BOTOX is one of those items that seems to garner a lot of opinions. Anybody who is old enough to remember when BOTOX first hit the market heard scary things like “it’s botulinum” and saw scary things like actresses foreheads frozen in place.
This has contributed, in some areas, to a lot of myths springing up about what BOTOX is, what it does, and how it works.
On the other hand, it’s extremely likely that you meet people every day that use BOTOX safely and with amazing, natural results.
As a BOTOX provider, and one who sees dozens of patients weekly, we see people all the time on both sides of the issue. Some are nervous, and some love it.
What we hope to do in this article is to bust some common BOTOX myths and to give you a more accurate picture of how BOTOX can be a part of your beauty regimen.
MYTH 1: Cosmetic BOTOX is the same as Botulism
This is a myth that is widespread because it sounds plausible, but falls apart with even the slightest scrutiny. Botulism is food poisoning. We are not injecting your face with food poisoning when we do a BOTOX injection.
BOTOX is a derivative of one protein of the Botulinum toxin. This may sound scary but is in fact a really common way that medications are created. Furthermore, there has been extensive testing on BOTOX and it’s been used safely around the world for over 30 years. It would take 100 times the average dose for BOTOX treatments to be fatal. Compare this with water where as little as 3 times the recommended dose can be fatal.
MYTH 2: You can develop an immunity to BOTOX
For more than 99% of BOTOX users, they will never have issues will immunity. With the newer formulations on the market today, less than 1% of patients have issues. For those that show resistance to BOTOX, we’ve had good results switching them to a similar yet differently formulated neuromodulator like Xeomin.
MYTH 3: If you stop using BOTOX your face will look worse
BOTOX treatments typically last 3-4 months. If you discontinue use after a treatment, whether it’s your first or your twentieth, the muscles that have been immobilized by the BOTOX treatments will begin to relax and your body will resume its natural aging process. It doesn’t accelerate the process or otherwise prematurely age the face.
MYTH 4: BOTOX will make you look unnatural
If you are old enough to remember the early days of BOTOX, it’s likely that you’ve seen at least one or two frozen foreheads. You know the ones, where somebody has a look of surprise but their eyebrows don’t move.
That’s the work of an unskilled doctor.
At its core, BOTOX is a tool. It’s a tool that can be used effectively or can be can be misused by unskilled and/or unpracticed “professionals”.
Where you go to have your BOTOX injections done is important. Your best options are to visit a plastic surgery or dermatology medical practice of a provider who has been trained on how to deliver natural-looking results that will have you looking great. There is no substitute for experience and training.
MYTH 5: BOTOX is best after lines and wrinkles appear
Traditionally BOTOX has been seen as something that’s done once there’s a problem. People wait until they see crows-feet before they have them treated. But BOTOX is all a wonderful preventative medicine. We routinely see women in their 20s and men in their 30s who use BOTOX preventatively. This delays the onset of wrinkles in the face and can help in keeping a younger looking face for longer.
MYTH 6: BOTOX is just for smoothing out wrinkles
BOTOX built its brand name on the basis of being able to smooth out wrinkles but it’s actually used for much more than that. In addition to its cosmetic uses, BOTOX injections can be used to treat migraines by reducing muscle tension and reducing strain on the nervous system. It’s also used to stop excessive sweating by temporarily blocking sweat glands.
MYTH 7: BOTOX is only for women
It’s stereotypical to think that only women get Botox. While this may have been true in the past, for at least the past decade, we’ve seen more men come to get BOTOX each year than the year before. It’s getting so popular that it’s earning the name BRO-TOX.
We’re seeing men in their 30s and older who want to smooth out lines to keep from appearing angry, or older. Men, just like ladies, want to look good too!
At Summit Plastic Surgery & Dermatology we have many years of experience successfully treating our patients with BOTOX. If this is a procedure that you’ve been thinking about, we encourage you to reach out to us at (910) 794-5355 to find out more and to schedule an appointment. We now have three locations: Wilmington, Supply, and Hampstead NC to serve you better!
