Botulinum Toxin Injection
Smooth facial expression lines to achieve a naturally refreshed look without surgery.
SCOTTSDALE, AZ
Over time, muscles of facial expression cause wrinkling of the overlying skin. This is compounded by skin aging, which leads to visible signs of thinning, wrinkling, and dryness. To address these concerns, Dr. Saba Ghorab offers botulinum toxin injection to revitalize the skin for a smooth, youthful appearance.
Botulinum toxin, or neuromodulator, injection temporarily paralyzes and reduces the movement of facial muscles. It is most used to treat overactive facial expression muscles that cause wrinkling of the skin, such as brow furrowing, crow’s feet, and forehead wrinkles. When facial expression muscles are more relaxed, the quality of the overlying skin improves over time, both by diminishing the appearance of existing wrinkles and preventing new wrinkles.
In the hands of our skilled facial plastic surgeon at Saba Plastic Surgery, a botulinum toxin injection is carried out with minimal complications and desirable outcomes.
What Can Botulinum Toxin Injection Help With?
Common concerns that respond well to neuromodulator injections:
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- Forehead fine lines and wrinkles
- Brow furrowing with frown lines between eyebrows (“elevens”)
- Crow’s feet with wrinkling around the eyes
- Excessive squinting or “jelly roll” fullness under the eyes
- Droopy brows with poorly defined arches (chemical brow lift)
- Bunny lines of the nose
- Gummy smile with excessive teeth show
- Prominent, boxy, or square jawlines
- Vertical neck lines due to platysmal banding
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What is Botulinum Toxin?
Botulinum toxin is a neuromodulator or neurotoxin produced by the Clostridia botulinum bacterium. The type A neurotoxin is processed to produce a sterile product (such as Botox®, Dysport®, and similar agents) that is suitable for specific cosmetic and therapeutic uses.
When injected into muscles, botulinum toxin produces a temporary paralysis or weakening (chemodenervation). This is useful for overactive muscles of facial expression that cause excessive wrinkles with time.
The muscle-weakening effects allow the overlying facial skin to relax, improving the appearance of existing wrinkles and preventing new ones from forming.
Life Happens. Wrinkles Don’t Have To.
Schedule a quick treatment for smoother and more youthful skin.
How is Neurotoxin Injection Performed?
Botulinum toxin injection is relatively quick to perform and patients can return to their daily routine with minimal restrictions.
The neurotoxin is diluted to a very controlled solution and injected into specific face and neck muscles using a very thin needle. There is little pain with toxin injections, so numbing medication isn’t typically needed. Patients may feel a pinch or slight burning sensation while the solution is being injected.
Botulinum toxin injection may be performed as a singular procedure or as an adjunct to a surgical or non-surgical cosmetic procedure such as a dermal filler injection.
Chemical Brow Lift
A chemical brow lift is a non-surgical treatment to create lifted, feminine eyebrow arches for bigger, brighter, and more youthful eyes.
A small dose of neurotoxin is injected below the eyebrow where maximal arching is desired. This causes focal weakening of the circular orbicularis oculi muscle and allows the brow to perk up!
While some degree of brow lifting and eye opening occurs in most patients, the results may not be as sufficient or satisfactory in those who have very flat, low-set brows, heavy upper eyelids with excess, redundant skin, and/or post-surgical changes.
Worth the Shot
Treat your facial expression lines and wrinkles without surgery!
What to Expect After Botulinum Toxin Injection
In the hands of an experienced injector like Dr. Ghorab, botulinum toxin injection is a quick, low risk procedure that takes years off your face!
Expected Post-Treatment Effects
It is normal and expected to have some degree of post treatment redness, bruising, or discomfort. These side effects are minor and resolve quickly.
Neurotoxin Migration
To prevent botulinum toxin from migrating to unwanted muscles, the treated areas should not be massaged or rubbed excessively. In the same vein, it’s best to wait at least 4 hours after treatment before laying down to sleep or burying your face in a pillow.
Activity
To minimize the risk of bruising or bleeding, strenuous activities should be avoided until the next day.
