. However, this treatment may be easier, since lines often do not come back as deeply after Botox injections for wrinkles. Many people will end up having two or three Botox injections each year to keep the positive results going.

How are they Done?

Botox injections for wrinkles are done in your doctor's office by injecting the Botox directly into specific muscles on your face. The doctor will choose only wrinkle producing muscles to inject, so that the rest of your face is not affected. The Botox causes treated muscles to relax, eliminating wrinkles. There is no recovery time after a Botox treatment and very few side effects are reported. The most common ones include slight bruising at the sites of the injections and a headache for 24 hours after the treatment.

If Botox injections for wrinkles sound like a treatment that you would like to try, talk to your doctor. He will be able to tell you if you are a good candidate for Botox treatments, and refer you to a specialist if he does not do the treatments in his own office. Botox can be an effective way to thwart the aging process and enjoy a younger complexion once again.