Botox

Conveniently located to serve Atlanta and Sandy Springs

If you’re looking for a way to turn back the clock on age signs like crow’s feet and frown lines, it’s time to come in for Botox in Atlanta and Sandy Springs. This FDA-approved injectable anti-aging treatment is incredibly popular and quite versatile.

What Can Botox Treat?

Botox can be used for a variety of cosmetic and medical purposes. It’s most popularly known as an anti-wrinkle injectable for fine age lines like crow’s feet (tiny wrinkles around the outer corner of the eye), horizontal forehead wrinkles, and glabellar lines (the vertical wrinkles between the brows that are also called frown lines).

This injectable can also address wrinkles like bunny lines (located at the top of the nose), smoker’s lines (also called perioral lip lines and lipstick lines), and orange-peel chin (peau d’orange chin).

Additionally, Botox Cosmetic can relax away the prominent vertical neck bands known as platysmal bands. These bands of muscle can create a harsh, aged appearance. Botox can restore a smooth and youthful-looking neck.

The Botox Lip Flip

A Botox lip flip provides lip augmentation without any need for lip implants, fillers, or surgery. During the procedure, injections of Botox are delivered into the orbicularis oris muscle, which surrounds the lips. Areas that can be targeted include the Cupid’s bow and the corners of the mouth.

These injections cause the upper lip to slightly curl outward, creating the illusion of increased volume. Only very small amounts of Botox are administered. The treatment helps enhance lip definition and symmetry.

Botox Brow Lift

Botox can be used to perform a Botox brow lift for patients with mild to moderate brow sag. A Botox brow lift is a non-surgical way to raise drooping eyebrows by one to three millimeters, restoring their shape. It also makes the eyes look wider and more awake.

The orbicularis oculi muscle, which surrounds the eye, pulls the eyebrow downward when contracted. During the treatment session, injections of Botox are delivered at the outer eyebrow, into the orbicularis oculi muscle. This relaxes the contracted muscle, elevating the outer brow.

In some cases, this is a better option than a surgical brow lift, but it all depends on the patient’s goals. Surgical brow lifts are better for patients who have severely sagging brows and would like them lifted by over five millimeters.

Botox for Chronic Migraines

Botox can prevent the occurrence of chronic migraines. If you’re getting migraines that last at least four hours and they occur fifteen times a month or more, you most likely have chronic migraines. These headaches can result in moderate to extreme pain, light sensitivity, vomiting, throbbing or pounding feelings, nausea, noise sensitivity, and smell sensitivity.

To prevent chronic migraines, Botox injections can be delivered into seven areas of the head and neck. This helps reduce the tension of the overcontracted muscles in these areas.

Botox for Hyperhidrosis

When a person has hyperhidrosis, they sweat to an excessive degree, even without stimuli like extreme heat, heavy exercise, or stressful situations. Hyperhidrosis can affect the palms, soles, armpits, and forehead, and it is the result of overactive sweat glands.

Botox injections in the affected areas can block signals to overactive sweat glands. This significantly decreases sweating, helping avoid the embarrassment and self-consciousness that accompany this condition.

Botox for Bruxism

Bruxism is a condition characterized by unconsciously grinding one’s teeth. Millions of people experience this health issue, which can occur due to factors like anxiety, stress, sleep disorders, medications, and misaligned teeth. Bruxism can result in symptoms like jaw pain, receding gums, and fractured or chipped teeth.

Bruxating (grinding) involves contracting the masseter muscles, which are the muscles used for chewing, and the temporalis muscles, located at the temples.

Injections of Botox can effectively reduce bruxism, helping the masseter and temporalis muscles relax. This reduces the jaw pain, headaches, and tooth damage that can result from bruxism.

How Does Botox Work?

Botox is an injectable medication created by Allergan, the company behind CoolSculpting non-surgical body contouring, Natrelle breast implants, Juvederm dermal fillers, Latisse eyebrowth-regrowth medication, and a variety of other cosmetic and medical products.

