BOTOX COSMETIC®

Botox® injections have now become the most frequently performed plastic surgery procedure in North America - and with good reason. Because the procedure takes only a few minutes and no anesthesia is required, it has completely revolutionized the way we treat wrinkles of the face.

In 2006, close to 5 millions treatments were performed in North America.

Botox® is injected with a very fine needle into specific muscles with only minor discomfort and it generally takes seven to fourteen days to take full effect. It blocks signals from the nerves to the muscles. The injected muscle is still perfectly healthy but it can no longer contract, which causes the wrinkles to relax and soften.

Basically, Botox® is addressing the cause underlying and responsible for your wrinkles.

It is most often used on forehead lines, neck lines, crow's feet, smokers' lines, bunny lines and frown lines. However, wrinkles caused by sun damage and gravity will not respond to Botox®. Remember that the role of Botox® is to relax the muscle responsible for your wrinkles.

The effects from Botox will last four to six months. As muscle action gradually returns, the lines and wrinkles begin to re-appear and wrinkles need to be re-treated. The lines and wrinkles often appear less severe with time because the muscles are being trained to relax.

The safety of this drug has been amply demonstrated around the world for more than 17 years, and there are over 3000 scientific articles to prove it. While it is very safe to use the product, it still remains a drug. That is why we can never overstate the importance of being treated by a doctor who has been specifically trained for this kind of procedure.

Patients should also make sure that it is the Botox Cosmetic® from the Allergan Company that is being used, the only drug of its class currently approved by Health Canada. By taking these simple precautions, patients will be able to enjoy the rejuvenating and preventive benefits of this treatment.

Botox Cosmetic® is now recommended in more than 75 countries for the treatment of 20 diseases, including cerebral palsy in children, who receive doses up to 25 times higher than those for the treatment of lines and wrinkles in adults.