Is Botox for You? Top 10 Things You Need to Know Before Getting a Botox Shot

Today, Botox injections have become a popular aesthetic procedure with various benefits. From lessening fine lines and wrinkles to alleviating migraine headaches, these treatments are minimally invasive and require very little recovery time. In addition, they can be performed right in your dentist’s office as an extra way to enhance your overall smile and appearance.

Whether you’ve read about Botox or heard about it from friends who achieved beneficial results themselves, there are things you need to know before deciding on whether it is the right option for you.

Top 10 Things You Will Need to Know Before Getting a Botox Shot

1. What is Botox?

Botox is a safe neurotoxin, diluted for use in injections to the facial area. This diluted neurotoxin relaxes facial muscles, limiting those facial movements that can create wrinkles and fine lines.

The neurotoxin only restricts those areas where the injections take place, so you can still exhibit facial expressions.

2. What are the Uses for Botox?

Botox is useful to treat both cosmetic issues and oral health concerns.

On the cosmetic side, Botox treatments can reduce the appearance of fine lines and noticeable wrinkles, such as frown lines around the mouth, crow’s feet at the outer edges of your eyes, wrinkles between your eyebrows, and those creases across your forehead. It can also help keep new ones from developing in these areas.

When it comes to oral health concerns, Botox can offer relief from bruxism, which is the continuous teeth grinding and clenching, usually during sleep, which leads to serious tooth damage, headaches, and facial pain. It can also help treat TMJ disorders in patients.

Botox is proving to be a valuable treatment for those suffering migraine headaches as well and aids in orthodontic procedures and the placement and comfort of dentures.

3. What do Botox Treatments Involve?

Botox treatments involve making tiny injections into targeted spots around the mouth, lips, forehead, and face. The injection itself isn’t deep, and the patient rarely suffers pain or any lingering effects.

In some instances, when you receive a Botox injection in the area between the brows, you may feel a slight sensation, brief headache, or temporary dizziness. These are normal and only temporary, usually dissipating in under 15 minutes.

Injections in other areas of the face may cause slight swelling, numbness, or redness, but these will fade within an hour or two.

It’s unlikely you will bruise as a result of the injection, but if you do, work with your provider to find a solution to minimize the discoloration.

4. How Long Will It Be Before Botox Takes Effect?

Within approximately 20 minutes, the Botox will settle completely into the facial muscles. However, the results will not be instant.

Expect to start noticing the intended results within three to five days, with the full effect taking up to two weeks. This can take longer in certain circumstances, such as if you have deeper lines in your forehead.

5. What Will You Need to Avoid Prior to a Botox Injection?

Prior to a Botox treatment, you will need to avoid taking certain medications and supplements. These include anticoagulants like ibuprofen or aspirin, which interfere with blood clotting and can increase the risks of bruising.

While there is some debate on other items to avoid, many professionals suggest foregoing multivitamins, fish oil supplements, wine, green tea, ginger, and cinnamon.

Speak with your provider about what specifically to avoid at least two weeks prior to the Botox treatment.

6. What Will You Need to Avoid Following a Botox Treatment?

Essentially, there is zero downtime following a Botox treatment, and returning to your normal life can mostly be immediate. However, you will need to limit certain activities that can lead to blood flow changes to the facial area for several hours after the injection. By doing so, you will prevent shifting or moving the injected neurotoxin from the administered location into other areas of your face or weakening its effectiveness.

Things to avoid for several hours following a Botox treatment include:

• Massaging makeup onto your face
• Washing your hair
• Exercising, especially heavy cardio
• Lying down
• Sitting in a sauna or steam room
• Flying
• Taking blood-thinning medications such as ibuprofen

Give the Botox time to settle in before returning to these activities.

7. How Long Does a Botox Treatment Last?

Botox treatments are temporary, and you will need to schedule regular injections to continue to experience results. In general, the treatments last somewhere between three and four months each time.

As the time passes, you will begin to feel less tightening in the facial muscles and notice the ability to deepen your expressions. You may start to see the return of the fine lines or wrinkles.

Patients, on average, usually seek treatments up to four times a year.

8. Is Botox a Safe Choice?

Botox treatments continue to become more popular and common today and are a safe option for those seeking to improve their appearance, treat certain oral health issues, or alleviate headaches. Most importantly, Botox is FDA-approved. Look for treatment providers with proper training and experience to improve the safety of these treatments as well.

9. Who Can Receive Botox Treatments?

Women and men both can receive Botox treatments as a preventive measure or as a cosmetic procedure to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. There is no specific age range when it comes to who can receive Botox treatments. Instead, patients need to decide for themselves by understanding their goals, the health of their skin, and overall preferences.

10. Is A Consultation Required?

Before receiving a Botox injection, an initial consultation is essential. Such a consultation provides an opportunity for evaluation of how your face moves naturally as you smile, frown, and raise your eyebrows. In addition, a health assessment and discussion about medications and supplements you take are crucial before moving forward.

You can also gain realistic expectations of the outcome of the procedure and discuss concerns, risks, and benefits.

Find Out More Today by Calling Lifetime Dental Health

The team at Lifetime Dental Health has years of experience providing Botox treatments and other cosmetic and dental procedures for our patients. Find out more today by contacting our office in Columbus and scheduling an informative consultation.