How Does a Neurotoxin Facelift Work?
A surgical facelift is one of the most popular cosmetic changes chosen by patients around the country each year. The procedure is designed to address various signs of aging by tightening skin, lifting sagging tissue, and creating more youthful contours. While nothing beats surgery for dramatic and long-lasting results, not all patients want to deal with incisions and sutures. For anyone looking to take years off their appearance without surgery, there is an injectable option at Palm Desert’s Cosmetic Surgery Institute. The treatment, known as a “neurotoxin facelift,” involves a customized combination of muscle relaxers and more to give the entire face a rejuvenated look.
How Does a Neurotoxin Facelift Work?
Our muscles play a significant role in facial aging. Each time we move a part of our face—whether to raise our eyebrows in surprise, squint to avoid the glare of the sun, smile at the sight of a friend, or scowl and frown at unpleasant news—the skin is pulled out of its resting state and into a new position. Over time, this constant pull-and-release action creates lines that can deepen into creases that are always visible.
Neurotoxin injections—including BOTOX®, Dysport®, and Xeomin®—give these hard-working muscles (and the skin they pull) a break by disrupting communication flow in the nervous system. In other words, after a treatment session, certain muscles will stay relaxed no matter which expressions are made. Since those muscles keep still, they obviously don’t pull the skin into age-revealing wrinkles, lines, and creases.
A neurotoxin treatment may focus on just one feature and sign of aging, such as crow’s feet next to the eyes or frown lines between the eyebrows. A neurotoxin facelift, however, targets multiple areas to counter numerous signs of aging at once. The result is an overall rejuvenated appearance, creating the impression of someone who is well-rested and refreshed.
Can Neurotoxin Facelifts Include More Than Muscle-Relaxers?
While neurotoxins are a specific category of cosmetic treatment, they are not the only injectable available for the face. Dermal fillers are another option, adding volume to areas that have thinned or sunken in over time, restoring definition to key features, and shaping contours to reflect a more youthful look.
The Cosmetic Surgery Institute team can combine fillers, neurotoxins, and more for an entire non-surgical experience with beautifully natural and comprehensive results.
Contact the Cosmetic Surgery Institute team to learn more about the possibilities injectables allow. Reach out online or call 760-837-0364.
Is This Beauty Treatment Worth Your Lunch Break?
In the quest for youthful, smoother skin, BOTOX® continues to reign supreme across all age groups. Not only does the injectable help reduce the appearance of age lines and wrinkles, but it's a procedure that fits conveniently into your lunch break. If you're considering BOTOX® in the Los Angeles area—and particularly in Palm Desert at Cosmetic Surgery Institute—here's some information on why it might just be the perfect way to augment your beauty routine without disrupting your day.
The Secret of BOTOX® Simplified
BOTOX® is a minimally invasive procedure that involves injecting a purified protein derived from the bacterium Clostridium botulinum into targeted facial muscles. The injections work by disrupting nerve signals to specific muscles related to wrinkle formation, thereby decreasing the lines’ prominence—or doing away with them altogether.
From Wrinkles to Youthfulness in 60 Minutes
Done correctly, a BOTOX® appointment typically lasts 10 to 30 minutes, depending on the treatment area. This means that it can indeed be squeezed into your lunch break! You can walk into the Cosmetic Surgery Institute, receive the treatment, and be back at work within the hour, all without anyone knowing you've had a beauty boost.
Recovery: Minimal to None
One of the primary reasons BOTOX® has become a lunchtime favorite is because post-injection recovery time is minimal, allowing most patients to return to their everyday lives right away. There might be slight redness or swelling in the injection area, but these symptoms typically subside within a few hours.
Seeing Results
BOTOX® has gradual effects, so you won't see the full results right away post-procedure. However, most patients start noticing improvements within a few days, with significant results visible within a week or two. Imagine, by the time your coworker finishes commenting on your renewed vigor, your BOTOX® results would be in full effect!
Safety Is Key
While the convenience of a lunchtime BOTOX® appointment is alluring, it's essential to remember that BOTOX® is still a medical procedure. Therefore, making sure that your treatment is being carried out by an experienced, trusted professional at a reputable clinic like the Cosmetic Surgery Institute is paramount.
