Am I a Candidate for Botox?

There’s a reason more than 4 million people choose to get Botox® in any given year. This treatment is quick, it comes with no downtime, and it’s an excellent way to smooth certain types of wrinkles.

That said, Botox isn’t a miracle cure for all of the woes that come with aging. It works extremely well for some types of wrinkles, but not all facial folds, for example. Plus, there are some signs of aging — like skin laxity — that Botox simply can’t address.

All told, Linda Swanson, MD, and Linda Tran, NP only recommend Botox when it will truly meet her patient’s cosmetic goal. At our offices in Torrance and Los Alamitos, California, Dr. Swanson listens to what you want to achieve and tailors a treatment plan for you. She can help you determine if you’re a candidate for Botox. 

With that goal in mind, let’s take a closer look at this leading cosmetic injectable. 

What Botox can and can’t do

Botox uses extremely small amounts of botulinum toxin (hence the name) to freeze the muscles responsible for dynamic wrinkles. You develop these wrinkles as a result of repeated facial expressions. Frown lines, forehead lines, and crow’s feet are all dynamic wrinkles, for example. 

By temporarily paralyzing the muscles that contract to cause your dynamic wrinkles, Botox allows those muscles to relax. This smooths the surrounding skin, eliminating your wrinkles. 

Long story short, if you have wrinkles on the upper half of your face, Botox delivers the anti-aging results you want. 

If you have wrinkles on the lower portion of your face, though, they most likely aren’t dynamic wrinkles. Instead, these folds develop because your face loses volume as you age. Deeper nasolabial folds or vertical lip lines respond better to cosmetic injectables other than Botox. 

For these types of wrinkles, Dr. Swanson and Linda Tran,NP recommend dermal fillers, which replenish the volume your face has lost, filling in those creases and folds. 

It’s also worth noting that Botox isn’t a way to defy gravity. If you’re dealing with skin laxity, talk to Dr. Swanson about options like a facelift. 

Is Botox right for me?

Now that you know what Botox can do for you, you should have a clear idea of whether or not it’s the right fit for your cosmetic goals.

Assuming it is, there are just a few more things to check to ensure you’re a good candidate for the treatment. You shouldn’t get Botox if you:

• Are pregnant or breastfeeding
• Have been diagnosed with certain nerve or muscle conditions, like ALS
• Have an infection in the area where you want Botox
• Are allergic to botulinum toxin

If all of those things check out, you’re ready to get started. Talk to Dr. Swanson, so she can tailor a Botox plan for you. Once you both agree on the right location(s) for your Botox injections, the actual treatment takes just minutes. You don’t need to worry about any downtime afterward, either. Most Botox results last for about three months. 

For a convenient solution to your dynamic wrinkles, call our office nearest to you or book a visit online today to start your Botox conversation with Dr. Swanson or her Nurse Practitioner Linda Tran.