It is a purified form of botulinum toxin type A (AbobotulinumtoxinA), which is derived from the Clostridium botulinum bacterium. C. botulinum creates toxins that can cause health issues like weakness and paralysis, and in some cases, it can even be fatal. Because of this, only incredibly small amounts are used to create Botox, making it quite safe for medical purposes.

Botox is a neuromodulator treatment, meaning it affects nerve signals. Nerve signals cause the muscles to contract, and because one major cause of fine facial wrinkles is overcontracted muscles, Botox’s ability to affect nerve signals makes it an ideal option for wrinkle treatment.

Wrinkles form due to factors like the aging process, sun exposure, smoking, increased skin laxity, natural tissue loss from the face, and repeated muscle movements. Repeated muscle movements occur whenever people smile, laugh, frown, or chew.

Over time, the muscles get used to these repeated contractions to the point where relaxing them becomes difficult. This is compounded by increased muscle stiffness due to aging. Overcontracted muscles cause the skin to develop folds and wrinkles. Temporary dynamic wrinkles slowly become permanent static wrinkles.

Botox relaxes the overcontracted facial muscles by blocking their acetylcholine receptors. When acetylcholine (a chemical that delivers the signal to contract) cannot reach the acetylcholine receptors, the facial muscles are able to relax. They go back to their at-rest position, causing the wrinkled skin to return to its previously smooth state.

Ideal Candidates for Botox

Because Botox is only minimally invasive and completely non-surgical, most people are good candidates for treatment. If you want to temporarily reduce the appearance of fine facial age lines, enhance your lips, get a non-surgical brow lift, or address hyperhidrosis, migraines, or night grinding, you are likely an ideal candidate.

People who have skin infections at or near the targeted areas must fully treat these infections before Botox can be administered. Pregnant or nursing patients will need to postpone their Botox injections until they are finished breastfeeding.

If you’re in need of treatment for moderate or deep facial age lines like marionette lines, nasolabial folds, or parentheses lines, Botox is not the best injectable option for the job. Dermal fillers are the better treatment option, since they’re more able to fill in these depressions. We provide a number of soft-tissue filler injectables, including the Juvederm family of fillers and Sculptra.

Why Choose Monarch Plastic Surgery and Skin Renewal Center for Botox Injections?

At Monarch Plastic Surgery and Skin Renewal Center, board-certified Physician Assistants Stephanie Parker and Ana Kazlauskas have extensive training in the delivery of injectables like Botox Cosmetic. Stephanie has also completed the Allergan Medical Institute Master Expert Program, ensuring top-quality results and safety.

Board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Carmen Kavali and fellowship-trained board-eligible aesthetic plastic surgeon Dr. Teri N. Moak are expert plastic surgeons with the skills needed to create incredible results. Dr. Kavali was named one of America’s Top Plastic Surgeons by the Consumers’ Research Council of America.

Both surgeons are on several committees for plastic surgery societies, have lectured at medical conferences, and have been published in medical publications. Additionally, they are on staff at Northside Hospital and Perimeter Surgery Center.

At our facility, we provide a welcoming and comfortable atmosphere paired with a high degree of professionalism. Our patients continue to return for maintenance treatments as needed for their Botox results, and our reviews speak for themselves.

The Botox Consultation

When patients come in for a consultation for Botox at Monarch Plastic Surgery and Skin Renewal Center, they will be asked about their aesthetic goals. Their age lines will be carefully examined, and they will be asked questions about their medical history. These may include questions regarding past treatments, allergies, current medications and supplements, and any underlying health conditions.

Patients will learn more about the Botox treatment process from start to finish, along with preparation, aftercare, and the results they can expect to achieve. Patients are encouraged to ask questions at any time.

Preparing for a Botox Treatment Session

There are a number of steps patients can take in order to prepare for a Botox treatment session.