Longevity of Results
BOTOX® is a fantastic temporary solution for wrinkles and fine lines. The results typically last three to six months, but with regular treatments, some patients report their results last even longer.
BOTOX®: Not Just for Wrinkles
While BOTOX® is famous for smoothing out wrinkles, it also offers other surprising benefits. Ask our team for more information about its applications.
In conclusion, if you've been contemplating cosmetic treatments but are concerned about the time commitment, BOTOX® might just be the perfect fit. This lunchtime beauty treatment is quick, safe, and effective, providing noticeable improvements to your skin and possibly even your confidence.
Ready to take the leap into a smoother future with BOTOX®? Get in touch with the Cosmetic Surgery Institute to schedule your consultation today and start your journey toward youthful, more radiant skin.
Is This Beauty Treatment Worth Your Lunch Break?
In the quest for youthful, smoother skin, BOTOX® continues to reign supreme across all age groups. Not only does the injectable help reduce the appearance of age lines and wrinkles, but it's a procedure that fits conveniently into your lunch break. If you're considering BOTOX® in the Los Angeles area—and particularly in Palm Desert at Cosmetic Surgery Institute—here's some information on why it might just be the perfect way to augment your beauty routine without disrupting your day.
The Secret of BOTOX® Simplified
BOTOX® is a minimally invasive procedure that involves injecting a purified protein derived from the bacterium Clostridium botulinum into targeted facial muscles. The injections work by disrupting nerve signals to specific muscles related to wrinkle formation, thereby decreasing the lines’ prominence—or doing away with them altogether.
From Wrinkles to Youthfulness in 60 Minutes
Done correctly, a BOTOX® appointment typically lasts 10 to 30 minutes, depending on the treatment area. This means that it can indeed be squeezed into your lunch break! You can walk into the Cosmetic Surgery Institute, receive the treatment, and be back at work within the hour, all without anyone knowing you've had a beauty boost.
Recovery: Minimal to None
One of the primary reasons BOTOX® has become a lunchtime favorite is because post-injection recovery time is minimal, allowing most patients to return to their everyday lives right away. There might be slight redness or swelling in the injection area, but these symptoms typically subside within a few hours.
Seeing Results
BOTOX® has gradual effects, so you won't see the full results right away post-procedure. However, most patients start noticing improvements within a few days, with significant results visible within a week or two. Imagine, by the time your coworker finishes commenting on your renewed vigor, your BOTOX® results would be in full effect!
Safety Is Key
While the convenience of a lunchtime BOTOX® appointment is alluring, it's essential to remember that BOTOX® is still a medical procedure. Therefore, making sure that your treatment is being carried out by an experienced, trusted professional at a reputable clinic like the Cosmetic Surgery Institute is paramount.
Longevity of Results
BOTOX® is a fantastic temporary solution for wrinkles and fine lines. The results typically last three to six months, but with regular treatments, some patients report their results last even longer.
BOTOX®: Not Just for Wrinkles
While BOTOX® is famous for smoothing out wrinkles, it also offers other surprising benefits. Ask our team for more information about its applications.
In conclusion, if you've been contemplating cosmetic treatments but are concerned about the time commitment, BOTOX® might just be the perfect fit. This lunchtime beauty treatment is quick, safe, and effective, providing noticeable improvements to your skin and possibly even your confidence.
Ready to take the leap into a smoother future with BOTOX®? Get in touch with the Cosmetic Surgery Institute to schedule your consultation today and start your journey toward youthful, more radiant skin.
What Are Crow’s Feet and How Does BOTOX® Reduce Them?
Can BOTOX® get rid of crow’s feet? Our Los Angeles-area team at Palm Desert’s Cosmetic Surgery Institute believes that this injectable is one of the most effective strategies for softening these wrinkles.
