What is Botox?
Botox is an injectable drug derived from Clostridium botulinum bacteria. When injected, Botox temporarily blocks the targeted nerves and paralyzes muscles in the treatment area. Botox can treat any of the following health concerns:
- Neck or shoulder spasms
- Chronic headaches and migraines
- Underarm sweating
- Tight muscles affecting mobility
While Botox has proved effective in treating these medical problems, it’s most commonly used for cosmetic treatments. Injecting Botox into your face limits the signs of aging by softening lines and wrinkles up to four months. Botox treatments require little to no recovery time and is the only FDA-approved treatment to fix lines on your face.
What should I expect during a Botox procedure?
The team at Medico reviews the details of your Botox treatment during your consultation, so you know what to expect in relation to the condition you’re receiving Botox to treat. Your skin is first cleaned and prepared for treatment with ice or a topical numbing agent. Then, your doctor carefully injects the Botox.
Most Botox treatments take less than an hour, although many treatments are completed in about 15 minutes. Botox is not considered painful, but you might experience a slight pinching sensation during the injection.
How can Botox help migraines?
Botox injections prevent migraine headaches by blocking the release of chemicals involved in pain transmission. Your doctor injects Botox around the pain fibers associated with headaches, where it enters the nerve endings and prevents the brain from recognizing pain.
Each Botox injection successfully prevents migraine headaches for 10 to 12 weeks.
What happens after I receive Botox?
After the Botox is injected in the treatment area, your doctor places a cold compress directly on the treatment site to prevent swelling and minimize bruising. When you leave the office after treatment, it’s recommended you refrain from vigorous physical activities temporarily to reduce the risk of bruising.
You should not rub or massage the treatment area to prevent Botox from migrating to other muscle tissues outside of the targeted treatment area.
Regardless of the medical condition or cosmetic reason for receiving Botox, the effects are temporary. If needed, the team at Medico provides specific instructions on when you should return to the office to repeat the process.
Can Botox help me?
Botox injections are a safe and effective way to deal with the visible signs of aging and relieve symptoms to a variety of medical conditions. To find out if Botox can help you with migraines or cosmetic purposes, schedule a consultation with Medico online or by calling the practice.
