Is Botox Worth It?
There is nothing wrong with wanting to look younger and reduce wrinkles. If you’ve caught yourself recently asking “Is Botox®worth it?” — you’re not alone. Keep reading to learn more about Botox to help answer this question.
What is Botox?
Since its approval in 2002, Botox has become a popular anti-aging treatment for both men and women. Treatment consists of injections delivered into the facial muscles responsible for dynamic wrinkles. Dynamic wrinkles are formed by underlying facial muscle contractions. Botox works by temporarily relaxing these muscles so they can’t contract and form wrinkles. Botox acts as a sort of nerve block to prevent nerve transmissions from reaching treated muscles. Since these muscles do not receive a message to contract, they do not form wrinkles in the treatment area.
It’s important to mention the difference between static and dynamic wrinkles. Botox injections only treat dynamic wrinkles. If you have static wrinkles, typically seen because a person is losing facial volume, you may consider using dermal fillers. We see great results when people combine these two treatments in order to address both types of wrinkles at the same time.
What Should I Expect at My Appointment?
Botox is popular because it delivers amazing results with very little downtime.
Before your treatment, we will apply a topical numbing agent to ensure your comfort. We will then deliver a number of injections into underlying facial muscles. Botox is injected into the facial muscles because it is the facial muscles that cause the skin to fold and crease. When the muscles have the opportunity to relax, the skin does as well. This means that dynamic wrinkles start to fade. This treatment gets to the root of the problem.
Immediately after your injections, you will be asked to make certain facial expressions. This helps to ensure the product is distributed evenly under your skin so that there are no problems.
Results typically begin to appear within a few days after the injection. However, the full results may not be visible for about 1 – 2 weeks. It is important to wait an adequate amount of time before seeking a touch-up treatment.
The Benefits of Botox
As we approach our 30s, our bodies stop producing as much collagen which can cause our skin to lose about 1% of its thickness every year. It is common for people who are in their early to mid-30s to start thinking about Botox, dermal fillers, and other treatments that provide better anti-aging results than just over-the-counter products.
Most people in their teens and 20s can get great results by using over-the-counter skincare products. Usually, this group is only dealing with skin issues that affect the top couple layers of their skin. For example, when a person is dealing with acne, they usually need a product to kill the bacteria and help address oily skin.
When a person reaches their 30s, the skin problems are usually in the deeper layers of the skin. This is why a person is not going to get the same results they are looking for with over-the-counter skin care products.
Start Your Treatments Soon
The more Botox you use when you’re younger, the less you’ll need to use as you get older. If used over time, it will help to prevent deeper wrinkles from forming. If someone starts with Botox in their 50’s, they are less likely to reduce the deep creases that have already formed. By this time, fillers may be the only remedy.
Ultimately, the longer you use Botox, the better it will be as you age.
Schedule Your Consultation
If you would like to start enjoying the benefits of Botox, schedule a consultation with one of our amazing injectors at OnePeak Medical. We will work with you on the best way to say goodbye to wrinkles and enjoy skin that is smooth, soft, and free of fine lines. Botox is available in Medford, Grants Pass, Eugene, Klamath Falls, Redmond, and Roseburg.
About OnePeak’s Aestheticians
Dr. Rachel Dunn-Black, MD, Director of Aesthetics
Medford, Eugene, Klamath Falls, and Roseburg
Rachel Dunn-Black, MD specializes in medical cosmetics and natural facial enhancements. She is a graduate of the prestigious Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX, and continued to her rotational internship year and Anesthesiology residency training at the University of New Mexico before being called to active duty for the Air Force. As a military medical officer, she served 4 years as an Emergency Room Physician at Kirkland AFB. She then followed her husband to Etna, CA after he gave up his flying career to take over their family’s alfalfa farm.
In California, Dr. Dunn-Black served her community for 10 years as a Primary Care Physician but became disillusioned with the limitations of a standard western medical approach. She found that her patients were surviving, not thriving. She began attending training seminars for optimizing the health of her patients by balancing their hormones, adding supplements, and guiding their nutrition and exercise regimes. As Dr. Rachel’s patients felt better, they also wanted to look better, which led her to pursue training for esthetic services such as Botox, dermal fillers, and laser treatments. In a leap of faith in 2007, she opened the doors to Siskiyou Clarity Medical Spa in Yreka, CA to offer the best and latest cosmetic treatments to her community. Dr. Rachel has joined OnePeak Medical with 13 years of experience as a successful cosmetic injector and skin health enthusiast. Her goal is to help our One Peak patients look as good as they feel.
Estrellita “Essie” Goss-McLeod, RN-BSN, Aesthetic Nurse Injector
Medford, Grants Pass, Eugene, Redmond, and Roseburg
Estrellita “Essie” Goss-McLeod, RN-BSN earned a Bachelor of Arts in English degree with minors in Music and Anthropology from the University of Arkansas. She went on to earn a Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and an Educational Specialist Degree in Psychotherapy from Harding University. She also has a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from the University of Arkansas.
Her background in counseling influences her holistic and personalized treatment of aesthetic concerns throughout her client’s lifespan. She calls upon her studies in creative expression to help her empower patients with options for how they present themselves to the world. Her training as a neurosurgical ICU nurse sparked her fascination with the body’s ability to heal its own tissues and overcome the damage. Throughout her career, Essie has excelled at establishing a great rapport with patients by selecting suitable treatment modalities and educating them about the risks, benefits, and expectations of each treatment. She specializes in cosmetic medical procedures to help her patients look refreshed, radiant, and more like their best selves.