Crow's feet are the fine lines and wrinkles that develop around the outer corners of the eyes. They are one of the most common signs of aging, and they are caused by a combination of factors, including a natural loss of skin elasticity, repeated facial expressions, and exposure to environmental factors like sunlight and pollution. While crow's feet are a common part of the aging process, many people are self-conscious about the fine lines and seek ways to reduce their appearance.
One popular treatment for crow's feet is BOTOX®, which is an injectable neurotoxin made from a purified form of botulinum toxin. BOTOX® works by temporarily relaxing the muscles that cause wrinkles to form. When injected into the muscles around the corners of the eyes, BOTOX® relaxes the muscles involved in squinting and prevents them from contracting, which in turn reduces the appearance of crow's feet. The skin smooths out, generating results that are most noticeable when you laugh.
Using BOTOX® for crow's feet is relatively simple and straightforward. Once you have decided to move forward with the treatment, we will inject small amounts of the medication into the muscles around your eyes using a fine needle. Only a small number of units of BOTOX® will be needed. The treatment session typically takes only a few minutes, and there is minimal discomfort or downtime.
The effects of BOTOX® treatments for crow's feet typically last for several months, and the results can be seen within a few days of the procedure.
In addition to BOTOX®, there are other treatments that can help reduce the appearance of crow's feet. These include over-the-counter creams and serums that contain retinol, vitamin C, and other antioxidants. Additionally, lifestyle changes like protecting your skin from the sun by wearing sunglasses, sunscreen, and hats or limiting sun exposure, using over-the-counter products, quitting smoking, managing stress, and eating a healthy diet with foods high in antioxidants can help prevent the development of crow's feet in the first place.
Our team at Cosmetic Surgery Institute team can tell you more about how this injectable works. Call us at (760) 837-0364 or submit a contact form to request a consultation.
What Are the Benefits of Preventative BOTOX®?
People tend think of BOTOX® as a corrective treatment to soften lines and wrinkles that have already formed on the face because of repetitive facial expressions. For decades, it has been marketed as a treatment for visible signs of aging on the face. However, it’s often easier to prevent the effects of aging than to treat them after they have developed. Consider this, many of our patients want to know: Does preventative BOTOX® really work? Our Palm Desert-based team believes that this treatment is highly effective for preventing the formation of lines and wrinkles on the face. The idea is that you can receive the injections before the onset of pronounced wrinkles to stop them from developing.
The best candidate for preventative BOTOX® would be someone who is just starting to see faint expression lines developing on their face. Lines could become deep wrinkles in the future, and you can see where they’re going to develop.
Botulinum toxin injections work by directly targeting specific active muscles that are responsible for these lines. The active ingredient presents nerve signals from reaching the proper receptors, thereby preventing contractions. By limiting a few contractions related to certain expressions, you can prevent the associated wrinkles.
When you start getting BOTOX® injections at a younger age, there will be fewer lines and wrinkles to treat as you get older. You may therefore need less BOTOX® compared to another person who never had preventative botulinum toxin injections. Because of this, people in their mid to late 20s and early 30s may benefit most—especially if they have very expressive faces.
Just like traditional applications of BOTOX®, the treatment is simple and straightforward. Injections are typically completed in just a few minutes. Furthermore, there’s no downtime, so you can go back to work or your normal activities right away after an appointment. If you’re accustomed to buying topical anti-aging products, botulinum toxin injections can save you money as time goes on.
If you’re searching for answers to such questions as, “Does preventative BOTOX® really work?” our Palm Desert-based Cosmetic Surgery Institute team can explain more during your consultation. Call us at (760) 837-0364 or submit a contact form to request an appointment if you would like to discuss wrinkle injections.
What Are the Benefits of Combining BOTOX® With Fillers?
Can you get BOTOX® and fillers at the same time? Our Palm Desert patients often ask us this question when they’re thinking about having minimally invasive treatments to enhance their appearance.
Non-surgical injectable treatments not only have amazing anti-aging benefits but also are highly convenient for patients because they have such little recovery time. Even just by temporarily reducing facial wrinkles, patients notice a much younger, more awake, and more attractive appearance, which is why these treatments are so popular. Most of the time, patients want to make changes to their appearance but are unsure which treatment or combination of injections they will need to achieve their goals. See below for some of the advantages of having combined BOTOX® treatments at our practice.
