Using Botox For a Chemical Brow Lift

Botox is now the most well known injectable cosmetic facial treatment and is phenomenally effective at reducing undesired lines of facial expression, particularly in the forehead and eye area. The temporary paralysis effect of Botox works by reducing muscle pull on the overlying skin. Since lines and wrinkles form on the face from the pull of muscle that runs perpendicular to the line or wrinkle, this provides a strategy for where to place Botox injections. In the glabellar frown wrinkles (the now famous number 11s!), which are the number one facial area for Botox injections and the facial area from which the initial clinical studies for FDA approval were done, injection into the brow depressors (corrugator and procerus msucles are the main ones) is an effective approach.

Coincidentally, and with a simultaneous positive cosmetic result, paralysis of the brow depressors leaves the brow elevator muscles unopposed. In so doing, a minor brow lift is obtained in many patients. As the eyebrows are elevated by the vertical-running frontalis muscle, the lack of any down pull by the depressors allows this muscle to raise the eyebrows to some degree. Multiple clinical studies have shown that modest brow elevation occurs in the range of 1 to 3mms. This may sound like a modest amount, but in the face this can be a make a real observable difference.

Brow elevation with Botox can be done for the inner brow, outer brow, or both. It all depends on where one places the injections. As the most common area for Botox injections is in the glabellar area, only an inner brow lift will result. To create a more complete eyebrow lift, the outer brow depressors must be paralyzed as well. This means injecting out on the side of the brow to weaken the downward pull of the orbicularis oculi muscle. Injecting both inner and outer brows can create a 'chemical' brow lift which appears within seven days after the injections. You can see that an artistic eye in conjunction with the patient's input, is key in getting a result that the patient sees as both desireable and pleasing.

I have found that brow lifting with Botox works best in female patients who do not have thick forehead skin or heavy brow tissue. It seems to be less effective in males although this probably dose-related as it is well known that larger muscles needs higher doses of Botox to be effective. While Botox only lasts 4 months or so, their non-surgical aesthetic benefits are worth it for many patients.

Dr Barry Eppley is a board-certified plastic surgeon in private practice in Indianapolis, Indiana at Clarian Health Systems. (http://www.eppleyplasticsurgery.com) He writes a daily blog on plastic surgery, spa therapies, and medical skin care at http://www.exploreplasticsurgery.com

Cheek to Cheek - Cheek Augmentation Surgery

As we age, the face has a tendency to sag and make the features look smaller. Cheek augmentation surgery can fill the face back out to give a firmer, younger appearance. In addition, a person who feels that his or her facial contours are not well enough defined, or that his or her face is not symmetrical may also turn to cheek implants.

Cheek augmentation surgery is often done along with another cosmetic procedure, such as a face or eye lift. If this is the case, the surgeon uses the incisions he or she has already made to insert the implants over the existing cheekbone. If no other surgery is being done, the doctor will make a cut in either the upper lip or the lower eyelid and slip the implant into the resulting area. Sutures are usually the kind that dissolve by themselves and do not need to pulled or cut out. The resulting scars will be slight and almost completely unnoticeable because of their location on the inside of the mouth or eyelid.

Your doctor will probably talk with you at length about exactly what you want to improve about your looks. Do you want your cheeks to extend more to the side, the front or both? He or she will have an extensive collection of photos and drawings that show the approximate results of any procedure you have done.

The Right Stuff

The components used for cheek augmentation surgery vary. You will need to discuss with your doctor, which one is right for you. Materials include plastics, ceramics and human bones taken from cadavers.

Since the implants used in cheek augmentation surgery are placed right over your own cheek bones, you will want to ask about the possibility of bone erosion. Find out which materials are the safest and what removal of the implants would entail, should that be necessary.

Rest and Recovery

How successful your cheek augmentation surgery is will depend on a number of different factors including the state of your health, whether you are a smoker and your age. Remember that your recovery is not just physical. Getting used to your new look may take some time. The results of cosmetic surgery cannot be guaranteed, since a great many complex physiological factors are at work. Most people, however, are happy with the outcome of their cheek augmentation surgery and do not suffer complications.

There are millions of American men and women who are interested in subtly altering their appearance; but they do not want to undergo an invasive plastic surgery procedure to make it happen. Fortunately, dermatologists offer a range of non-invasive treatments, including BOTOX injections and chemical peels, so people can improve their appearance without undergoing the knife.