Botox Cosmetic Mississauga

How it works – Our Mississauga Botox Doctor’s Expert Process

This nonsurgical treatment will dramatically reduce and smooth lines and wrinkles. Botox will improve frown lines, forehead lines and crows feet. Treatment with Botox can raise the brows, soften lines around the lips, neck and chin, and raise the droopy corners of the mouth.

Using muscles to frown and squint cause dynamic wrinkles over time. Dr. O’Neill studies these muscle functions, and injects a tiny amount of Botox into the areas where the wrinkles form. Botox blocks the targeted muscles’s nerve impulses temporarily, allowing the area to relax and soften your appearance within days. Botox uses a purified form of a natural protein which has been used for over 20 years in adults and children for a variety of conditions.

What is Botox?

Injectable wrinkle treatments that are popular in Mississauga and Oakville include Botox Cosmetic, Nuceiva, Dysport, and Xeomin.  These products are called neuromodulators, and are classified as a prescription drug.  Only licensed medical practitioners are permitted to inject neuromodulators.  A neuromodulator uses the protein botulinum toxin to relax muscle contractions, and this will temporarily smooth wrinkles.  The term “Botox” is now used interchangeably with neuromodulator, similar to the way we say “kleenex” and mean facial tissue.  Each brand of neuromodulator is comprised of a different subtype of botulinum toxin protein.

What is Botox used for?

If you are looking to get rid of your tired or grouchy look, or want to improve lines and wrinkles that make you look older or unapproachable, Botox treatments may be the solution.  Some wrinkles are caused by daily facial movements from muscle contraction.  Repeated folding of the skin causes “dynamic” wrinkles.  Dynamic lines are more common with age as our skin becomes thinner, and loses elasticity.  By preventing the contraction of targeted facial muscles, Botox softens lines and wrinkles leading to an improved appearance.

You may be surprised to learn that botulinum toxin is used to treat over 20 medical conditions!  Some examples of therapeutic uses of Botox are relaxing muscle spasms in children with cerebral palsy or adults following strokes; strabismus (crossed eyes); weak bladder causing incontinence; TMJ disorder; teeth grinding; and chronic migraine headache.  In our office, Dr. O’Neill uses Botox to treat Hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating from the armpits, palms or soles).

In our Mississauga clinic, Botox is used most often to soften frown lines (or glabellar lines).  These are the lines formed by frowning or furrowing your eyebrows.  Frown lines are sometimes called the “number 11 lines”, as they are often vertical creases between the eyebrows.  Botox is also approved for treatment of the crow’s feet:  the crinkles that form at the outer corners of your eyes and appear when you squint or smile.  Dr. O’Neill also uses Botox to:

• soften the horizontal forehead lines
•  lift droopy eyebrows
• smooth vertical lines around the lips (the lipstick lines)
• reduce the vertical neck bands for a neck lift (called platysmal bands)
• improve the horizontal neck lines (so called necklace lines)
• reshape the jawline (by injecting the masseter muscles)
• gently lift the corners of the mouth so you look less sad
• soften bunny lines (wrinkles on the upper sides of the nose)
• treat Hyperhidrosis or excessive localized sweating (armpits, palms and soles)

What happens during your Botox visit?

Let’s consider how Botox works on frown lines in more detail.  Frown lines appear between the eyebrows as the result of repeated skin folding from muscles pulling the eyebrows together.  When we frown, squint or become angry the muscles between the eyebrows, below the skin surface,  contract.  With time and age, these normal muscle contractions cause the skin to move repeatedly leading to creases, lines or wrinkles.  As we age, the skin is thinner and has less ability to rebound from being repeatedly folded or creased.  As a result, the frown lines become a permanent fixture on our face, and makes us appear angry, stern, cross or serious.  

Dr. O’Neill will carefully assess how your frown muscles contract:  this is critical!  We don’t all frown the same!  A small injection of botulinum toxin will interrupt the neuromuscular signal.  Without the signal, the muscle is unable to contract.  And without repeated contraction of the targeted frown muscles, the overlying skin smoothes and the creases and lines soften.  

How long does a Botox treatment take?

A Botox treatment in Mississauga is sometimes referred to as a lunch time treatment.  A typical neuromodulator visit takes no more than 15 minutes from start to finish.  Dr. O’Neill often jokes that it takes more time to explain the procedure than to administer your Botox treatment.  There is no recovery time:  many happy patients return to work right after their visit.

What happens after your Botox treatment?

Following your Botox treatment, Dr. O’Neill recommends you remain upright for 4 hours.  (You can look down, but don’t bend forward).  You should not rub, touch, wash or massage the treated area for 4 hours.  You want to keep all the neuromodulator in the area Dr. O’Neill injected for the best result, and to prevent migration of the chemical.  Do not reapply makeup to the treated area for 4 hours.  Dr. O’Neill suggests you avoid vigorous exercise right after your neuromodulator treatment.

