What Is Botox Cosmetic?

BOTOX® Cosmetic is a simple, nonsurgical, Health Care Professional treatment that can temporarily smooth moderate to severe frown lines between the brows in people from 18 to 65 years of age. It is the only treatment of its type approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

One 10-minute treatment—a few tiny injections—and within days there's a noticeable improvement in moderate to severe frown lines between the brows, which can last up to 4 months. Results may vary.

BOTOX® Cosmetic is a purified protein produced by the Clostridium botulinum bacterium, which reduces the activity of the muscles that cause those frown lines between the brows to form over time.
In 2005, almost 3.3 million procedures were performed with FDA-approved BOTOX® Cosmetic.

There’s only one BOTOX® Cosmetic. Talk to your Health Care Professional to see if BOTOX® Cosmetic is right for you!
Why Skin Ages

It's all about freedom of expression. . .

One day you looked in the mirror and studied those lines that furrowed your brow, and you wondered: Where did they come from? Is it just aging? Too much sun? Too much stress? In general, how skin ages and wrinkles is a complex process. It isn't just about cellular changes, collagen depletion, hormone loss, damage caused by free radicals, and so on; it's a combination of many factors.

The Anatomy of the Wrinkle

The lines that appear between your brows (glabellar lines) actually result from muscle movement and the passage of time. You may have heard the expression "wearing your emotions on your sleeve," but in reality you wear them on your face. If you're angry or annoyed, for example, you knit your brows together. Underneath your skin, your facial muscles contract, cause a pleating of the overlying skin, and then, as anyone can see, you're frowning..
After years of crinkling and wrinkling, those glabellar lines start to linger longer and can become more pronounced.

For women, whose faces tend to be more animated than men's, and whose skin is typically more delicate, these lines may appear exaggerated and more permanent.

Fortunately, there is a way to temporarily reduce moderate to severe glabellar lines. Treatment with BOTOX® Cosmetic can visibly smooth and soften moderate to severe frown lines between your brows. An improvement can be seen within days and may last up to 4 months, although results may vary. In clinical trials, nearly 90% of men and women surveyed rated the improvement in the appearance of frown lines between their brows as moderate to better 1 month after treatment.

Botox Cosmetic May Work For you
When it comes to selecting a Health Care Professional aesthetic treatment, chances are you’ll want proof, not just claims. The proof for BOTOX® Cosmetic is in the numbers.

• In clinical trials, nearly 90% of men and women surveyed rated the improvement in the appearance of frown lines between their brows as moderate to better 1 month after treatment. Results vary.
• Results can last for up to 4 months, and may vary.
• BOTOX® Cosmetic was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2002 for the temporary treatment of moderate to severe frown lines between the brows in people ages 18 to 65, and almost 3.3 million procedures were performed in 2005 alone.

The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery ranked BOTOX® Cosmetic as the most popular Health Care Professional aesthetic procedure in the United States for the fourth year in a row (surgical and nonsurgical combined).

It's all about freedom of expression. . .

The beauty of a BOTOX® Cosmetic treatment is that it's a simple, 10-minute, non-surgical process. A few tiny injections, and within days there can be a noticeable improvement in the moderate to severe frown lines between the brows that can last up to 4 months. Results may vary. And there’s no recovery time. You can even do it on your lunch break.

• Your Health Care Professional will administer several tiny injections of BOTOX® Cosmetic directly into the muscles that cause those moderate to severe frown lines between the brows.
  
  
• Your Health Care Professional will determine where to administer the injections by examining your ability to move certain muscles in your brow area. The location, size, and use of the muscles that create a furrowed brow vary markedly among individuals.
  
  
• No anesthesia is required, although your Health Care Professional may choose to numb the area with a cold pack or anesthetic cream prior to injecting. Discomfort is usually minimal and brief.
  
  
• You can expect to be in and out of the physician’s office without downtime. You may see a marked improvement in the moderate to severe frown lines between your brows within days. Improvement may continue for as long as a month, and could last up to 4 months

How Often Is It Recommended?

It's all about freedom of expression. . .

If you're pleased with the results of a BOTOX® Cosmetic treatment, you'll probably want to get on a treatment schedule so you can keep on being pleased.

BOTOX® Cosmetic is a non-surgical, Health Care Professional aesthetic treatment that can temporarily reduce the moderate to severe frown lines between your brows for up to 4 months. Within days, you may see a noticeable improvement. Results may vary. You can receive injections with BOTOX® Cosmetic up to every 4 months to help you maintain the results.
If you discontinue treatment, the frown lines between your brows gradually will look like they did before treatment.

Side Effects Of Botox Cosmetic

It's all about freedom of expression. . .

Do not use BOTOX® Cosmetic if you:

• have an infection where BOTOX® Cosmetic will be injected
• are allergic to any of the ingredients in BOTOX® Cosmetic
• are pregnant or think you might be pregnant.

What should I tell my Health Care Professional before using BOTOX® Cosmetic?
Only your Health Care Professional can decide if BOTOX® Cosmetic is right for you. Before starting treatment, tell your Health Care Professional if you:

• have any diseases that affect your nerves and muscles. These diseases may increase your chance of side effects with BOTOX® Cosmetic treatment.
• are breastfeeding
• are planning to become pregnant soon.

Can any of my medicines interact with BOTOX® Cosmetic?
Be sure that your Health Care Professional knows the names of all the medicines you are using, including:

• antibiotics used to treat infections, such as gentamicin, tobramycin, clindamycin, and lincomycin
• medicines used to treat heart rhythm problems, such as quinidine
• medicines used to treat different conditions, such as myasthenia gravis or Alzheimer’s disease.

As with all prescription medicines, you should also notify your Health Care Professional if you are taking any over-the-counter medicines or herbal products.

Will I Be Able To Make Facial Expressions?

It's all about freedom of expression. . .

After treatment with BOTOX® Cosmetic, you may look in the mirror and see a marked improvement in the moderate to severe frown lines between your brows. But BOTOX® Cosmetic will not radically change your facial appearance. You can still frown or look surprised—without the wrinkles and creases between your brows.

BOTOX® Cosmetic works by temporarily reducing the contractions of the muscles that cause those persistent frown lines that have developed between your brows over time.

Within days, you may see an improvement that can last up to 4 months. Results may vary. If you do not continue treatments, the frown lines between your brows will gradually look like they did before treatment.