What Can Botox Treat?

Are you frustrated by lines extending out from the corners of your eyes that deepen when you smile or laugh? Do you have moderate-to-severe folds running from your nose to your mouth? Do you wish you could feel more confident about the appearance of your upper lips? If so, Botox in Fort Collins may be a good fit for you. Read on to learn more about the concerns this injectable muscle relaxant can treat.

What Can Botox in Fort Collins Treat? 

Crow’s Feet

In 1978, Botox was FDA-approved for the treatment of strabismus. In 1989, it earned FDA-approval for the treatment of blepharospasms. Today, this injectable is known to be safe and effective for the treatment of over a dozen concerns. One such concern is crow’s feet. Crow’s feet are thin lines that extend from the corners of your eyes.

They are often one of the first signs of aging because the skin around the eyes is so thin. It is extremely prone to wrinkling when the underlying muscles wrinkle due to chronic excessive tension. The eye area also tends to age quickly because it is often exposed to damaging UV rays that destroy collagen and thin the skin even further. Also, the muscles in the eye area tend to be very tense due to how often you blink and squint.

Nasolabial Folds

Botox in Fort Collins can also be used to treat nasolabial folds. However, this injectable is only an effective nasolabial folds treatment method if the cosmetic concerns are caused by skin wrinkling due to wrinkled muscles.

If the skin between your nose and mouth is wrinkling due to volume loss, an injectable muscle relaxant will not be effective. If you have nasolabial folds caused by volume loss and overly tight muscles, dermal filler and muscle relaxant injections will be required for you to have tight, smooth skin.

Thin Lips

Botox injections in Fort Collins can also be used to augment the upper lip. Usually, a dermal filler is injected into the upper lip to increase its volume. However, when Botox is injected into the upper lip’s vermilion border, the upper lip enlarges. Using Botox to augment the upper lip may be ideal for you because the results look extremely natural.

Cervical Dystonia

Botox has also earned FDA approval for cervical dystonia treatment. If you suffer from uncontrollable neck spasms that cause severe head, neck, shoulder, or upper back pain, carefully placed Botox injections can stop your neck from spasming uncontrollably. This will stop your head from jerking up and down or side to side uncontrollably, and you can enjoy several months without upper back and neck pain.

How Long Do Botox Results Last? 

Botox results may last for six months. However, they may last for only a couple of months depending on what you’re trying to treat, the dosage you receive, and the severity of what you are trying to treat. Generally, the larger the dose you receive, the longer you can expect your ideal results to last. Furthermore, the more consistently you receive treatment, the longer you can generally expect your ideal results to last.

Am I a Good Candidate for This Treatment? 

Most relatively healthy adults are considered good Botox candidates. However, this treatment may not be right for you if you take certain sleep aids, daily NSAIDs, or oral muscle relaxants. To be considered a good candidate for this injectable muscle relaxant treatment, you must be able to follow all preparation and post-injection care guidelines. Among the most important preparation guidelines are: 

  • Not taking blood-thinning pharmaceuticals
  • Not taking oral muscle relaxants
  • Not taking certain sleep aids
  • Preventing sunburn
  • Staying hydrating
  • Staying well-nourished

The post-treatment care guidelines you will have to follow are similar to the preparation guidelines. For example, you will need to refrain from taking blood-thinning pharmaceuticals, oral muscle relaxants, and certain sleep aids. There are also other instructions you will need to follow, like not applying too much pressure to the treated area. If you apply too much pressure to the treated area, your results may be affected.

Can I Wear Makeup After My Botox Injections? 

You should wait at least four hours after your Botox injections to apply makeup to the treated area. If you choose to put on makeup, make sure you can remove it easily. Excessive pressure in the treated area should be avoided for at least 24 hours post-treatment. If you think you will have to scrub your makeup off vigorously, don’t wear it.

Botox is a safe, effective injectable muscle relaxant that can be used to treat a number of cosmetic and medical concerns. For example, this injectable has been FDA-approved for the treatment of strabismus and blepharospasms. It can also be used to address such muscle-related cosmetic concerns as nasolabial folds, crow’s feet, and smoker’s lines.