BOTOX® and XEOMIN®
Cosmetic Treatments
by DR. STEVEN CURRY
BOTOX® and XEOMIN®
The Affordable, Non-Surgical Solution for Wrinkles and Migraines
Have you considered getting a surgical face lift, but don’t like the idea of going under the knife?
Normal aging, decades of frowning, smiling and other facial muscle movements– multiplied by years of sun and wind exposure, all take a big toll on our skin. We’re left with wrinkles and lines in places that make us look much older than our years: and we don’t like it. The good news is BOTOX and XEOMIN can dramatically improve appearance in just one 15-30 minute session.
BOTOX or XEOMIN are the #1 cosmetic treatment for:
Forehead wrinkle
Crow’s feet
Frown lines
Lip creases or “smoker’s lips”
Gummy smiles
Asymmetrical eyebrows or lip corners
Down-turned lips
BOTOX and XEOMIN also offer relief for the following problems:
Chronic migraine headaches
Jaw clenching
Tooth grinding (bruxism)
Jaw spasms
Facial spasming
TMJ and jaw locking pain
What is the difference between BOTOX and XEOMIN?
Both BOTOX and XEOMIN are produced from c. botulinum, found everywhere in the natural world in soil, water, plants and animals. The refined c. botulinum has been approved since 2002 by the FDA as a safe and effective treatment for wrinkles and facial lines. BOTOX and XEOMIN are similar agents: the main difference being XEOMIN contains no additional additives and is therefore less likely to cause allergies or sensitivities in patients receiving it.
BOTOX and XEOMIN work by relaxing the muscles beneath a wrinkled area. When the muscle relaxes, the overlying skin smooths out and creases disappear in 7-14 days. The effect lasts for 3-4 months– and in some cases, longer.
Follow up visits are necessary for maintenance. However, regular use of either BOTOX or XEOMIN have been found to increase the effect while also lengthening the intervals between visits.
BOTOX and XEOMIN aren’t just a “woman thing” anymore. Men are getting treatments in record numbers today, as well.
News from JAMA about BOTOX and XEOMIN
Until mid-2020, we thought it was the action of the c. botulinum on the muscles below the skin– and only the muscle relaxation– that caused the overlying skin tissue to smooth out. A recent medical study published by JAMA (the Journal of the American Medical Association) hints this may not be the whole picture. The study showed BOTOX/XEOMIN also increased elasticity in the skin by as much as 30%. Although the researchers are not sure why elasticity is improved with routine BOTOX or XEOMIN treatments, the bottom line is this: these agents appear to cause positive changes in both the muscles and the skin, making the skin look and feel smoother, softer, and better textured. Moreover, the elasticity and smoothing of the skin may be longer lasting than the effect of the c. botulinum on the underlying muscles, alone. This finding is sure to be studied in more detail, in the future.
Some Commonly Asked Questions about BOTOX and XEOMIN
Here are a few things you should not do for at least 6 Hours:
- Don’t rub or manipulate the treated area. Basically, don’t touch your face for 6 hours
- Don’t sleep or lie down on your face or put pressure on your face
- Don’t exercise or engage in heavy exertion following BOTOX or XEOMIN injections
Here are some additional things you should not do for 24 Hours:
- Use a sauna
- Have a facial massage or other facial treatment
- Use Ibuprofen or Motrin (certain NSAIDs can cause an increase in bruising)
Here are a few things you should not do for at least 6 Hours:
- Don’t rub or manipulate the treated area. Basically, don’t touch your face for 6 hours
- Don’t sleep or lie down on your face or put pressure on your face
- Don’t exercise or engage in heavy exertion following BOTOX or XEOMIN injections
Here are some additional things you should not do for 24 Hours:
- Use a sauna
- Have a facial massage or other facial treatment
- Use Ibuprofen or Motrin (certain NSAIDs can cause an increase in bruising)
Yes. You should not have BOTOX or XEOMIN if:
- You have a known allergy to components of BOTOX or XEOMIN
- You are currently taking chemotherapy treatments
- You are pregnant or lactating
- You have a neurological disease or a compromised immune system
No, it isn’t… and for the record, good BOTOX/XEOMIN treatments do not “show”, so you should never look frozen or expressionless. The goal is to look fresh faced and natural and still look like you– just a betterversion.
One group thinks the best time to start getting treatments is when the lines are just beginning to appear.: usually in the mid-20s. The idea behind this approach is that by regularly smoothing the skin with BOTOX/XEOMIN, it prevents the deeper, more difficult-to-treat creases from forming: yielding a better life-long result. The second approach is to begin BOTOX/XEOMIN injections at about the mid-30’s to mid-40’s, to help reverse already existing lines and wrinkles. When starting later– whether it’s in the late 40’s, 50’s, 60’s (and beyond)– the treatments generally need to be closer together for the first 1-2 years, to gain the maximum result. Whether started early or later, BOTOX/XEOMIN yields an obvious benefit, no matter your age.
Yes, and no. Sadly for the most part, the answer is “no”. For treatments of wrinkles, lines, crow’s feet, etc., there is never any insurance reimbursement since these conditions are considered cosmetic issues, not health-centered illnesses. For migraine headaches, TMJ, facial spasms and other facial pain problems, insurance payments are hit and miss: depending completely on the coverage offered by your particular medical plan. Many major medical policies specifically exclude or severely limit payment for migraines and TMJ in their plans.