Dynamic wrinkles are only visible when your facial muscles are moving. If you keep your face absolutely expressionless while standing in the mirror, none of your dynamic creases will be seen. However, as soon as you furrow your brow with worry, laugh with joy, smile in agreement, or frown, these lines will reveal your true age. In fact, dynamic wrinkles are often the very first signs of facial aging to visibly manifest. They form at the corners of the eyes, around the mouth, and at the brow. The good news is that BOTOX® has the power to kick dynamic wrinkles to the curb. This increasingly popular injectable has a long history of successfully turning back the hands of time.
What Dynamic Wrinkles Really Are
Your skin gets its smooth, even appearance from a generous layer of supporting collagen. This smooth, unblemished surface sits just beneath your skin where it defines and bolsters the dermis. As your body ages, less replacement collagen is produced, and the collagen that you already have begins drying out and exhibiting the signs of ongoing wear. Irrespective of their cause, damages at the collagen layer are what create the earliest evidence of facial aging.
When you make facial expressions, many muscles are being engaged. Certain muscles, such as those by the corners of your eyes, gradually accumulate a lot of tension. That’s because facial expressions are not only repeated many times throughout the day, but certain movements are often made and then held. For instance, you might furrow your brow for hours when you’re in the process of preparing your taxes, or you might find yourself laughing non-stop while watching a favorite comedy show. The resulting tension pulls on the supporting collagen layer until it eventually cracks. Once this happens, these cracks will always manifest as dynamic wrinkles at the surface of your skin, whenever the responsible muscles are reengaged.
What BOTOX® is and How It Creates Smooth, Line-Free Skin
BOTOX® is a powerful, injectable neurotoxin that’s derived from the botulinum bacteria. When injected into the skin, this purified protein has the ability to block the nerve signals that control select facial muscles. This stills movement in the treated area so that stored tension can be released and the collagen layer is one again smooth. During a BOTOX® treatment, only a few key muscles are targeted. This ensures that movement is reduced in such a way that patients can continue smiling, frowning, and making other facial expressions in a very natural-seeming manner. Once these procedures are complete, your face will remain youthful and line-free, even as you continue to be just as expressive and communicative with your visage as you’ve always been in the past.
How BOTOX® Treatments are Performed
Injections during these treatments are always performed with a very small-sized needle. This short and thin-tipped instrument can be compared to the needles that many diabetic people use on their own to administer their insulin. Ice packs or even a light numbing cream can be topically applied to the treatment area to ensure continued comfort. Once your dynamic wrinkles have been assessed, you will receive a quick series of injections at the lips, around the eyes, and at the brow. As soon as these are done, you’ll be free to go and can immediately rejoin your regular activities. The entire process takes about 15 to 20 minutes for both new and returning patients.
Unlike invasive anti-wrinkle treatments, BOTOX® does not entail any cutting or any actual removal of facial tissues. As such, there is no risk of scarring or infection, and there’s very little downtime if any at all. Many patients experience a small amount of light bruising and swelling post-treatment. These and other mild aftereffects are completely normal. Moreover, they will abate entirely on their own within just a matter of hours.
What You Can Expect Immediately After Your BOTOX® Procedure
A lot of people leave these procedures with immediately visible improvements. It all depends upon how fast the body responds to this neurotoxin, and how quickly key muscles are stilled as a result. You might see a slight softening of dynamic lines right away, but you can definitely look forward to having more changes manifest in the hours and days to come. The full range of benefits from a BOTOX® treatment will likely manifest within just one to three days of injection.
Simple Strategies for Ensuring Amazing Results
Once you’re back at home, you may be tempted to spend hours in the mirror studying your face, stroking your facial skin, and eagerly scanning for changes. The best way to ensure a truly successful outcome with these procedures, however, is by not agitating your face at all. In fact, patients should avoid laying down or engaging in any activities that affect this area. Putting too much pressure on the treatment zone can actually cause the solution to start migrating. The doctor will take a very strict approach to immobilizing only the specific facial muscles that are responsible for your dynamic wrinkles. Making sure that the solution does not migrate out of individual injection areas is key for achieving a truly natural-look. After just two to four hours have passed, it should be fine to wash the treated skin with a mild face soap. Rather than using a towel to rub your skin dry, try using a soft cloth to gently pat excess moisture away instead.
