Learn all about botox –

It is a medicine of biological origin obtained from the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. Botox, as everyone talks about, is actually the trademark of botulinum toxin type A from the Allergan laboratory. But there are other products on the market with different names, such as Dysport, by Galderma, and Prosigne, by Cristália.

Can botox be used on all types of wrinkles?
No. Dermatologists use this technique to smooth out dynamic wrinkles – that is, those that are very marked due to the movement of the muscles of the face, such as those on the forehead and crow’s feet. For lines that are evident when the face is stationary (the Chinese mustache, for example), there are other resources, such as fillers based on hyaluronic acid.

Can the face remain expressionless?
Not necessarily. The way to use the substance has evolved a lot — a few years ago, it did give a “frozen” look. The trend now is to leave the look very natural. This will depend on the amount of material injected in each region and the technique and aesthetic sense of the dermatologist. Therefore, it makes all the difference to choose a specialist who has experience in the method and who evaluates your face individually, since there is no single recipe for applying the substance.

At what age can you start using it?
Doctors say that, more important than the patient’s age group, is knowing if she really needs the treatment. Young women (30 years old on average) with a genetic tendency to form wrinkles can take advantage of the technique preventively: by relaxing a certain muscle, the botulinum toxin prevents the appearance of a deeper crease five or ten years from now. But this use is still controversial and, as always, the common sense of the doctor and the patient is worth it.

Are there side effects?
They are rare. The most common of all is palpebral ptosis, when the upper eyelid temporarily droops (the reaction usually lasts from four to six weeks). Headache may also occur shortly after application and purple spots at the points of the bites. Pregnant women or patients with neurological problems should not use the substance.

Really hurts?
You’ll feel the pricks of the needle, but whoever did it says it’s bearable. The most sensitive patients can resort to an anesthetic cream to pass over the skin before the injection.

Is the result immediate?
No. The effect begins to be observed in three or four days, but the final result appears even after a week. Therefore, between the seventh and fourteenth days, the doctor should schedule a return visit to verify the need for a touch-up – there may be a permanence of the wrinkle between the eyebrows or asymmetry between them, for example.

How long does it last?
It depends on the amount of substance used, the form of application and the individual response of each patient. But statistics point to an average of between four and six months of durability. In any case, doctors do not recommend more than two applications per year.

Do you guarantee that big mouth?
No way! Contrary to what many women (and men too) think, giving volume and contouring to the lips has nothing to do with botulinum toxin. In this case, another material suitable for filling is used – again, hyaluronic acid is the most used, but there are other substances suitable for this purpose.

In which cases is botox indicated?
· Soften forehead lines, the crease between the eyebrows and crow’s feet.
· Lift the corners of the mouth.
· Arch your eyebrows.
· Improve wrinkles on the chest and neck.
· Slightly upturn the tip of the nose.
· Disguise the apparent gum when smiling.
· Combat excess sweating in the armpits, hands and feet.
· Correct strabismus.
· Treat headaches and jaw joint disorders (Anvisa has not yet approved its use for this purpose).