We've written about common botox myths before, and after publishing the well-received article we decided to include four more myths that seem to persist about this incredibly popular anti-aging procedure.
BOTOX AND FILLERS ARE BASICALLY THE SAME
They aren't the same—not even a little bit—yet we'd bet money that you've heard people conflate them. The only thing these two anti-aging procedures have in common is how they are administered, and that's pretty much where the similarities end. The purpose of botox is to block chemical signals that make muscles contract, resulting in a reduction in frown lines between your eyes or crow's feet. Botox will not make your face or cheeks look fuller (that's filler) and it can't change the fundamental shape of your face (also filler). Botox simply freezes your muscles.
BOTOX IS FOR OLDER PEOPLE
Older people can and certainly do benefit from it, but they are far from being the only intended patient for botox. In fact, starting botox in your thirties (long before your expression lines get a firm hold on your skin) is actually the best time to start.
BOTOX CAN'T GIVE YOU BETTER SKIN
Botox is capable of giving you a lot more than just smoother expression lines. Botox can have an impact on oil glands near the injection site, resulting in less oil production and fewer blackheads and pimples. Patients have also noticed a slight reduction in pore size. This is part of the reason microbotox (aka "baby botox") is gaining popularity. Baby botox is when a series of small (micro) doses of botox are injected in a pattern just beneath the top layer of your skin across the entire face. Doing this over a period of time can improve the overall health of your skin, including smoother texture and reduced pore size. You can learn more about that right here.
BOTOX WORKS TO TRAIN YOUR MUSCLES
It technically does, but not in the way most people think. If you get botox for a long time, the targeted muscles will eventually weaken. And when your botox wears off, you might notice that any movement returning is limited compared to your pre-botox face. However, if you go cold turkey and wait a year or longer between your botox injections, your muscles will eventually remember their old range of movement, and they will strengthen up again and return to it. Sometimes, the placement of botox can stimulate other muscles to contract (for example, to lift eyebrows that need a little more of an arch), but again, those muscles will unlearn that movement if you go for extended periods of time without additional treatments.
Interested in learning more about botox? Schedule an appointment with Dr. Supriya Tomar today to try botox today by calling our office at 561-805-9399 or emailing us at info@supriyamd.com
