Botox Injections in Utah

Botox in Utah

Botox treatment is the most widely used non-surgical procedure in the United States. It can smooth facial wrinkles making crow’s feet, worry lines and laugh lines a thing of the past. Over time muscles lose their elasticity and some muscles have trouble fully relaxing to their original state of rest. When facial muscles stay contracted they wrinkle the skin. These are referred to as dynamic wrinkle lines and all are treatable with this procedure. Cosmetic denervation is the process of injecting a neurotoxin into the tiny facial muscles that create wrinkles allowing the muscles to relax and giving your face a smoother, more youthful appearance. Botox is the most widely known injectable used for this purpose, but it is not your only option. Xeomin and Dysport are Botox competitors. Ask us about our specials and which injectable is right for you. Scroll down the page to find frequently asked questions about Botox Cosmetic, its safety and uses.

Before Botox Injections

To better understand your overall health, we will evaluate your medical history prior to injection. In addition, Dr. Petersen will examine your face and discuss with you your treatment goals. Where do you want to see a change in your appearance? After this discussion Dr. Petersen can decide the most effective injection sites for you. He will answer all of your questions, so don’t be afraid to ask.

The areas that will be treated are marked and digital photographs are taken in order to determine the amount of improvement after injection. Full results can take as long as 4-10 days after injection.

The Botox or Dysport Procedure

Botox, or any family of injections, are performed without anesthesia because it is virtually painless. Only a very small sting is felt when the injections are made. The effects are not permanent and routine maintenance is required to retain the effects. Generally patients schedule every 4 months to maintain optimal results. Botox like products are only useful in treating expression lines and cannot be used to repair sagging skin caused by aging. It may be remarkable, but it’s not a facelift.

Post-Injection Information

After the procedure some clients may experience slight bruising around the injection sites that quickly fades. Normal activities can be resumed immediately. Possible side effects are temporary weakness of nearby muscles or in rare cases an eyelid may droop. Some patients experience a temporary headache the day of injection. Botox is completely temporary so any side effect is only a temporary condition. The doctor will explain all risks associated at the time of your consultation.

Barriers to Botox: Frequently Asked Questions

Is Botox Cosmetic Safe?

Botox is one of the most widely studied pharmaceuticals on the market today because it is so widely used. Allergan, the company the manufactures Botox Cosmetic, has expertise with Botox going back 20 years. There have been over 26 million vials dispensed since it hit the US cosmetic market in 1990. There is no allergy profile for Botox Cosmetic, which means that it does not require your doctor to do allergy testing before prescribing it for you. It is far and away the number one cosmetic neurotoxin in the United States. Its worldwide market share market share is 78%, meaning that when a patient or physician chooses a product to relax the muscles in the face for cosmetic or clinical purposes anywhere in the world, Botox is the product they choose 78% of the time. It is used for a variety of medical conditions, and even used in infants who are born with cortieollis (a tightening of the neck muscles that forces the head to be turned to one side). Use of Botox Cosmetic is the #1 non-surgical procedure in the United States. Patient satisfaction rates are 97%, which means if you are getting it, you are loving it!

Is the Doctor Injecting Botulism into My Face?

This is such a common concern! Rest assured that Dr. Petersen will not inject any disease or infection into your body. Botulism is a disease caused by bacteria. It is a contamination often resulting from compromised food storage. If you partially open a can of peas and bury it in the ground for 10 years, botulism will likely grow and eating those peas could cause you serious harm. Botox Cosmetic, on the other hand, is a manufactured pharmaceutical. It is a neurotoxin that has been processed, manufactured, and tested for pharmaceutical use. An analogy I like to use is between penicillin and moldy bread. We have all heard that penicillin was developed from mold. But we would never think that eating the moldy bread in our cupboard would cure our sore throat. That is because the mold on our bread is a contamination, whereas penicillin is a pharmaceutical. Botox Cosmetic is not botulism and it cannot give you botulism.

Will My Face Look Frozen (like those people on TV)?

That’s absolutely the last thing we want. Botox Cosmetic works because it relaxes the muscles in your face that over time lose their ability to fully relax on their own. The amount of relaxation achieved with Botox depends on the amount of product injected into the muscles. There are some people who do not want any facial muscle contraction so that no facial creasing is apparent at all. But most people don’t want that! Most people just want the lines between their eyes and/or the fine lines around their eyes to disappear or lessen. Dr. Petersen will discuss with you what level of relaxation you desire. Dr. Petersen always starts off conservatively. Once you are happy with the results you and Dr. Petersen have achieved with Botox Cosmetic, then he will know your magic number of units and you can count on predicable, reliable results, treatment after treatment. You will still be able to smile, look surprised, and make any other facial expression you want. You’ll just look younger doing it.

How Often do I Have to Come Back for Treatment?

Everyone reacts a little bit differently to Botox Cosmetic in terms of how long the results will last. Results fade as your body absorbs and breaks down the product. Results will fade rather than suddenly disappear. One of the reasons that Botox is so popular is that its results typically last much longer than its competitors’. Generally patients return every 4 months for a new treatment. It is best to schedule your next treatment at the end of your last treatment to maintain consistent results—just like your hair appointment. With your hair, if you wait to call for an appointment until you see your own roots and your haircut isn’t working anymore, then your hair dresser can’t get you in right away, and you have a string of bad hair days before you feel like your optimal self again. The nice thing about Botox is that you won’t see “roots” because the results fade rather than suddenly cease. But if you wait until your facial wrinkles have obviously returned, then it becomes more obvious when you’ve had your injections. You don’t have to get more Botox. It can be a one-time try for you. But most women are so happy with their Botox Cosmetic results that they keep coming back.

How Much Does Botox Cost?

Botox is priced according to how many units of product are injected into an affected area. How many units a patient will need depends on the level of correction needed or desired. For informational purposes we will give some examples. But keep in mind that this is where good communication and an informed physician willing to really listen to your needs is very important. An average correction for the scowl lines between the eyes is 20 units. An average range for horizontal forehead lines is 10-30 units. An average range for crow’s feet around the eyes is 15-20 units. In Dr. Petersen’s office a unit of Botox costs $10.00. So an average correction of scowl lines would cost $200. Once you and Dr. Petersen have achieved the look you want from your Botox treatment, he will have a record of the number of units that give you just the results you want in each area of your face. You can then count on consistent, beautiful results time after time.

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