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The Truth about Botox®

Botox® Cosmetic has safely given hundreds of thousands of patients the exact results they were longing for. However some clients have concerns about whether the treatments can carry unforeseen hazards. We'd like to address these concerns honestly.

We believe everyone who is thinking about a cosmetic treatment should know as much as possible, in advance – and make sure all questions get answered. We’d like to help you make an informed decision about whether or not you should have Botox® Cosmetic treatments.

The Safety of Botox®

We've administered thousands of Botox® Cosmetic treatments since it was approved by the FDA and have heard questions over and over again regarding the safety and effectiveness of Botox®. A 2004 incident was widely reported in the media, causing great concern for many people. So it’s important to review the facts.

You may have heard about the Florida situation where four people came down with serious disease from what they thought was Botox®. How did this unfortunate incident occur? A small group of physicians purchased and used unapproved, raw Botulinum toxin they had obtained from a California laboratory – a “bootleg” version of Botox®, approximately 100 times as powerful as the Botox® Cosmetic that is used for cosmetic and medical purposes. This bootleg version, designed for research, was never intended for human use.

In my office, we use the only form of Botox® Cosmetic that is currently licensed for sale in the U.S., manufactured exclusively by Allergan, a legitimate and respected pharmaceutical company. We will never use any Botox® that has not been FDA approved. This approved, purified form of the drug Botulinum toxin is a potent medication that actually relaxes muscles when it is injected directly into them. It has no ability to cause effects beyond a few millimeters around the point where it is injected.

As you can see from this story, it is extremely important to choose your doctor carefully.

The 5 most important questions to ask when choosing the “best” doctor to do your Botox® Cosmetic treatment.

Question 1. How long have you been using Botox®?

This is probably the most important success factor for your treatment. Botox® treatments are as much an art as science. There is no cookbook formula for knowing the exact locations and amounts of Botox® for injection. Every patient’s facial anatomy has variations, and a doctor must have considerable experience to evaluate your individual facial muscles and expression before injecting the Botox®.

So be sure to ask how long the doctor has been doing the treatments, and how many patients the doctor has treated with Botox®. If this doctor takes exception to your question, it is best to look elsewhere.

Personally, I've been using Botox® Cosmetic since it was FDA approved and have treated hundreds of patients.

 

Question 2. Where did your doctor train?

Botox® treatments are evolving – every year new ways of using Botox® are developed. So it’s essential your doctor attends regular training in the use of Botox® – not only to learn the critical techniques but also to keep up on what’s new. So ask your doctor these two questions:

a.) Where did you train?

b.) When did you take your last course?

Again, if the doctor takes exception to these questions, take your business elsewhere.

Personally, I regularly upgrade my knowledge at accredited courses, and I also train doctors in how to do Botox® treatments. It’s a true saying – you don’t know something until you know how to teach it!

 

Question 3. How does your doctor safeguard against complications from Botox® use?

The word that strikes fear in any competent doctor is complications. How the physician deals with this question is therefore very important. If the doctor blithely sweeps this question aside and says, “Complications don’t happen in my hands” you should probably look elsewhere.

On the other hand, if your doctor clearly informs you of the possible complications from Botox® use, and explains the precautions taken to avoid complications, you should feel confident to go ahead with this doctor. Unfortunately, complications can happen even in the most experienced doctor’s hands. It is the methods for dealing with them and the steps taken to prevent them that are most important.

 

Question 4. How will your doctor follow you after your Botox® Cosmetic treatment?

Giving the Botox® injection is not enough. A good doctor knows that follow-up after Botox® treatment is just as important as the initial treatment. You should therefore be sure that follow-up after Botox® is a scheduled part of your treatment.

Your doctor should also be willing to see you should you have any problems. You should also know beforehand the costs, if any, for touch-up treatments, as these are sometimes required.

 

Question 5. What is your fee?

You should ask this for a very good reason. The price of your treatment is the least important consideration. The skill and professional attitude of your doctor are far more important.

The first thing to keep in mind when it comes to price is that the cheapest price is not always the best. Sometimes corners must be cut in order to offer a service cheaply. There is an old saying – you can have two of the following things: price, quality and service. If you take price as your first consideration, you can only have one of the other two. In my practice, quality and service are more important … and I won’t cut corners.

How Does Botox® Cosmetic Work? A History

To understand Botox®, it helps to know a bit of its history. About 15 years ago, Drs. Alistair and Jean Caruthers were using Botulinum toxin to treat people with a painful muscle spasm condition around the eye. The curious thing was that some of these patients noticed that their foreheads and frown lines were indeed being relaxed and that they looked less angry.

That’s how two doctors discovered how to safely use one of the most potent toxins in the world to relax muscles that cause wrinkles in the face. They have continued to use and refine this drug for the past 15 years. A recent study shows that Botox® Cosmetic (the real Allergan-produced medication) is a very safe and effective drug when used in well-trained hands. Last year over 8 million Botox® treatments were given in North America, and no long-term detrimental effects resulted.

Myths about Botox® treatments

— Let’s take a look at a couple of Botox® myths we hear all the time.

You could look worse when you stop treatments.

We’ve had many people ask me, “What will happen if I stop my treatments? Will I look worse?” Let me tell you what we’ve seen. Several of my patients have 2 or 3 treatments and then disappear for a year or more. When they do eventually come back, it's always because they miss the relaxed look Botox® gave them, and not because their looks had worsened. In fact, in comparing their “before treatment” photographs, we’ve never seen any wrinkles worsening after treatments are stopped.

For the vast majority of Botox® patients, the effects of Botox® slowly wear off over the period of 3 to 6 months. There’s no record of any rebound effect whatsoever. With repeated use, the drug’s effect is often longer and longer – some people can go for periods of up to 9 months without treatment. The worst-case scenario is that you will return to your pre-Botox® look.

Botox® makes you look plastic or unnatural.

Botox® is a wonderful treatment, but some people do take things to the extreme. Some movie stars look plastic because they use way too much Botox®, in too many places. The goal of Botox® is to normalize looks, not to “freeze” them. Used with discretion, Botox® will give you a relaxed look. Your physician’s judgment is essential here. Your doctor should be able to decide on exactly the dose and location of Botox® Cosmetic that is right for you. The key is to know how far to go, without paralyzing the essential muscles required for natural, relaxed facial expressions.

 

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