Onset of Action
It takes several days for the toxin to start working. The treated muscles may temporarily feel heavy, especially with attempted facial animation, as weakening of the injected muscles begin.
Maximal Effect
Maximal results are noted about 10 to 14 days after treatment. It’s important to keep this in mind and plan accordingly to look flawless and wrinkle-free for a special event or trip.
Touch-Up Injection
If a touch-up injection is desired to further paralyze or to create better symmetry, it should be scheduled for at least 2 weeks after the initial injection to ensure enough time for the toxin to take full effect.
Client Results
Take a look at before and after photos of botulinum toxin injections performed by Dr. Ghorab.
How Long Does Botulinum Toxin Last?
The effects of botulinum toxin injections are long-lasting, but not permanent.
The muscle weakening caused by neuromodulator injection is temporary, with muscle function returning 3 to 4 months after treatment. The duration may be shorter or longer, depending on individual anatomy, genetics, lifestyle, and other unique factors. With repeated treatments, the results may last longer.
Maintenance injections are generally recommended every 3 to 6 months. People typically come in for subsequent injections once they notice more wrinkling than they’d like!
What Wrinkles?
Schedule a consultation to learn if botulinum toxin treatment is right for you.
FAQ: Botulinum Toxin Injection
The benefits of a botulinum toxin injection are: 1) improving the appearance of existing facial expression lines and wrinkles, 2) preventing new lines and wrinkles by decreasing the repetitive folding motion of overlying facial skin, and 3) sculpting facial contours to achieve a desirable look, such as creating a more rounded, feminine face in someone with boxy or square jawlines.
The age to start injectables is variable, depending on individual genetics, ethnicity, health status, and lifestyle. All these factors affect aging of the face and neck.
In addition to preventing new wrinkles, neuromodulators are effective in diminishing or fading the appearance of existing wrinkle. Though it’s never too late to start botulinum toxin injections, long-standing, deeply etched skin lines and wrinkles are less likely to fully fade. That said, consider starting neurotoxin injections when wrinkles/lines from facial expression become persistent, deeper, or visible at rest.
Botulinum toxin injection is not recommended for pregnant or lactating women, patients with certain neuromuscular disorders, or those with an allergy to human albumin or botulinum toxin type A.
Also, individuals with active skin infection or inflammation at the planned injection site(s) should postpone toxin injection until the skin is healthy and inflammation-free.
It is helpful to avoid taking any medications or supplements known to increase the risk of bleeding and bruising for 7 to 10 days before an appointment for botulinum toxin, or Botox, injection. Blood-thinning agents include NSAIDs such as aspirin, gingko biloba, ginseng, garlic, and vitamin E.
Looking frozen is never the goal!
At Saba Plastic Surgery, we pride ourselves in delivering natural results that are revitalizing without compromising your authenticity. Dr. Ghorab has a “less is more” approach with “tox” injections, especially for those getting treatment for the first time. We’re happy to see you again for a touch-up injection rather than give you a frozen, expression-less look.
Yes, people can develop resistance to the type A neurotoxin or botulinum toxin.
Over time, the human body develops antibodies again the neurotoxin since it is derived from bacteria, afterall. This is a natural immune response and occurs to varying degrees from person to person. The presence of antibodies may reduce the effectiveness of botulinum toxin in subsequent injections with time.
To help minimize the risk, it is important to get injections with appropriate dosing and over adequate time intervals of at least 3 months.
“We can embrace aging while still being proactive about our facial aesthetic care. In this day and age, we don’t have to just let ourselves go!”
— Dr. Ghorab
Why Choose Dr. Ghorab for Botulinum Toxin Injection?
When considering neurotoxin injection, it’s important to see a licensed clinician who is experienced and knowledgeable about facial anatomy.
Dr. Saba Ghorab performs toxin injections with the eye of an artist and the expertise of a facial plastic surgeon. She customizes the timing and dosing of botulinum toxin to deliver safe and natural results.
Schedule a visit with Dr. Ghorab to discuss your facial aesthetic care.