It’s important to avoid alcohol and NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) in the days before your session. These can exacerbate the severity of post-treatment swelling and bruising at the treatment sites.

Exercise can also increase the chance of exacerbated bruising and swelling. Because of this, they must be avoided for at least 24 hours, especially high-intensity exercise routines that increase your heart rate.

Tanning beds, chemical peels, waxing, laser treatments, and prolonged sun exposure can increase the skin’s sensitivity. Because of this, it’s recommended that you avoid them for at least a week before a Botox treatment session.

In the time before your Botox session, you must avoid harsh skincare products, since they can increase skin sensitivity; gentler moisturizers and cleansers are best.

Make sure to stay hydrated before your Botox treatment. Being hydrated can make the skin more receptive to neuromodulator treatments and can potentially boost the treatment results. Having a light meal beforehand is recommended, since it can prevent a feeling of lightheadedness.

Getting a good night’s sleep the night before your treatment session is key, since it can help make the process more comfortable and less stressful.

On the day of your Botox appointment, you will need to avoid putting on any makeup or other products. Makeup can potentially result in infections or other complications if it enters the injection sites. Products can also interact negatively with Botox, resulting in skin irritation.

The Botox Treatment Process

Usually, a Botox Cosmetic treatment session only takes around 20 minutes or less. It is quite quick and convenient.

At the start of a session, the skin will be cleansed, removing any skincare or makeup products. Next, the targeted injection sites will be marked to serve as a guide for the injector. Either local or topical anesthesia may be administered to prevent pain and discomfort during the injection process.

Once the anesthetic has taken effect, the Botox will be delivered using a fine needle. This needle will be inserted through the skin into the targeted facial muscles. The exact number of units of Botox delivered will depend on factors like wrinkle depth and location. Once all targeted wrinkles have been treated, the process will be complete.

Botox Aftercare

After a Botox treatment session, patients can immediately return to their everyday schedule. It’s such a short and convenient treatment that many patients get Botox during their lunch break and then go right back to work.

No Botox recovery time or downtime is needed. A minor degree of swelling, redness, and bruising may be present at the injection sites, but these will fade in a day or two. Applying an ice pack can help address these issues.

Patients must avoid lying down and must not put pressure on their injection sites. Pressure can result in unwanted migration of the product. This means no rubbing the area and no facial massages.

Patients must not exercise for at least one day. They are encouraged to avoid heavy sun exposure, alcohol, NSAIDs, saunas, hot tubs, tanning booths, and certain herbal supplements. These can exacerbate post-treatment bruising and swelling.

Botox Results

The results of a Botox treatment appear in a matter of days and are typically fully visible ten to fourteen days from the session date.

Botox Cosmetic eases away fine wrinkles in several areas of the face, resulting in a more youthful-looking appearance. With the right provider, the results of Botox look very natural, and patients are usually quite satisfied with their appearance.

Botox’s results last anywhere from three to four months. The duration of results is dependent on factors like the number of units administered, the patient’s age, and the patient’s metabolism.

Patients can return for maintenance treatments after three to four months, keeping their skin looking youthful and free of wrinkles. With each consecutive Botox treatment, many patients notice that their wrinkles become less and less severe.

How Much Does Botox Cost?

Botox is generally less expensive than surgical facial procedures like facelifts and brow lifts. The price of this injectable treatment varies from patient to patient based on the specifics of their session. The cost of Botox can be impacted by the patient’s aesthetic goals, the number of injections delivered, the number of units of Botox delivered, and the number of wrinkles being treated.

We have partnered with Alphaeon Credit and CareCredit to help patients afford the cost of their Botox injections. Contact these financing companies to find out more about the payment plans that they offer.

Get Started Today

Schedule your consultation for Botox in Atlanta and Sandy Springs—contact our office today! We’ll be happy to set up a meeting with one of the experienced and skilled aesthetic professionals at Monarch Plastic Surgery and Skin Renewal Center.