Botox Injections

Botox is a well known brand name for a medicinal form of botulinum toxin type A, also known as onabotulinumtoxinA. The toxin is of a certain bacterium that produces caused the food poisoning botulism. When injected in small doses into specific muscles, Botox does not poison you, but acts as a muscle relaxant with effects that can last for several months. There are two forms of botulinum toxin medicine, Botox and Botox Cosmetic. Botox is used to treat certain medical problems. Botox Cosmetic is used to improve facial wrinkles. But you can hear both simply referred to as Botox.



Procedure

The patient is placed in a somewhat raised position on the exam table, and the areas to be injected are cleansed with a nonalcohol cleanser, such as Hibiclens or Betadine. Some physicians will apply a topical anesthetic, such as EMLA cream, at this time. After this, the BOTOX® is injected into the desired areas. Typical injection patterns include about 4 or 5 areas on each side of the forehead and 2 or 3 areas on either eye area. More areas can be injected by skilled physicians, depending on the type of wrinkles and the desired effect for the patient. It is common for pressure to be applied if an area seems to be bleeding after the injection.