While taking good care of your skin can go a long way when it comes to graceful aging, no one can hold back the hands of time forever. If signs of aging skin have started to frustrate you, our team is here to help. We at Aesthetic Surgical Arts and Mia Bella Donna Medspa of Overland Park, KS, are pleased to offer Botox as one of the treatments you can seek out in the Kansas City area.
What Is the Right Age To Get Botox?
Flexible Options
Over time, gravity can start to wear down the skin, and falling collagen and elastin levels can lead to laxity and texture issues. While it’s important that we meet with each of our Kansas City patients to go over their needs before we recommend a treatment, Botox is a well-trusted injection. It can be used for patients of almost any age, as long as they are in good health and over 18 years old.
Whether you’re in your early 20s or over 60, there are many advantages this treatment can offer. There is no perfect age for this treatment, it all depends on your needs and goals.
As a Preventative
Some patients seek out treatment in their 20s, in hopes that it will delay the onset of wrinkles. Others start coming when they’re in their 30s, to help treat newly emerging lines and folds. Of course, this injection cannot stop the aging process. That said, it’s a very helpful way to encourage the face to age slowly and gracefully.
If prevention doesn’t appeal to you, that’s fine too! There’s nothing wrong with waiting until you have more advanced wrinkles. This injectable can help both mild and severe wrinkles alike.
For Any Gender
It’s common for cosmetic injectables to be seen as something that’s just for women, but there’s no reason that men can’t seek out treatment. No one is immune to the effects of age, and patients of all genders may find themselves wanting to improve their confidence by decreasing their wrinkles.
How It Works
The Role of Expressions
Making expressions is such a common part of everyday life that many people make expressions subconsciously by themselves, even when there’s no one around to communicate with. Every emotion we can feel has a corresponding expression. That means our facial muscles are hard at work all day, whether we’re talking, squinting in the sun, reacting to a surprise, or even in the middle of a realistic dream.
All this movement will eventually lead to “dynamic wrinkles.” Unlike static wrinkles, dynamic wrinkles are caused by movement and are often exaggerated when you make certain expressions. Dynamic wrinkles will often deepen and become permanent over time.
“Relaxing” the Face
The reason this treatment works so well for dynamic wrinkles is it interrupts the signal that tells the treated muscles to contract. This allows the treated area to relax, which smoothes the skin over and can dramatically improve the appearance of wrinkles, lines, and folds.
This is yet another reason that it’s a great treatment for a range of ages. Young patients who don’t have many wrinkles yet can treat the area, and “teach” their muscles to relax more. This can help slow the development of wrinkles. Meanwhile, patients who already have wrinkles can use this as a powerful tool to smooth them over and look their best.
How Often Can I Schedule an Appointment?
Every Four Months
Results from Botox can usually be enjoyed for three to four months, although this can vary between people due to a range of factors. Some patients can enjoy results for up to six months before they feel like it’s time to give their treatment a boost. Keeping to a schedule can help you make the most out of your treatments. That’s because regularly treating the same area may help the muscles relax more readily, and for longer.
We would be happy to work with you and figure out the right schedule for your needs. While we have extensive experience with our treatments and know how they work, flexibility is important since each patient may respond a little differently to the treatment. We want each of our clients to be thrilled with their results, so we will do whatever we can to make sure your treatment schedule is a good fit for your needs and your busy life.
Other Timeline Factors
Other factors that can affect how long your results last include how many units of Botox you receive. Patients who want mild results may receive fewer units than those who have severe wrinkles or want more dramatic results. When we understand your goals and take a look at your skin, we’ll have a better idea of how many units we’d recommend for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is It Safe?
This treatment has been exhaustively studied, tested, and enjoys an FDA-approved status. It’s minimally invasive and a good fit for a wide range of patients. That said, we would be happy to address any concerns you have. We want our patients to be comfortable with their treatment, and a big part of that is having a good understanding of how the treatment works.
This injection contains highly purified and specialized botulinum toxin. When we deliver the injection, this toxin is what blocks nerve signals from telling the treated muscles to move. It is considered a safe and gentle alternative to surgery, which can be helpful for patients who either aren’t ready for cosmetic surgery or want to avoid it altogether. This injection also does not require any downtime.