One of the reasons why it’s good to combine neuromodulators like BOTOX® and fillers is because the two options treat different types of wrinkles. In other words, they work differently, but complement each other.
BOTOX® blocks messages between muscles and nerves to temporarily relax facial muscles so that expression wrinkles like crow’s feet and frown lines can’t form on the surface. Facial fillers are soft gels that add volume beneath the skin to diminish static wrinkles, which are lines caused by collagen loss rather than muscle activity.
Since BOTOX® is primarily used on the upper third of the face and facial fillers are designed for the center and lower areas, these treatments can be combined to address multiple areas for comprehensive facial rejuvenation.
As much as they are thrilled about seeing the results from facial fillers, most patients are not keen on having to rush back for repeat treatments too quickly and want to get the most out of their fillers. Fillers tend to dissolve faster in high-movement areas of the face. BOTOX® may help to prolong the results from facial fillers by freezing the muscles to prevent them from contracting.
Both types of treatments are quick, well-tolerated, and minimally invasive with minimal downtime.
If you’re seeking more answers to others questions, our Palm Desert-based Cosmetic Surgery Institute team is here to provide guidance on these minimally invasive procedures. Call us at (760) 837-0364 or submit a contact form to request a consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon if you want to know more about these treatments.
BOTOX® Aftercare: Tips for Looking After Your Skin
Even if you have a great skincare routine, it’s difficult to completely prevent the effects of aging and skin damage from giving you a worn-down look over time. And it’s not just normal aging and reduced levels of collagen in the skin that we need to worry about. The repeated facial expressions we make each day cause wrinkles to become entrenched in the skin in the areas where it creases together each time we frown, smile, squint, raise our eyebrows or purse our lips. Once the wrinkles have become set into our skin, it’s difficult to minimize them just by using topical products. Fortunately there are other options. Botulinum toxin injectables like BOTOX® are sometimes called wrinkle relaxers. They address the underlying cause of the wrinkles by preventing the movements of facial muscles that cause lines and furrows to develop.While no recovery time is necessary and side effects are minor, what you do during the days after a treatment session will have an impact on the results. Here’s a simple guide to what you should and shouldn’t do after having wrinkle injections. Los Angeles-area folks used to the heat and an active lifestyle might find a couple of these challenging, but the results are worth it!
Avoid Exposure to High Temperatures
Avoid saunas, steam rooms, Jacuzzis, hot weather, sun beds, and other heat-related environments right after getting BOTOX®. Excessive heat can cause the product to diffuse and have a shorter lifespan while also increasing the risk of swelling, redness, and irritation.
Don’t Put Too Much Pressure on Your Skin
Your skin may feel tight after an injection session. Try to avoid massaging, rubbing, or applying too much pressure to the areas of your face that were injected for at least the first 24 hours. Pressure on the skin could cause the active ingredient in BOTOX® to not reach the necessary cells, and it might move into areas where diminished muscle action results in a less-than-ideal look.
Don’t Engage in Heavy Exercise
It’s best to avoid significant physical activity at first, as such exercise could cause the BOTOX® to be dispersed. Many experienced medical professionals recommend waiting at least 24 hours before resuming exercise, though some injectors may recommend waiting for a longer time.
Ready to learn more about wrinkle injections? Our team at Cosmetic Surgery Institute is available to answer any of your questions. Call us at (760) 837-0364 or submit a contact form to request a consultation.
BOTOX®, Dysport®, and Xeomin®: How Do They Compare?
When it comes to getting
rid of pesky wrinkles and lines, patients know that BOTOX®
in Palm Desert is an
especially effective way to achieve a more alert, rejuvenated, and youthful
facial appearance. However, some patients may be unaware that BOTOX®
isn’t the only injectable neurotoxin available; there are other products, such
as Dysport® and Xeomin®, that are comparable to the most
famous wrinkle-fighting brand. Statistics from the American Society of Plastic
Surgeons show that botulinum toxin type A injections were the most frequently
performed minimally invasive procedure in 2019.