BOTOX is one of those items that seems to garner a lot of opinions. Anybody who is old enough to remember when BOTOX first hit the market heard scary things like “it’s botulinum” and saw scary things like actresses foreheads frozen in place.
This has contributed, in some areas, to a lot of myths springing up about what BOTOX is, what it does, and how it works.
On the other hand, it’s extremely likely that you meet people every day that use BOTOX safely and with amazing, natural results.
As a BOTOX provider, and one who sees dozens of patients weekly, we see people all the time on both sides of the issue. Some are nervous, and some love it.
What we hope to do in this article is to bust some common BOTOX myths and to give you a more accurate picture of how BOTOX can be a part of your beauty regimen.
MYTH 1: Cosmetic BOTOX is the same as Botulism
This is a myth that is widespread because it sounds plausible, but falls apart with even the slightest scrutiny. Botulism is food poisoning. We are not injecting your face with food poisoning when we do a BOTOX injection.
BOTOX is a derivative of one protein of the Botulinum toxin. This may sound scary but is in fact a really common way that medications are created. Furthermore, there has been extensive testing on BOTOX and it’s been used safely around the world for over 30 years. It would take 100 times the average dose for BOTOX treatments to be fatal. Compare this with water where as little as 3 times the recommended dose can be fatal.
MYTH 2: You can develop an immunity to BOTOX
For more than 99% of BOTOX users, they will never have issues will immunity. With the newer formulations on the market today, less than 1% of patients have issues. For those that show resistance to BOTOX, we’ve had good results switching them to a similar yet differently formulated neuromodulator like Xeomin.
MYTH 3: If you stop using BOTOX your face will look worse
BOTOX treatments typically last 3-4 months. If you discontinue use after a treatment, whether it’s your first or your twentieth, the muscles that have been immobilized by the BOTOX treatments will begin to relax and your body will resume its natural aging process. It doesn’t accelerate the process or otherwise prematurely age the face.
MYTH 4: BOTOX will make you look unnatural
If you are old enough to remember the early days of BOTOX, it’s likely that you’ve seen at least one or two frozen foreheads. You know the ones, where somebody has a look of surprise but their eyebrows don’t move.
That’s the work of an unskilled doctor.
At its core, BOTOX is a tool. It’s a tool that can be used effectively or can be can be misused by unskilled and/or unpracticed “professionals”.
Where you go to have your BOTOX injections done is important. Your best options are to visit a plastic surgery or dermatology medical practice of a provider who has been trained on how to deliver natural-looking results that will have you looking great. There is no substitute for experience and training.
MYTH 5: BOTOX is best after lines and wrinkles appear
Traditionally BOTOX has been seen as something that’s done once there’s a problem. People wait until they see crows-feet before they have them treated. But BOTOX is all a wonderful preventative medicine. We routinely see women in their 20s and men in their 30s who use BOTOX preventatively. This delays the onset of wrinkles in the face and can help in keeping a younger looking face for longer.
MYTH 6: BOTOX is just for smoothing out wrinkles
BOTOX built its brand name on the basis of being able to smooth out wrinkles but it’s actually used for much more than that. In addition to its cosmetic uses, BOTOX injections can be used to treat migraines by reducing muscle tension and reducing strain on the nervous system. It’s also used to stop excessive sweating by temporarily blocking sweat glands.
MYTH 7: BOTOX is only for women
It’s stereotypical to think that only women get Botox. While this may have been true in the past, for at least the past decade, we’ve seen more men come to get BOTOX each year than the year before. It’s getting so popular that it’s earning the name BRO-TOX.
We’re seeing men in their 30s and older who want to smooth out lines to keep from appearing angry, or older. Men, just like ladies, want to look good too!
At Summit Plastic Surgery & Dermatology we have many years of experience successfully treating our patients with BOTOX. If this is a procedure that you’ve been thinking about, we encourage you to reach out to us at (910) 794-5355 to find out more and to schedule an appointment. We now have three locations: Wilmington, Supply, and Hampstead NC to serve you better!
Considering BOTOX? Our dermatologists are waiting to talk to you about your options.
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