How Long Do Treatment Results Last?
The results of a BOTOX® procedure typically last up to four months. After this time, the effects of this injectable will start wearing off. As this occurs, normal nerve communication will resume, as will normal muscle functioning. This means that muscle tension will gradually rebuild, and cracks in your collagen layer will again be evident. The good news is that when you’re happy with your BOTOX® results, you always have the option of receiving additional injections going forward. This product can be safely used as a dynamic wrinkle treatment two to three times each year.
For patients who have never had any cosmetic procedures before, the short-term efficacy of this product can be quite comforting. It ultimately means that there is virtually no risk of getting stuck with displeasing outcomes. If you don’t like the aesthetic changes that manifest after your procedure, you can rest assured that these changes will gradually abate over the weeks and months that lie ahead. Short-term results also allow patients to retain sufficient flexibility and freedom for restructuring their anti-aging plans in the future. It’s important to note that surgical wrinkle treatments alter the visage in a permanent or semi-permanent fashion. As such, when patients are unhappy with the outcomes of their face lift procedures, they often need to undergo additional revision surgeries to correct them. BOTOX® and other injectable cosmetics like it eliminate this and many other risks entirely.
When is the Best Time to Get BOTOX®?
BOTOX® injections have been laughingly referred to as “lunchtime facelifts” for years. That’s because they are incredibly simple and discrete. With a procedure that lasts mere minutes and absolutely no downtime to contend with, you can erase your dynamic fine lines and wrinkles without anyone realizing that you’ve had work done at all. It really is possible to receive these injections over lunch, and to return to work right after. Moreover, given that results manifest quickly and that there are very few aftereffects for patients deal with, you can easily receive a BOTOX® treatment just ahead of any important occasion or event. It is a great way to freshen up your visage, boost your confidence, and improve your marketability before going on an important job interview, taking a long-awaited vacation, marrying your partner, or attending your high school reunion. As this neurotoxin takes effect, your face will quickly become smoother and more youthful-looking all-around.
Why BOTOX® Cannot Treat Static Wrinkles or Other Forms of Advanced Facial Aging
While dynamic wrinkles disappear as soon your facial muscles are still, static wrinkles are always evident. These are not related to the age-related breakdown of your collagen stores. Instead, they are caused by volume loss, the gradual loosening of the skin, and other structural changes that cannot be repaired by immobilizing expressive facial muscles. These deeper and more severe facial creases require an alternative solution. In some instances, they can be quickly and seamlessly filled in with high-quality dermal fillers. At other times, surgical treatments such as face lift or brow lift procedures may be advised.
Using BOTOX® as Part of a Multi-Pronged Anti-Aging Plan
Given that aging is a progressive process, and that dynamic wrinkles are generally the first signs of skin aging to appear, patients who require dermal fillers for static wrinkle correction can often benefit from BOTOX® as well. When dermal fillers and BOTOX® are paired together, this is known as a liquid face lift. It is a non-invasive treatment that allows the doctor to fill in both motion-related creases, and any static lines and facial hollows that are the result of volume loss. BOTOX® can also be paired with many non-invasive skin resurfacing procedures. Just as the skin begins developing dynamic lines and wrinkles, tone and texture-related problems such as enlarged pores, sun spots, age spots, and melasma can start rearing their heads as well. When several non-invasive procedures are used as part of needs-specific and multi-pronged anti-aging plans, pairing them and timing them correctly is key for ensuring the best possible outcomes.
Is BOTOX® the Best Wrinkle Treatment for You?
Using BOTOX® cosmetic to reduce dynamic wrinkles across the visage is a very fast and effective way to revitalize your appearance. These treatments aren’t just easy and discreet, they are also flexible enough to meet the needs of the individual patient. Through careful and strategic injections, the doctor can erase your crow’s feet, perioral wrinkles, and frown lines, while preserving all essential muscle movements. You’ll look exactly like you always do, only fresher, younger, and more confident. Get in touch with our team at Salas Plastic Surgery in Miami, FL to learn more about BOTOX® cosmetic and to determine whether this potent injectable is the right dynamic wrinkle solution for you. Contact us today to schedule your consultation!
