Category Archives: Did You Know?

Botox and More on the Rise 

Aesthetic treatments used to be hushed topics in years past, but now, it’s no big deal to dish about your injection appointments. People of all generations are using Botox and Juvéderm, whether they’re 25 or 65 or older. There’s a major shift in trend in 2019 when younger adult patients were going for treatments. In the year previous, people under 40 were potentially looking into preventative options. Let’s see here what the pros are predicting in 2020.

Therapeutic indications for Botox. The neurotoxin is not just for wrinkles and fine lines. In 2019, it was approved to treat pediatric patients with upper and lower limb spasticity, excluding spasticity caused by cerebral palsy. Botox is further being studied for even more therapeutic indications – including major depressive disorder and prevention of post-operative atrial fibrillation in patients undergoing open-chest cardiac surgery.

Botox as 30th birthday gift to self. Specialists are seeing a growing group of cosmetic patients, women especially, coming in for botulinum toxin injections for their 30th birthday.  Injection of the furrowed area between the eyebrows, referred to as the ‘11’ lines,  is the most popular request. 

Dermal fillers for acne scars. Injectable fillers continue to be one of the most requested treatments, now with a brand new purpose: pitted acne scars. Belotero Balance is a popular choice with its thinner, lightweight composition that helps the gel be distributed much more evenly and provides a smooth transition between the treatment area and the surrounding skin. 

Moisturizing lip fillers. Women want more balanced and fuller lips, with moisturizer. Adding hyaluronic acid to the lips draws in moisture. Juvéderm and Restylane deliver both volume and hydration.

Longer-lasting fillers that are also pain-free. Juvéderm Volbella XC gives longer-lasting results, up to a year. It’s a mixture of hyaluronic acid which plumps up the lips or vertical lines above the lip. It has lidocaine added so it hurts less when injected.

Bonti by Allergan is a quick fix. It’s a fast-acting toxin that offer a quicker action, though a short-lived effect. The usual neurotoxins typically takes about two weeks to give their full effect. This will be ideal for first-time patients who just want to experiment; it will quickly wear off. It is also an option for people who need a last-minute fix.

Jawline-sculpting fillers for a more chiseled jaw.  More and more women are requesting for fillers in the jawline. Injecting a small amount of filler in the angle of the jaw helps define one’s profile and highlight the jawline.

Looking for super-full lips. Who needs over-the-top lip fillers? Some doctors say that patients are not into “natural” for 2020. Because social media is influencing societal perceptions of beauty, bigger lips are in. Bigger is not always better, and not everyone’s face can accommodate large lips. While the natural shape of an individual’s lips can be enhanced, more and more patients seem to be specifically looking for an artificial look.

The 30-minute nose job. Liquid rhinoplasties are predicted to be on the upswing. These are filler nose jobs that do not have the downtime of an actual nose job. They are for hiding small asymmetries or a small bump, a quick fix to an imperfection after a rhinoplasty, or adding volume to the bridge of the nose to make it appear narrower. 

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Best Beauty Options for You in Tacoma

Know more about the most in-demand injectable facial treatments by visiting Botixue in Tacoma. We personalize treatment plans and make every visit an experience. 

Top Treatments That Actually Work 

Fine lines and wrinkles are due to the loss of subcutaneous fat which is what happens as the human body ages. It’s also due to sun damage that leads to skin discoloration. While it’s not possible to eradicate or stop wrinkles and lines from forming, eating a healthy diet and keeping hydrated by drinking water every day can go a long way.  However, there are other anti-aging non-surgical treatments that can be used to keep skin looking young and healthy. For 2019, here are the best of them.

The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery list the four best non-surgical anti-aging treatments that work.  They are Botulinum Toxin, Hyaluronic Acid, Non-surgical Fat Reduction, and Chemical Peel. 

Botulinum toxin, such as Botox and Dysport are injectable muscle relaxers that temporarily paralyze the facial muscles, appearing to give a smooth appearance to the fine lines and wrinkles.  The effects last approximately three to six months, at which point another treatment session may help the client achieve even more lasting results.

Hyaluronic Acid, like Juvederm and Restylane, is an injectable dermal filler that gives effective and immediate results in reducing wrinkles and fine lines. It can fill in deep folds under the skin, creating fuller lips and cheeks. It is more popular now than traditional collagen. Evidence shows that it can create a permanent anti-aging effect by promoting collagen growth.

Non-surgical fat reduction, also called Fat Melting, uses Deoxycholic acid, like Kybella injection, that helps the fat break down and gets absorbed into the body. It targets the sagging fat under the chin.

Chemical Peel Treatments give the skin a smoother appearance with reduced fine lines and wrinkles, basically removing the top layer of skin in a controlled manner. The exfoliating chemical is applied directly to the skin, causing the dead skin to blister and eventually peel off. With higher concentration of chemicals, it’s like a skin wound causing the body to increase collagen production. The new skin is tighter and helps reduce fine lines, small scars, skin discoloration, and sun damage.

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Getting the Best Treatment in Tacoma

If your preference is non-surgical in getting rid of your wrinkles and fine lines, come to Botixue in Tacoma and experience the most popular option for smoother, younger-looking skin.

A Quick Botox Primer

Here are the most burning questions you’ve always wanted to ask about Botox.  Dermatologists provide the answers.

What is Botox and how does it really work? Botox is made from botulinum toxin, a protein  that freezes the facial muscles. It binds to the receptors on the muscles, blocking the signals that make the muscles contract. Hence, you won’t be able to make movements linked to wrinkles between your eyebrows, crow’s feet, and forehead lines. However, Botox does not affect static wrinkles, the wrinkles that are there when you aren’t making an expression. The goal of treatment is to prevent dynamic wrinkles from becoming permanent static wrinkles.

