BOTOX® Cosmetic

BOTOX^® Cosmetic

Restore a Balanced and Soft Look to Your Appearance at Chicago and Winnetka’s Whole Beauty^® Institute

When it comes to BOTOX^® Cosmetic at our Chicago and Winnetka centers, we believe that all patients benefit from our diligent attention to detail. Because of the way BOTOX^® interacts with the active facial muscles to smooth out dynamic wrinkles, a successful treatment requires in-depth knowledge of anatomy and precise technique. Dr. John Q. Cook has a sophisticated approach to BOTOX^® that involves a detailed analysis of each person’s pattern of facial expression. He leads a team of experienced injectors at Whole Beauty^® Institute, including two nurses who are national trainers for Allergan, maker of BOTOX^® Cosmetic.

Finding the right injector is key, because BOTOX^® is safe, but powerful. A skilled and certified provider will focus on minimizing risk and maximizing the cosmetic benefits for each person.

9 Questions You Should Ask Before a BOTOX^® Treatment

What Is BOTOX^®?

BOTOX^® is a relaxant used to reduce activity in muscles or glands, used for many years in both medical and cosmetic settings. This remarkable substance works by interrupting the message that tells frown muscles to contract or sweat glands to produce fluid. Specifically, it hinders the connection between nerves and muscles and prevents the transmission of messages. Treatment consists of precise micro-injections along the path of the overactive muscles or in other areas of concern.

Be aware that many providers say they offer BOTOX^® injections, but not all of them actually do. Always ask an injector whether the product being used is BOTOX^® brand— and never buy an injectable muscle relaxant online. Counterfeit BOTOX^® is available from countries such as China, but these products are unreliable and can produce serious complications. BOTOX^® has unique dosing standards and training sessions that do not translate to other injectable options.

What Does BOTOX^® Treat?

Overactive muscles in the facial region can cause deep furrows or “frown lines” to develop and give the face an angry or distressed look. Repeated and prolonged contraction of these muscles pulls the inner brows downward and can set the facial attitude into a permanent frown. Patients with these habits of expression often complain that friends and co-workers ask them why they are always “angry” or “tired.”

Excess facial muscle contractions may also contribute to a sense of heaviness in the region by the end of the day. This over-activity may even trigger tension or migraine headaches.

Our team’s approach to BOTOX^® emphasizes the concept of dynamic facial balance. The position and activity of key zones of facial expression (such as the inner and outer brows and the corner of the mouth) depend on an intricate balance between muscles that elevate these zones and muscles that depress them. The balance can be altered by the aging process as well as habits of expression. Each individual will have his or her own pattern. Simple “cookie cutter” patterns of BOTOX^® injections found in many medspas often result in a bizarre or frozen appearance because they do not account for each person’s unique expressive signature. Every clinician at the Whole Beauty^® Institute provides individualized BOTOX^® therapy.

For some patients, surgery may represent the best solution to the problem, but many of our patients have achieved a wonderful softening of the facial attitude with BOTOX^®, which is FDA approved for smoothing out horizontal forehead lines, frown lines (11s) between the eyebrows, and crow’s feet at the outer corner of the eyes, as well as for curbing excessive sweat in the underarm area.

In addition to these most popular treatments, our team has extensive experience with advanced applications of the relaxant. Vertical neck bands can be softened, the posture of the corner of the mouth can be adjusted, over-activity of the masseter muscle can be reduced, the gummy smile can be corrected, and over-activity of the chin pad muscles can be adjusted. We also combine BOTOX^® with dilute hyaluronic filler in a microinjection process that improves the quality of the skin.

Practically all patients are able to resume work and social interaction as soon as their injection sessions are over.

Most of our patients return every three to six months for additional treatments, since the relaxing result of BOTOX^® Cosmetic fades over time. The effect has usually only partially worn off when these sessions are scheduled, but most people prefer to seek retreatment before muscle function is completely restored. This helps patients to “unlearn” their habits of facial expression.

Part of the success of relaxant therapy comes from this retraining of facial habits. It is also our impression that the muscles treated by BOTOX^® Cosmetic grow weaker over time when a patient undergoes several injections. In our opinion, the main reason for this is that the muscles are used less, so they become smaller. This is similar to the difference between the arm muscles when an individual works out regularly at a gym versus the smaller, less toned muscles visible once a person gets out of the habit of routine exercise.

Note that the ultimate goal of any BOTOX^® treatment is not the complete elimination of facial expressions. This looks weird! Instead, the aim is to soften and retrain patterns of facial expressions. Overdone BOTOX^® looks no better than overdone facial surgery.

Correct a Gummy Smile with BOTOX^®

The “gummy smile,” is due to an excessive amount of gum tissue visible above the top row of teeth especially while smiling. Botox can correct the appearance of a “gummy smile” by softening the hyperactive muscles in this area.

Alleviate Symptoms of Temporalmandibular Joint Syndrome with BOTOX^® and Enjoy Aesthetic Benefits

Temporalmandibular joint syndrome or TMJ causes tightness and discomfort in the jaw and jawline region because of the masseter muscle. Symptoms may include tension headaches and teeth grinding. Successfully treating this muscle with neuromodulators such as Botox Cosmetics can help alleviate these symptoms. Aesthetic benefits include less round or square shaped face and a more contoured jawline.

Before and after of masseter muscle treatment with Botox^®.

Complements and Alternatives to BOTOX^® Cosmetic in the Chicago, Winnetka, and Hinsdale Areas

Every Whole Beauty^® Institute patient deserves her or his own plan, developed to deliver personalized results. While BOTOX^® Cosmetic is a remarkably versatile cosmetic treatment, it is not the only option available to women and men who want to give their face a more youthful look.

Dysport^® and Xeomin^® are relaxant injectables that use the same active ingredients as BOTOX^® to achieve similar results, but with subtly different benefits in terms of the timeline of taking effect, spread, duration, and more.

BOTOX^® works well when the goal is to soften dynamic expressions that are the result of muscle activity (frown lines between the brows, crow’s feet, etc.), but it is not the solution for every wrinkle and crease on the face. There are creases that develop in the face due to the sagging of facial structures from the aging process, weight loss, and sun damage. A good example is the deepening of nasolabial folds with age. Creases such as these are best addressed by the addition of volume (dermal fillers or fat transfer) or via surgical and non-surgical techniques that restore the structures to their ideal natural position.

Fine wrinkles and surface lines respond well to treatment with the Halo^® hybrid fractional laser, chemical peels, micro-channeling, and other techniques in the Whole Beauty^® portfolio

The best results often come from combined therapy. For example, if you have a long history of habitual expressions, you may have significant “memory creases” that remain visible even when the muscles are at rest. They do sometimes soften over time, especially after several injections, but they can also be treated more effectively with other techniques.

A variety of treatment options exists for critical zones where signs of aging typically appear, such as around the eyes, and the person who evaluates you should have a sufficient knowledge base and experience to be able to address all available treatment options. Relaxants, helpful as they are, can be misapplied, and this will only lead to disappointment. On the other hand, the proper selection of BOTOX^® Cosmetic from the portfolio of treatment options has provided a wonderful benefit for many patients.