BOTOX and similar treatments (e.g., Dysport®) remain the most popular cosmetic procedures in the world. The numbers are pretty staggering: According to statistics released in March by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), the number of BOTOX, Dysport, and XEOMIN® injections topped 7 million in the U.S. alone last year. That was a 4% increase over 2015 and, judging by the number of patients getting BOTOX at my Scottsdale practice this year, the trend is only continuing upward.
What makes BOTOX so popular? For one thing, it has a well-established track record of safety. Since it was first approved by the FDA in 2002 to treat wrinkles, studies have shown BOTOX to be remarkably safe. Time savings is big, too: The treatment takes only a few minutes and doesn’t require any downtime. Add in that it produces consistently good results, and for many patients, it’s the ideal procedure.
BOTOX’s versatility is another positive. It’s approved by the FDA to treat an array of cosmetic concerns that can make people look older than they are. Here are the most common uses:
- Forehead furrows (“worry lines”): BOTOX minimizes those horizontal wrinkles on the forehead that can add years to your appearance.
- Glabellar lines (vertical lines between the brows): Sometimes called the “11s,” these grooves are often a genetic trait that can make you appear perpetually angry or stern.
- Crow’s feet or smile lines at the corners of the eyes: Another typical sign of aging are these crinkly lines that should only appear when you actually smile. But as we get older, these wrinkles don’t disappear when we stop smiling.
- Gummy smile: This is what’s called an “off-label” use, because the FDA hasn’t approved BOTOX for this specific treatment. BOTOX injections can relax the upper lip muscles that can cause a gummy smile, which occurs when more of your upper gum shows when you smile than you would like.
As I mentioned earlier, BOTOX injections are very safe — but only in the right hands. It’s important to choose an experienced, highly trained injector. The injections need to be made with extreme precision to avoid unwanted results, such as the dreaded “frozen” appearance. At Hobgood Facial Plastic Surgery, BOTOX patients are treated either by me or one of my qualified aesthetic nurses to ensure they get excellent results.
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