What is BOTOX® Cosmetic?

What is BOTOX® Cosmetic?

A BOTOX® Cosmetic treatment is a simple, nonsurgical procedure that smoothes the deep, persistent lines between your brows that develop over time. One 10-minute treatment—a few tiny injections—relaxes the muscles that cause those lines to form and keeps them relaxed up to four months. BOTOX® Cosmetic has been widely tested. Now it’s approved by the FDA. The results are dramatic and apparent within days. In clinical trials, nearly 90% of the men and women surveyed rated the improvement in their brow lines as moderate to better. For many, BOTOX® Cosmetic virtually "erases" these lines.

Unlike surgery, BOTOX® Cosmetic is fast, simple, and minimally invasive, with no downtime or recovery. Most people return directly to work or normal activity following treatment. Within days, they report looking more natural and relaxed. With BOTOX® Cosmetic, they’ll know you’ve done something, they just won’t know what.

BOTOX® Cosmetic is a natural, purified protein produced by the Clostridium botulinum bacterium. Very low doses of BOTOX® Cosmetic are administered via a few tiny injections directly into the overactive muscles that cause lines to form. BOTOX® Cosmetic works by blocking the transmission of nerve impulses to the injected muscles. The effects of BOTOX® Cosmetic are usually confined to the injected region; it does not travel throughout the body.

BOTOX® Cosmetic is the product name for Allergans cosmetic wrikle removing drug. BOTOX® Cosmetic is a therapeutic muscle-relaxing agent that works at motor nerve endings (nerves that lead to muscles). BOTOX® Cosmetic is a drug used for the temporary improvement in the appearance of moderate to severe glabellar lines (frown lines). These frown lines come from muscles called corrugator and/or procerus muscles. BOTOX® Cosmetic is the name used for the process of injecting the BOTOX® Cosmetic product into the patient.

In April of 2002 BOTOX® Cosmetic was first approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), following previous approvale for severe medical problems as afr back as 1989. BOTOX® Cosmetic is the trade mark that Allergan decided to use to refer to their botulinum toxin A product. BOTOX® injections are related to botulism.

BOTOX® treatments are successfully used to treat blepharospasm and strabismus, and BOTOX® cosmetic are also proven useful in treating cervical dystonia -- these are all conditions that in some way involve spasms, involuntary muscle contractions. Within a few hours to a couple of days after the botulinum toxin is injected into the affected muscle(s), the spasms or contractions are reduced or eliminated altogether. The effects of BOTOX® Cosmetic are not permanent, reportedly lasting anywhere from three to eight months. By injecting the toxin directly into a certain muscle or muscle group, the risk of BOTOX® Cosmetic spreading to other areas of the body is greatly diminished.

When BOTOX® Cosmetic -- botulinum toxin A -- is injected into the muscles surrounding the eyes, for instance, those muscles can not "scrunch up" for a period of time. They are paralyzed. So the wrinkles in that area, often referred to as "crow's-feet," temporarily go away.

Click to get directions and/or view a larger interactive map via MapQuest.

BOTOX® F.A.Q.