2. What Happens During Treatment?
During a consultation, you’ll have the chance to ask any questions you have, and we’ll have the chance to better understand your goals. We can then analyze your skin and help you settle on a treatment plan that would work well for you. The treatment will be delivered just under the surface of your skin. To ensure the best possible results, we may deliver several injections throughout the area of your choosing.
The treatment itself is very short and usually takes around 15 minutes. Since you don’t have to worry about resting or downtime afterwards, you’ll only have to make enough time for your appointment before you can continue on to enjoy the rest of your day. You may even be able to squeeze in your appointment during lunch break!
3. What Areas Can I Treat?
This injectable is able to help your skin look and feel younger, so it’s like you stepped back in time. On top of being effective, it’s also very versatile.
Between the Bows
If you have one vertical line between your eyebrows, that’s called a frown line. If you have two, they’re often called “11 lines.” Lines between the brow can make the patient look as though they’re furrowing their brow constantly, even when their expression is neutral. Treating frown and 11 lines is a popular way to “lighten” the upper face, which can help the patient achieve a more pleasant neutral expression.
Fine Lines
Fine lines often start popping up in our 20s and tend to grow with age. The good news is this treatment can treat fine lines as well as wrinkles, so you can smooth over laugh lines, bunny lines, and crow’s feet.
Forehead Lines
Forehead wrinkles are often the first deep wrinkles patients have to deal with. If you think about it, it only makes sense that forehead lines can become so prominent. Our eyebrows help us make almost every expression. The more we use the muscles in our foreheads, the more likely it is for dynamic lines to start settling in. Treating these lines can really help soften and “open up” the entire face.
Nasolabial Folds and Marionette Lines
Nasolabial folds start on either side of the nose, and stretch down to the corners of the mouth, while marionette lines start at the corners of the mouth and can reach down to the chin. These lines and folds can both be improved by Botox, which is an excellent example of how this injection can effectively treat the upper and lower face.
There’s More
There are many different concerns we can treat. Feel free to ask us if you have something specific in mind that isn’t mentioned here. This is a very versatile injection, but even if it can’t be used for your specific concern, we would be happy to match you with the right treatment to the best of our ability.
4. Can I Combine Botox With Other Treatments?
This highly flexible injection can be used with a variety of other treatments. This can be a good option for patients who want to handle wrinkles and either volume loss or skin texture concerns at the same time.
You may hear this approach referred to as a “liquid facelift,” as it can offer many of the same benefits of a facelift without the surgery part. If you are interested in something like this, feel free to ask us about it. We will go over your expectations and let you know which treatments can be used together.
What Other Treatments Do You Offer?
Radiesse
We offer many different facial treatments, from microneedling, chemical peels, and so much more. One of the treatments we proudly offer is the dermal filler known as Radiesse. The calcium-based microspheres that make up this filler are suspended in a water-based gel. As an injectable, it’s minimally invasive and very gentle on the patient.
If you’re looking to contour your face, this is a great tool for the job. It can help sculpt the face, and its ability to “fill in” hollow areas helps restore a youthful vigor to the skin. You can use it to highlight your best features and give your skin a boost to fight back against gravity. All of these confidence-building abilities can be achieved without any scarring or surgery.
Collagen Production
In addition to building upon and supporting your natural facial structure, this unique filler is able to trigger a process known as collagenesis. Collagen is naturally created by the body and is very important when it comes to supporting youthful skin structure, tone, and texture. Natural collagen levels start to fall with age, but Radiesse encourages those levels to ramp back up again to restore your youthful complexion.
High Quality
Like Botox, Radiesse was put through extensive clinical tests, and achieved excellent efficacy and safety results. The biocompatible substance used to make Radiesse helps the body readily accept it.
Fast and Long-Lasting
Not only do results start to show up immediately after treatment, but these results can be enjoyed for up to an entire year. Those are pretty impressive benefits for an injection that only requires about a half hour to deliver.
Looking for Options Around Kansas City?
If you have specific questions about the treatments we offer, the best way to get answers is to meet with us. We are pleased to serve the Kansas City area, and would love to offer you personalized advice. Reach out to us at Aesthetic Surgical Arts and Mia Bella Donna Medspa of Overland Park, KS, today to learn more!
