Trust the Eye Experts for Botox for Your Holiday Parties
You know us at Central Valley Eye Medical for the care of your vision, whether it’s LASIK refraction correction, cataract surgery, glaucoma treatments to lower intraocular eye pressure, or laser treatments to vaporize troublesome rogue blood vessels causing macular degeneration, among other treatments.
But we also know our patients from Stockton, Modesto, Manteca, and the surrounding areas also want to look their best. For that reason we also offer a variety of cosmetic oculoplastic services, from eyelid surgery to microneedling to Botox injections. This time of year, Botox is a popular treatment so our patients can look younger for their upcoming holiday parties and get-togethers.
Dr. Kimberly Cockerham provides all of our Botox (and Dysport and Xeomin) injections. Her extensive knowledge of facial anatomy and facial surgery guarantee you’ll get the results you seek.
What is Botox?
Botox is basically the rock star of the aesthetic world. Since its approval by the FDA in 2002 for the treatment of wrinkles on the upper third of the face, Botox has been the most popular cosmetic procedure performed every year…worldwide!
Botox is basically made from the botulinum toxin type A. These are the same bacteria that cause botulism. In the 40s, scientists discovered that when the toxin was injected in miniscule amounts into a muscle it caused the muscle to temporarily become paralyzed. This proved to be effective for treating conditions such as involuntary eyelid spasms, where muscle contractions needed to be controlled. That was actually where Botox received its first FDA approval in 1996, for the treatment of involuntary eyelids spasms.
“But what about my frown lines?” you ask. Certain wrinkles form due to muscle contractions beneath the skin. These are called dynamic wrinkles and they form when we make repeated actions such as squinting, frowning, smiling, and the like. You could link most of these behaviors with the expressive part of the face, the upper third. When the muscle contracts for a squint, for example, a wrinkle forms above the contraction. Over time, the skin gets used to creating a wrinkle and it wrinkles more and more. This also increases as our skin becomes thinner and less elastic with age.
When Botox is injected into a muscle it blocks the nerves messages to the brain. Without the message to contract, the brain never initiates the contraction. Without the contraction, the wrinkle above doesn’t form or is far less noticeable. Voila — the magic of Botox!
Where can Botox be used?
Botox was initially approved by the FDA for treatment of wrinkles on the upper third of the face — glabellar/frown lines (the 11s between your eyebrows) and forehead lines. Although it had been used “off-label” for crow’s feet at the outside of the eyes, the FDA added official approval for this area in 2013.
Now you know that we also care for the health and the aesthetic appearance of your eyes and other areas of the face, why not give us a call at Central Valley Eye Medical Group, (800) 244-9907, and set up a Botox session with Dr. Cockerham. The session takes just 10-15 minutes, and you’ll be ready for your holiday parties. Do know that Botox takes about four days to fully relax the muscles and erase the wrinkles; so be sure to allow time before your first party.
Posted in: BOTOX® | Dysport® | Xeomin®
