When you look in the mirror, what do you see? If you’re like most people, you probably see a face that’s getting older. One of the signs of aging skin is that it starts to become permanently creased along wrinkle lines. This can make you look angry or displeased even when you’re not. If these deep wrinkles are causing you dissatisfaction with your appearance, it might be time to look into Botox.

Botox treatments help smooth out the facial creases that come with age. You see, life is filled with opportunities to smile and laugh. And, although you surely wouldn’t trade those moments, they eventually take their toll on your appearance. When you smile or laugh, facial muscles constrict, and your skin wrinkles around those muscles. These are called dynamic wrinkles, and they are normal and natural.

As you age, however, those wrinkles become easier to see, and your muscles look tight even when your face is at rest. This occurs because the sun damages your skin over time. Years of sun exposure reduce your skin’s ability to move back into place. Therefore, instead of only wrinkling when you squint or smile, your brow may remain furrowed all of the time. This can cause you to look upset even when you are feeling pleased.

Botox, or botulinum toxin, is delivered through injections to areas of the skin that are losing their elasticity. The injected protein relaxes the underlying muscle. By calming the muscle, the wrinkles in the skin are smoothed out.

Injections are primarily used to treat a few main areas of the face. These include:

• Frown Lines: These vertical wrinkles between the eyes are the primary culprits responsible for giving you a displeased look. This is one of the most popular spots to treat with Botox injections.
• Forehead Wrinkles: Horizontal lines across the forehead can be eliminated or reduced with a Botox treatment.
• Crow’s Feet: This small wrinkles around the eyes are not typically as pronounced as brow and forehead wrinkles, but they are notorious for giving you an aged appearance.
• Lips: Botox can reduce smoker’s lines around the lips and pull up the corners of your mouth. Although all Botox treatments must be administered by a medical professional, it is especially important to have lips done by someone with plenty of experience because this area is quite sensitive and delicate.
• Neck: Injections to relax neck muscles are becoming more popular. They target the platysma muscle at the front of the neck.

The injections may hurt a bit, but the pain won’t last long. If you are concerned about pain, talk to your doctor about anesthesia to numb the injection site. The treatment usually takes only about 15 minutes, so you can be out the door and on your way in no time.

You won’t notice a difference in your skin right away. Botox works gradually over the course of a week or two. Therefore, if you have a big event for which you want to look wrinkle-free, you should schedule your Botox appointment two weeks in advance.

In the meantime, recovery is easy. Some patients experience bruising or other mild side effects, such as dry mouth, soreness, or nausea. Your eyebrow or eyelid may droop for a couple of weeks after the treatment, but that should resolve on its own. Your doctor will instruct you not to lie down for a few hours after receiving injections, and you will need to avoid heavy exertion for up to 24 hours.

Results vary between patients. Generally, though, the results last for three or four months. You will then need to return to the doctor for a repeat treatment. It is possible that when you get Botox on a regular basis, you will start to notice the treatments remaining effective for longer periods of time, but this hasn’t yet been firmly established.

Although Botox is quite effective at relaxing the muscles that cause dynamic wrinkles, it is not used for treating fine lines and wrinkles. Because those are caused by collagen loss rather than tight muscles, Botox will not help their appearance. Other cosmetic treatments can be used in conjunction with Botox so that you can reduce both dynamic wrinkles and fine lines.

Wrinkles are a normal part of aging, but that doesn’t mean that you have to live with them. If dynamic wrinkles are causing you dissatisfaction with your appearance, Botox treatments can help. The injections will relax your muscles so that you once again have smooth, unwrinkled skin and a youthful countenance.