Last year’s usual assortment of holiday fun was somber at best. Gone were all the office parties and much of the usual socializing that is the best part of the holiday season. But now that we’re finally putting this virus behind us, this year we’re all ready for every invitation we can get. We’re even excited to see the in-laws! 

Since you’ve been out of sight for a while, maybe this year you should show up without the usual accompanying crow’s feet, frown lines, and forehead wrinkles. That could seem as if we’re talking about some sort of magical feat. After all, as we get older, we all have these lines on the upper third or our face. 

Nope. We’re talking about a Botox session with Dr. Lee or Dr. Castelli at Bryn Mawr Facial Aesthetics Center. 

What is Botox? 

Botox is basically the rock star of the aesthetic world. Since its approval by the FDA in 2002 for the treatment of wrinkles on the upper third of the face, Botox has been the most popular cosmetic procedure performed every year…worldwide! 

Botox is basically made from the botulinum toxin type A. These are the same bacteria that cause botulism. In the 40s, however, scientists discovered that when the toxin was injected in miniscule amounts into a muscle it caused the muscle to temporarily become paralyzed. This proved to be effective for treating conditions such as involuntary eyelid spasms, where muscle contractions needed to be controlled. And Botox was first approved by the FDA for the treatment of involuntary eyelid spasms in 1989. 

“But what about my crow’s feet?” you ask. Certain wrinkles form due to muscle contractions beneath the skin. These are called dynamic wrinkles and they form when we make repeated actions such as squinting, frowning, smiling, and the like. You could link most of these behaviors with the expressive part of the face, the upper third. When the muscles contract when you make a frown, for example, a wrinkle forms above the contraction. Over time, the skin gets used to creating a wrinkle and it wrinkles more and more. This also happens more as our skin becomes less elastic with age. 

When Botox is injected into a muscle it blocks the nerves messages to the brain. So, basically the brain misses the call, and its voicemail is full! Without the message to contract, the brain never initiates the contraction. Without the contraction, the wrinkle above doesn’t form or is far less noticeable. Voila — the magic of Botox! 

Where can Botox be used? 

Botox was initially approved by the FDA for treatment of frown lines and forehead lines. Additional approval for crow’s feet came in 2013, although it had been used “off label” for crow’s feet for years prior to that. 

Why not take a few years off for this year’s holiday festivities? Call us at (610) 789-6701 and schedule your Botox session. Remember, it takes around four days for Botox to fully take effect, so think about that when scheduling your session before an upcoming holiday party or event.