BOTOX Cosmetic is the first and only FDA-approved prescription product that temporarily improves the appearance of both moderate to severe frown lines between the brows and moderate to severe crow’s feet in adults.
Wrinkles result from a combination of many factors. It’s not just about cellular changes, collagen depletion, or damage caused by free radicals. When you frown or concentrate, the muscles between your brows contract, causing your skin to furrow and fold. And when you squint, the muscles around your eyes contract and cause crow’s feet.
BOTOX® Cosmetic works beneath the skin’s surface and targets the underlying muscle activity that causes frown lines and crow’s feet to form over time.
Your doctor will inject BOTOX® Cosmetic into the muscles that cause frown lines and crow’s feet lines, temporarily reducing the activity of those muscles. The result is a reduction in the appearance of those lines.
Oct. 18, 2010 — Botox — famous for smoothing out wrinkles on the face — has been approved by the FDA to treat chronic migraine headaches in adults.
The FDA says Botox injections have been shown to be effective in the prevention of migraines, which are debilitating headaches that cause intense pulsing or throbbing pain and affect about 12% of Americans.
“Chronic migraine is one of the most disabling forms of headache,” Russell Katz, MD, of the FDA, says in a news release. “Patients with chronic migraine experience a headache more than 14 days of the month. This condition can greatly affect family, work, and social life, so it is important to have a variety of effective treatment options available.”
Migraine headaches are sometimes called “sick headaches” because they often are accompanied by nausea and sensitivity to light and sound.
Botox to treat chronic migraines is given at intervals of about 12 weeks as multiple injections around the head and neck to try to dull future headache symptoms, the FDA says in a statement.
The FDA says it’s important that patients who suffer chronic migraines discuss with their doctors whether Botox is appropriate for them.
Allergan Inc., the maker of Botox, says in a statement that the FDA’s approval applies to people with chronic migraine, which it defines as a “distinct and severe neurological disorder characterized by patients who have a history of migraine and suffer from headaches on 15 or more days per month with headaches lasting four hours a day or longer.”
The company says that when treating chronic migraine, qualified medical specialists administer 31 Botox injections into seven specific head and neck sites.
It says that Botox, when injected at labeled doses in recommended areas, is expected to produce results lasting up to three months depending on the individual patient.
Your skin naturally produces hyaluronic acid, a sugar-based compound responsible for delivering and maintaining moisture and nutrient levels in skin cells, which creates the appearance of volume and smoothness in young, supple skin. Unfortunately, with the progression of time, your skin’s ability to manufacture its own hyaluronic acid diminishes. Botox JUVÉDERM is a smooth gel that is made of cross-linked hyaluronic acid particles. When injected into fine lines, wrinkles, furrows, or sunken areas of the face, JUVÉDERM replenishes the hyaluronic acid that has been absorbed into your body over time, helping you achieve a more youthful appearance.
JUVÉDERM® comes in a number of formulas of varying strengths, so treatments can be tailored to the specific needs of each patient. JUVÉDERM® is effective in the treatment of fine lines and wrinkles as well as in plumping up the lips, filling in the cheek area, and even restoring a youthful, rounded shape to the face. While JUVÉDERM® provides very visible and long-lasting results, patients who have extensive facial wrinkling or sagging may be more appropriate candidates for facial plastic surgery, such as a facelift or a brow lift.
JUVÉDERM® is appropriate for any area of the face, including lines and creases around the mouth, nose, and forehead. The procedure can be used for facial contouring as well as to improve the appearance of scars, such as those caused by acne. JUVÉDERM® can also be used to enhance the size and shape of the lips. All of these areas will show distinct improvement after treatment with JUVÉDERM® filler.
JUVÉDERM® filler treatment is quite simple and is similar to other dermal fillers/ wrinkle reducers. It is injected into the area of the wrinkles and creases with minimal discomfort. Its effects are immediate and long-lasting, though some patients may wish to combine JUVÉDERM® filler with BOTOX® Cosmetic for an even more dramatic effect.
JUVÉDERM® treatment involves less discomfort for patients than other dermal fillers, and the results are more enduring, with the average patient enjoying a healthier, more youthful facial appearance for six to nine months. Furthermore, since JUVÉDERM® is composed solely of biocompatible hyaluronic acid, it poses very minimal risk of allergic reaction and other negative side-effects associated with injectable wrinkle treatments.
JUVÉDERM® is likely a good option for you if you are dissatisfied with the way your face is aging – namely, if you dislike the wrinkles and creases that have surfaced. JUVÉDERM® may also be right for you if you feel that your lips need augmentation.
If you have severe scarring or thinner/looser skin, JUVÉDERM® may not be as effective. But in most cases and with most patients, JUVÉDERM® is a good choice. Note that the results of JUVÉDERM® are long-lasting but impermanent, so that you are not forever wed to your decision.
There is no downtime required after JUVÉDERM® treatment. Patients who undergo JUVÉDERM® treatment can expect to be able to return to work or other normal activities immediately, with only mild redness or soreness at the site of the injections.
Adverse side effects of JUVÉDERM® treatment are rare, and usually go away in less than a week without any doctor intervention. Side effects of JUVÉDERM® usually result from the injection itself and may include redness, tenderness, swelling, firmness, and bruising. Since your body already contains hyaluronic acid, and the ingredient in JUVÉDERM® is created through biosynthesis in a laboratory and is designed for biocompatibility, there is no risk of an allergic reaction after JUVÉDERM® treatment.
After JUVÉDERM® treatment, it is best not to unnecessarily touch or massage the treated area for a few days, though normal make-up routines may be adhered to. Patients who have JUVÉDERM® treatment are also advised to avoid unnecessary exposure to heat, cold, and sun for up to two weeks following their injections. After JUVÉDERM® treatment, it is important to wear sunscreen and to avoid using any products that contain alcohol on the face.
Some doctors recommend that patients come in for a follow-up treatment to fill in any lines or wrinkles that were missed during the first JUVÉDERM® treatment, but this is rarely necessary. Over time, the hyaluronic acid in JUVÉDERM® is naturally absorbed into the body. However, because of its cross-linked composition and viscous gel consistency, JUVÉDERM® integrates into the body at a markedly slower rate than other dermal fillers. Thus, patients enjoy longer lasting results after their JUVÉDERM® treatments than other treatment and other injectable wrinkle treatments. The average patient enjoys the results of a JUVÉDERM® treatment for six to nine months, though some patients have had results last for as long as a year to fifteen months
Bellafill is the only dermal filler that stimulates collagen growth long term to help maintain your youthful appearance for up to 5 years. Now, you can look your best without wasting time and money on frequent filler injections. Bellafill’s tiny, polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) microspheres are suspended within a base of smooth collagen gel. Once injected, the collagen gel immediately reduces the look of smile lines. Over time, your body uses the microspheres in Bellafill to create a “scaffold” onto which your own natural collagen can develop. This collagen forms a foundation that adds volume to wrinkles, reducing their appearance – and giving you natural-looking results that feel soft and smooth for up to 5 years.