Where can Botox be used?
I’m sure most people have heard of Botox, or Botulinum Toxin. But many clients are still confused about where Botox can be used, and what it can be used for. So here’s a short guide to tell you the basics.
THE FACE
Firstly one of the most common uses for Botox is to smooth wrinkles on the face. The way it works is by stopping your muscles from contracting, which then prevents the crease recurring. As the muscle stops firing, the skin in the area is allowed to recover and the wrinkle diminishes.
Botox injections are regularly carried out on specific areas of the upper face, known as ‘3 Areas’. You may start by having Botox to just one area first and progress from there. Here are the areas you may wish to consider:
Area 1: The frown between your eyebrows is classed as Area 1. This is the glabellar, and is what gives us a scowling or angry expression. Botox is injected into the corrugator muscles to soften this frown.
Area 2: The horizontal frown lines in the forehead is Area 2. When we raise our eyebrows, in a surprised expression, these are the lines that can be reduced by Botox. Injections are placed in the frontalis muscle in the middle section of the forehead. If injections are placed too low, it can cause drooping of the brow (called brow ptosis). However if done skilfully you can lift the eyebrows, or even out the height of eyebrows to make them more symmetrical.
Area 3: Crows feet to the sides of your eyes are referred to as the 3rd area. Sometimes called laughter lines, their real name is lateral orbital lines. Botox injected here can dramatically reduce your crows feet.
OTHER FACIAL AREAS
It’s becoming more popular to use Botox on other areas of the face to enhance your appearance.
Bunny Lines – these are the lines which appear when you wrinkle your nose.
Gummy Smile – is a term which refers to your gums being on show when you smile, due to the strong muscle action above your lip. Botox can help to lower the top lip so that when you smile, your gums no longer show.
Smoker’s Lines – Botox is injected to soften these lines by relaxing the inward contractions of the mouth.
Downward turning mouth – Botox is injected into specific muscles to create a more upward appearance in the mouth. So instead of you looking sad or having a downward turn in your mouth when relaxed, your mouth can have a more neutral or upward (almost smiling) expression.
Dimpled Chin – By relaxing the muscles in the chin that cause the dimples, the indentations disappear and the chin stays smooth.
THE BODY
The other common use for Botox is to prevent sweating on parts of the body. It works by blocking the chemical which is responsible for activating your sweat glands. So it temporarily ‘turns off’ sweating in the areas where it’s injected.
It’s used to treat excessive sweating on the underarms, in the palms of the hands and in the feet. You will need multiple injections in each area to be successful. It’s very specific to the area, so just because you’ve ‘turned off’ sweating on your underarms for example, doesn’t mean you won’t sweat anywhere else.
SUMMARY
Botox is most commonly used for 3 areas in the upper face, between your eyebrows (glabellar), your forehead and your crows feet. It’s very effective at stopping your muscles from contracting and therefore helps to smooth our your skin. It’s becoming more popular as a treatment to correct areas of the lower face, plus to prevent sweating.
If you’d like any more information then feel free to contact me at rach@radiantliving.co.uk.