The Surprising Benefits of Botox

As it turns out, the increasingly popular Botox doesn’t just treat wrinkles – it prevents them, too.

By Lisa Zamosky
WebMD the Magazine - Feature

Reviewed by Michael W. Smith, MD

Ever since the FDA approved Botox for cosmetic use seven years ago, women (and men) have been singing Botox’s praises. The masses aren’t deterred by its short shelf life -- effects last only three to six months -- or the need for ongoing shots costing $300 to $1,000 per injection site or area. Nearly 3 million Botox treatments are administered in the United States every year.

Here’s why: This purified form of botulinum A toxin -- the same one that causes botulism -- works fountain-of-youth-type magic by stopping wrinkles where they start, says Monica Halem, MD, a dermatologist and assistant clinical professor at Columbia University Medical Center, affiliated with New York-Presbyterian Hospital. Botox blocks the nerves that contract muscles so that wrinkles can’t form, and it softens existing wrinkles and prevents them from deepening.

Botox benefits

As a result, Botox can keep you looking far younger than your years, which has its advantages. As an actress who impersonates Marilyn Monroe and Cinderella in live shows, for instance, Denise Mattingly has relied on Botox injections to zap wrinkles and maintain her youthful appearance for years. “My face needs to look right on the money,” says Mattingly, 44, of Louisville, Ky. Her love for Botox was instant and lasting: “I was hooked after my first treatment.”

Botox is most effective on wrinkles that haven’t quite set -- “dynamic” wrinkles that appear while you’re moving your face, such as when you frown. “If you don’t move the muscle too much, you won’t form the wrinkle,” Halem says. She considers Botox preventive.

Mattingly credits Botox, in part, with her great-looking skin -- and her boosted confidence, which has helped her career. “If at 44 I hadn’t paid so much attention to maintaining my face, I probably couldn’t be as successful,” she says. “No one wants to see a wrinkly Cinderella.”

Botox side effects

But is Botox safe? “Very. We’ve been using Botox [for medical purposes] for 20 years,” Halem says. “And cosmetic doses are much smaller.” Hold off if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, though. Doctors say babies and toxins don’t mix.

Side effects are possible: headaches, bruising, and pain at the site of injection, and in fewer than 1% of cases, drooping eyelids or eyebrows that return to their natural position within a few months. You can’t control all of those problems, follow these tips to avoid looking weird instead of wonderful:

Don’t be a pill. Bruising at the site of the needle injection is more common in people taking aspirin or ibuprofen; these medications thin the blood and increase bleeding (it’s the blood that causes the bruise). Skip the pills for two weeks in advance of your Botox treatment for skin that looks smooth, not black and blue.

Go easy. To avoid the plastered, I-can’t-quite-smile look, ask your doctor for a Botox-light treatment. The units of Botox used are adjusted to give you a more natural and expressive appearance.

Don’t party on. Spas and Botox parties may sound like a fun way to fight Father Time, but injections are no laughing matter. Well-done Botox treatments require knowledge of facial anatomy and a skilled hand. Save yourself for a doc who is board-certified in dermatology or plastic surgery.

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