Botox is basically youth in a syringe. According to the Society of Plastic Surgeons, it’s the number 1 medical aesthetic treatment, championed by millions across the United States.

In Hollywood, it’s no longer a secret. Celebrities speak openly about their love of getting Botox for wrinkles. Angry frown lines and crinkly crow’s feet are no match for this unique, targeted injection treatment.

But how does Botox work? What kind of results can you expect? In this guide, we’ll cover everything you should know about Botox for wrinkles.

What is Botox? 

Botox is a cosmetic, neurotoxin injection that essentially acts as a localized muscle paralyzer. It’s actually just one of several treatments that reduce signs of aging in a similar way. Some of the other popular tox treatments available for wrinkles include Xeomin, Dysport, and Daxxify.

These treatments block a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine, which disrupts the signaling that causes muscles to tense up. In other words, when injected into a specific muscle, Botox forces that muscle to relax, at least partially. This makes Botox an incredible treatment with both medical and cosmetic applications, including treating wrinkles.

 

Understanding Wrinkles

A wrinkle is basically any type of dent, static line, or fold in the skin. They form as we get older, lose collagen, or as our skin becomes dehydrated.

Imagine a pair of cotton mom jeans: They start out fitting snugly, with a smooth surface and incredible fabric density. However, as you wear them regularly, they develop thin spots and creases, especially where the body bends, like at the knees or where the legs meet the thighs.

Your skin is like those cotton mom jeans. With time, the skin’s regeneration ability slows down and it loses its firmness, elasticity, and density. Just like your jeans, it also starts forming creases.

The wrinkles that form in areas with frequent facial movement, like the forehead or between the brows, are called dynamic wrinkles. Botox is the most effective treatment for these wrinkles.

How Does Botox Work For Wrinkles?

There are a lot of ways to reduce the severity of dynamic expression wrinkles, from skincare to facials to cosmetic surgery.

What makes Botox and other neurotoxins unique is that they’re noticeably effective with just a single treatment.

Don’t be alarmed if you don’t see immediate results. Most tox treatments take a minimum of a week and up to two weeks to take hold.

Many experts also theorize Botox could have a preventative effect on wrinkles. By preventing muscle movement before wrinkles become etched in the skin, it might be able to postpone their formation. This has led to the rise of baby Botox, which involves injecting smaller amounts of Botox than normal for a more natural look and predominantly preventative effects.

However, improper injection techniques can cause unintended side effects like asymmetry, drooping, or excessive lifting. Each person’s musculature is different. A great Botox provider can pinpoint exactly where to inject you in order to create the results you want.

Because Botox is so location specific, it’s ideal for achieving precise results. However, it’s also complex. Your nurse injector has a lot of control over what kind of effects you’ll achieve, but any gaps in their knowledge about facial anatomy can lead to unwanted side effects.

Benefits of Botox for Wrinkles

  • Reduces fine lines and wrinkles, including forehead wrinkles, frown lines, and more.

  • Effective within a single treatment.

  • Fast onset – see results within one to two weeks.

  • Minimally invasive with low risk of side effects.

  • FDA-approved as safe and effective.

  • Low price in relation to level of wrinkle reduction.

  • Highly targeted, versatile, and customizable.

 

Which Wrinkles Can Botox Fade?

Most frequently, we use Botox for wrinkles in the upper half of the face. It relaxes those dynamic wrinkles very effectively, but it can also help in a few other spots.

Forehead wrinkles

One classic use for neurotoxin injections is to treat the horizontal wrinkles that form when you raise your eyebrows (and that eventually become etched into the skin). With this type of tox treatment

Glabellar wrinkles 

Also known as “frown lines” or “number 11” lines, these are the deep vertical wrinkles that form between the brows. The muscles that cause them are quite strong, so they can lead to very deep folds that can create the illusion of anger.

Botox helps restore not just youth but also a happier look on people’s faces. Studies even suggest it might help reduce depression as a result.

Under eye wrinkles

The tight lines at the corner of the eye (also known as “crow’s feet” or “smile lines”) respond well to even small amounts of tox. Fading them helps create a more refreshed look, especially in photos where you’re smiling.

Chin wrinkles

Chin dimples or wrinkles can show up at any age, but they are still considered dynamic wrinkles. They’re caused by the unique way your chin’s small mentalis muscles tense up. Botox for chin wrinkles creates a smoother look with a small number of units.

Cheek wrinkles

Using Botox for cheek wrinkles is quite rare, but it can be useful on occasion. If you get wrinkles along the top of your cheeks when you smile, Botox will relax them effectively, since those wrinkles are essentially an extension of your crow’s feet.

In most cases, however, the main aging concern that impacts the cheeks is volume loss. This is best addressed with a hyaluronic acid filler like Juvéderm Voluma, which plumps the cheeks from below while also smoothing out the surface.

Neck wrinkles

By injecting Botox into the platysma muscle that sits across the neck, it can help reduce horizontal neck wrinkles and visible ropiness in the neck. This injection technique can also help remove some downward pull on the lower half of the face, to create a more defined jawline.

Keep in mind that treating neck wrinkles with Botox should only be done by an experienced injector.

Lips and around mouth

Using Botox for the lips is usually called a lip flip. The Botox is injected into the muscles just above the upper lip, relaxing and pushing them forward. This creates a fuller upper lip, reduces gum visibility when smiling, and softens lines around the lips.

The effects are quite subtle and natural-looking, so lip filler might be more appropriate for some clients.

Bunny nose wrinkles (aka “bunny lines”)

“Bunny lines” are the wrinkles that form along the side of the nose bridge, usually when you laugh. If this is something you’re bothered by or find uncomfortable, Botox will stop them from forming.

Inappropriate Treatment Areas for Botox 

Botox is only effective on wrinkles that are caused or worsened by muscle tension. Static wrinkles, which are wrinkles that have become etched in the skin and are not impacted by muscle movement, can’t be treated with Botox.

There are also some dynamic wrinkles that cannot be treated with Botox because the muscle activity responsible for their appearance is too crucial to safely inhibit.

Some of these wrinkles that Botox cannot treat include:

  • Chest wrinkles

  • Nasolabial folds

  • Hand wrinkles

  • Wrinkles that are too etched into the dermis and epidermis (Botox may soften them, but not totally eliminate them)

  • Wrinkles in areas of extreme volume loss

Thankfully, there are facial rejuvenation treatments and dermal fillers that can treat these wrinkles effectively instead of Botox.

Fade Your Wrinkles With Botox From a Skilled Injector 

There is no treatment out there that surpasses Botox’s efficacy as a wrinkle treatment. With the right injection, you can achieve natural results with noticeable wrinkle reduction, while still retaining the ability to move your facial muscles.

However, it takes a highly experienced injector to select the right dose of Botox for you, and to inject it into the precise location to achieve your ideal results.

At select SEV med spas, we offer a menu of reasonably-priced tox treatments including Botox, Xeomin, and Dysport. Our specialized nurse injectors at SEV take Botox treatments to another level, with a dialed procedure that’s tailored to every client’s unique facial structures.

It only takes a consultation to figure out if Botox is the right treatment for you, so go ahead and book an appointment.