Is Botox just for reducing wrinkles? Botox is not just for lines and wrinkles. It’s also being used to treat excessive sweating or eyelid twitching. It blocks the nerve from receiving signals so that sweat glands do not secrete sweat and eyelids do not twitch. Botox’s muscle-relaxing effects are also used to treat chronic migraines, overactive bladder, strabismus (crossed eyes), and even depression. It’s been studied that treatments that prevent frowning correlate with reduced negative mood.

Is Botox expensive and how long does its benefits last?  Botox is typically not covered by insurance for purely cosmetic procedures. Depending on your specialist-provider, costs vary from $150 to $400 per treated area. It can take 5 to 14 days to activate fully and  results can last three to four months.

Is Botox painful? Botox is an injectable procedure, so you can expect to feel a few quick pricks. You can however request for numbing cream if you so desire. But the procedure is short and quick and after a day or so of mild redness, you can expect to return to normal activities. 

Is Botox safe? Botox is safe and effective in the hands of a licensed and trained provider. However, pregnant and breastfeeding women should not undergo this treatment.

Are there side effects? Side effects are uncommon but include headache, bruising, and a drooping brow or eyelid There is a chance that the toxin can move beyond the injection site, causing muscle weakness, double vision, urinary incontinence; or difficulty breathing, swallowing, or speaking – which require prompt medical attention. However, severe side effects have never been definitively linked to dermatologic use, if doses are low. Adverse effects are more likely in therapeutic cases, where the doses are much higher and other diseases are present. Reduce your risk by seeing an experienced provider.

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Learn More About Botox at Botixue Tacoma

If you are considering Botox for the first time, let your friends at Botixue in Tacoma tell you more about this popular and effective recourse to youthful, smoother skin. 

Botox: A Medical Wonder Par Excellent

Did you know that Botox, that ultra popular anti-wrinkle cosmetic compound has other amazing uses in the medical world?

Here are some lesser known benefits of the anti-wrinkle wonder.

Botox for Eyelid Spasms

Known as blepharospasms, it’s a movement disorder of the eyelid muscles. Persons are not able to control the excessive twitching and as a result eyelids can droop affecting daily activities. If severe one will be unable to see properly, less so to drive a vehicle. Botox is used as a blockade at the neuromuscular junction where the nerves communicate with their muscles. Botox blocks the receptor and cuts off access to the nerves paralyzing the eyelid muscles and preventing twitches

Botox for Crossed Eyes

Called strabismus, it can be a childhood congenital issue or can occur from trauma. It responds to surgery but many people would not like to go under the knife for this. Sometimes people get Botox first to relax the muscles and see how the uncrossed eye will look. Botox is also a longer term solution for the condition.

Botox for Spasmodic Dysphonia

It’s a condition where vocal cord sounds are shaky, strained, or hoarse. It’s more of a neurological disorder as the brain receives abnormal signals and affected persons have uncontrolled spasms in their voice. Botox is injected into the vocal cords to slightly weaken the muscles so as to smoothen and steady the voice.

Botox for Drooling

It’s called hypersalivation, too much production of saliva. A few injections of Botox into the salivary glands can treat drooling. Botox will paralyze the nerves of the glands and stop them from over-producing saliva.

Botox for Excessive Sweating

Hyperhidrosis of the armpits, hands, feet, head, or face. Botox injections have been shown to be a safe and effective treatment to decrease sweating in those areas by as much as 87%, and 90% effective for hand sweating. Sweating maintains healthy body temperatures but Botox treatments are safe, affecting only a small percentage of the body’s sweat glands.

Botox for Migraines

Approved for chronic migraines, Botox injections to the back of the neck and at the base of the head, relax the muscles in the area and ease the pain.

Botox for Bell’s Palsy

It’s a facial nerve paralysis that causes one half of the face to droop. Although Bell’s palsy is usually temporary, Botox injections can relax the paralyzed facial muscle to help aid recovery.

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Better than Other Drugs for Migraines?

There have been studies claiming the effectiveness of Botox in reducing migraine frequency, and hence the popular product has garnered approval. Nonetheless the studies have mixed results, and now a new review of studies are claiming that the compound have only few benefits and side effects, though both are significant.

There were 17 studies in a meta-analysis of prophylactic treatment for migraine that were analyzed by researchers, involving more than 3,000 participants, 86% were women in whom chronic migraines were affecting 43%. The trials were randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled that compared patients receiving botulinum toxin versus placebo injections in the head and neck muscles. The primary outcome was change in the number of headache episodes per month from baseline to 3 months.

Overall analysis reported a tendency in favor of botulinum toxin over placebo at 3 months. The reduction in frequency of chronic migraines was significant. Analysis of chronic migraine frequency was also significant after 2 months. The findings also highlighted an improvement of the patient’s quality of life at 3 months in the botulinum toxin group. Further adverse events were traced in the botulinum toxin type A group with a statistically significant risk ratio. There were no severe side effects reported but Botox did have more side effects than a placebo, including a greater incidence of muscle weakness, double vision, drooping eyelids, neck pain and muscle tightness.

Data showed that the patients were treated with usually a range of 15 to 20 shots around the head and neck given once every three or four months. Overall, compared to placebo, Botox injections resulted in an average 1.6 fewer attacks per month for chronic sufferers, who have more than 15 migraine attacks per month. The study concludes that botulinum toxin type A injections are superior to placebo for chronic migraines after 3 months of therapy. For the first time, a real benefit in patient quality of life is demonstrated with only few and mild adverse events.

Are there other drugs for the prophylactic treatment of chronic migraine?

Yes, there are, but their side effects can be more severe than Botox. This meta-analysis appeared in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the Journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons in January 2019.

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