Botox for Sagging Neck and Face Skin
May 30th, 2016 | Posted in: Botox Treatments |
How Botox Can Tighten the Skin around Your Face and Neck
As we get older, sagging skin becomes more and more of a problem. If this starts occurring around your neck and face, the results can become incredibly obvious. Fortunately, there are ways to treat it so you no longer have to worry about the nagging and stressful effects of aging.
While a facelift can be very effective for certain people, many others may want a simpler option; for these people, Botox could be the best answer.
Eligible Candidates for Botox
Though the FDA has approved Botox for people from ages 18 to 65, it is important to note that a variety of other factors may prevent you from having a Botox procedure:
- Allergies to any of Botox’s ingredients.
- Allergies to other botulinum toxin brands (e.g. Myobloc, Xeomin, or Dysport), or experiencing side effects from these products in the past.
- A skin infection or other skin condition in the affected area.
- You have a disease that affects the muscles or nerves.
- Breathing problems like asthma.
- You have difficulties swallowing.
- Bleeding issues.
- You are going to have surgery soon.
- You have had facial surgery in the past.
- Weakness in your forehead muscles.
- You have drooping eyelids.
- You are taking (or have recently taken) certain medications, vitamins, or supplements.
- You are pregnant or you are currently breastfeeding.
If you are looking into facial Botox, keep in mind that it does not treat facial lines that occur when your face is completely relaxed. In such cases, dermal fillers are a better choice: Botox can only soften the lines, but not necessarily get rid of them.
Botox for the Face
Wrinkles in the skin usually form perpendicular to the contracting muscle directly beneath it. For example, the forehead muscle is vertical. When it contracts (like when you raise your eyebrows), the lines or wrinkles formed will be horizontal. In a similar way, the two muscles where frown lines occur are slightly horizontal between the eyebrows – so when these muscles contract, frown lines will appear in a vertical alignment.
When Botox is injected into the related muscles, nerve impulses to those tissues are blocked. This reduces muscle activity in that area, reducing frown lines and producing a much smoother appearance in the skin. In short, once the contracting muscle is blocked off from nerve impulses, the skin has a much harder time forming wrinkles.
After a few days, you should see notable improvements in your appearance. Botox requires at least two to four days to attach to the necessary nerve endings; and after another 10 – 14 days, you should see the maximum results of the Botox. After this period, the results you see will be the effect of the Botox.
Botox for the Neck
Botox on the neck is great for the platysma muscle, which is found at the front of the neck and under the chin. As the skin in this area ages, neck bands begin to form, creating a look which many like to call turkey neck. A Botox treatment in this muscle will help make the neck bands that form around this muscle less prominent, relaxing the area and softening neck bands.
The masseter muscle, which is one of the active muscles used for chewing, can oftentimes relax and soften, creating a square, muscular jawline. Applying Botox can effectively contour this area, according to your needs. If you have a square jawline, Botox can make the sharp angles in your jaw more subtle.
Another option is the so-called “Nefertiti Lift.” In this procedure, Botox is injected into the neck bands at the front of the neck (the platysma muscle), as well as the side bands that form around the jaw. These side bands are what cause the lower portion of skin on the face and jowls to sag: by injecting Botox into them, the jowls and lower portion of the face are lifted, streamlining the neck while lifting the sagging portion of the lower face.
As with facial Botox, expect to see the final results after a period of about two weeks.
Get Botox Treatment from a Surgeon You Can Trust
Unfortunately, choosing where to get your Botox procedure is not a matter of simply choosing the cheapest option. You need to choose a cosmetic surgeon you can trust, like Dr. Gabriel Chiu. Dr. Chiu’s leadership and sincere approach to his patients’ health has made him one of the best plastic surgeons in the country. In fact, Dr. Chiu’s patients are so thrilled with his care that they voted him for the Patients’ Choice award eight years in a row, from 2008 – 2015. Give Dr. Chiu a call and see for yourself.