Wondering which of the botulinum
toxin-derived injectables is best suited for your needs? Our Cosmetic Surgery
Institute team provides a basic explanation of the subtle similarities and
differences between BOTOX®, Dysport®, and Xeomin®.
BOTOX®
BOTOX® is FDA-approved
for frown lines (glabellar lines), crow’s feet, and forehead lines. It’s the
most popular wrinkle injection of its kind in the United States and was the
first of this type to be approved for cosmetic use.
All neurotoxin injectables contain
a purified form of a protein called botulinum toxin type A as their active
ingredient. The chemical temporarily stops wrinkles caused by excessive muscle
activity by preventing signals from the nerves from reaching the muscles.
Injections are administered
in-office via a micro-needle, introduced into specific facial muscles. No
recovery time is required, and any side effects that the patient
experiences—such as bruising or swelling—are typically very mild and temporary.
Effects last between three to four months.
Dysport®
Dysport® is FDA-approved
for moderate to severe glabellar lines. It is less potent than BOTOX®
and diffuses more easily, so it works well on larger areas. The onset is faster,
as it starts working within 24 hours, but it tends to wear off more quickly
than BOTOX®.
Xeomin®
In some cases, other
muscle-relaxing injectables grow less effective over time on patients who use
them regularly, because their bodies essentially develop a resistance to them. Xeomin®
is a unique neuromodulator in that it contains only botulinum toxin, without
any additives, so patients are less likely to build up a resistance. Also, fewer
units may be needed to get the same results.
No one injectable is
“better” than another. Instead, certain options may be betters suited for
specific patients. Our team can help to determine which is best for you.
Learn more about BOTOX®,
Dysport®, and Xeomin® from Palm Desert’s Cosmetic Surgery Institute. For further details, give us a call at (760)
837-0364 or submit
a contact form to request a
consultation.
4 Tell-Tale Signs You’ve Had BOTOX® (and How to Avoid Them)
Cosmetic treatments weren’t always things that people openly discussed. Although times are changing and “having work done” is no longer a taboo topic for conversation, it’s understandable that not everyone is ready to announce to the world when they’ve had an injection somewhere on their face or body. Some people simply aren’t as comfortable when it comes to being open about this subject with friends, family, or strangers—for fear of judgment or something else—and that’s OK. If you want to keep things under wraps when having BOTOX® near Rancho Mirage and Palm Desert, here are some things our physicians at Cosmetic Surgery Institute recommend considering:
1. Overarched Eyebrows
Brows that resemble Mr. Spock from Star Trek and give you a perpetually surprised or angry expression will be a dead giveaway to others. Minimize the risk of this and other unwanted side effects by choosing a qualified provider who uses proper techniques from proper training. Women and men who may have found themselves with this unfortunate result from a visit to a less-than-stellar injector can come to Cosmetic Surgery Institute, where we can help by strategically adding small amounts of BOTOX® to relax the muscles that are pulling the brows up.
2. Immobile Forehead
The secret to keeping your face looking as natural and refreshed as possible is using just the right amount of BOTOX®. You want to continue to have movement in the face. Too much injected into forehead area just causes it to be awkwardly stiff and gives you a robotic expression that makes your neuromodulator use very obvious.
3. Bunny Nose
Some people already have fine, diagonal lines at the sides of their nose from aging, but it’s a little-known reality that BOTOX® injected nearby for other reasons occasionally causes them to be more apparent. You can see these “bunny lines” when you squint or laugh and your nose crinkles. The muscles in this area that work harder to make expressions after you’ve injected other areas, such as the forehead, can be softened with a few extra units around the nose.
4. Bruising
Reddish or purple bruises
after any needle injection are common. Avoid scheduling a treatment just before
a major social event—and give yourself time to heal, just in case. Ice your
face after a treatment, and apply a neutralizing concealer to hide bruises if necessary.
You can also ask our team for more advice.
Learn more about BOTOX®
from our experienced team at Cosmetic
Surgery Institute. For further
details, call us at (760) 837-0364 or fill out a contact form to submit your info.