Immediately following your treatment, you may see tiny red dots or tiny swellings at the injection sites.  This is from the tiny needles used to administer the neuromodulator.  These marks typically disappear in a few hours.  As with any needle based treatment, there is a small chance you may get a tiny bruise from your Botox treatment.  If a bruise develops, it is usually pin point in size, and easily hidden with a dab of makeup or concealer.  If you bruise easily, or take a blood thinner, you have an increased risk of bruising from any type of injection, including neuromodulator injections.  If possible Dr. O’Neill recommends you stop your blood thinners (including baby aspirin) for about a week prior to injections.  In addition to blood thinners, supplements including Omega-3, Vitamin E, and green tea and alcoholic beverages seem to increase the risk of bruising so Dr. O’Neill recommends you discontinue these for about a week also.

How long does Botox last?

For the average woman or man who chooses a Botox treatment in our Mississauga clinic, you can expect to see results in 3-14 days.  Everyone metabolizes the botulinum toxin chemical differently, and this explains why there is range when you will notice improvement in your dynamic wrinkles.  The average patient notices their Botox kicks in around day 5 or 6.  If you are new to Botox treatment, you can expect the results to last 12-16 weeks on average.  Again remember there is individual variation in the duration of neuromodulator results.  Dr. O’Neill will guide you on when you should schedule your next visit.

Think of Botox as a way to slow down the “aging clock”.  If you stop neuromodulator treatment, your aging clock resumes, and your wrinkles or lines will return to where you started.  By maintaining the results of your Botox treatment with regular visits, you keep looking refreshed, relaxed and rejuvenated, and will delay the appearance of more creases and wrinkles.  

Botox therapy is only one of a number of non-surgical options that can help you achieve a younger, smoother appearance.  Dr. O’Neill will advise you on topical creams, dermal filler injections (such as Juvederm, Teosyal, Voluma, Belotero, Resylane) and laser or energy devices that compliment neuromodulator treatment.

What is “Baby Botox”?

Have you heard of the expression “baby Botox”?  Many women and men in their twenties are choosing to start using Botox treatment before a wrinkle begins.  Often these young adopters of neuromodulator treatment never see a frown line form, as they have embraced this prescription wrinkle therapy before the line or crease appears.  Why would someone without serious wrinkles consider Botox?  To keep wrinkles away!  Just like you should be preventing sun damage and lines by using sunscreen daily and not sun tanning, Botox treatment is part of a skin care program to keep wrinkles away.  Similar to making a choice to color your hair or get a manicure, many patients in Mississauga and Oakville consider Botox treatment with Dr. O’Neill as part of their beauty maintenance program.  Think of neuromodulator therapy as a preventative procedure to maintain smooth skin, and prevent lines and creases.

Are you needle phobic?  Some patients may feel light headed, or experience anxiety from injections.  If you have had difficulty with any type of needle treatments in the past, let us know.  Dr. O’Neill is known for her gentle technique, and her excellent bed side manner.  She will do her best to keep you calm and relaxed during your visit.  

Who should not have Botox

You should NOT receive Botox if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.  You should not be treated with Botox if you have an allergy to botulinum toxin or any of its ingredients (such as albumin).  You should not be injected if you have a skin infection or inflammation in the area to be treated.  Neuromodulators should not be used in people who have certain neuromuscular diseases (such as Lambert-Eaton syndrome).  Finally, you need to have realistic expectations about Botox treatment.  Botox will not erase a deep fold or crease; will not eliminate facial asymmetry; is not a wrinkle filler or lip plumper.

Are there side effects?

With any injection procedure, it is possible to experience localized pain, tenderness, redness, swelling, localized infection, bleeding, or numbness.  Headache or drooping eyelid following treatment with a botulinum toxin is felt to be related to injection technique.

Botox is the #1 non-surgical anti-aging treatment today.  It is safe and effective when injected correctly.  However there are some very rare side effects listed in the product monograph including:  abdominal pain, diarrhea, fever, rashes, sensory disturbance, cardiac events, seizures, and difficulty swallowing.  As stated in the drug monograph, it is not certain if there is a causal relationship between these rare side effects and Botox. 

Will I look fake?

Fear of looking fake, plastic, frozen or unnatural is a common concern among women and men considering a neuromodulator treatment.  Prescription wrinkle treatments like Botox Cosmetic and Nuceiva require an experienced, expert injector.  There is no “cookie cutter” approach with Botox in our Mississauga clinic.  Dr. O’Neill takes great care and pride in listening to your concerns and desires, and then customizes a treatment program for you.  She often uses the expression “baby steps”, and will curate a conservative treatment schedule for you.  Her aim is for you to achieve a natural, refreshed, relaxed result.  Our goal at O’Neill Cosmetic Dermatology is that you look your best, and no one notices you have had a treatment to achieve your natural result.

Why does Botox treatment continue to be the number one non-surgical anti-aging procedure today?

1.  It works!  It remains so popular because it is a highly effective therapy.  Neuromodulator treatment has a 30 year track record, and was approved for cosmetic indications over 20 years ago.  Patients are happy with the improvement they achieve in their frown lines, forehead lines, lipstick lines, crow’s feet, bunny lines and more.  When you maintain a recommended treatment schedule with Botox, and have Dr. O’Neill’s experience and artistry administering your treatment, the results are a WOW!

 2. It’s safe.  Botox was approved by the FDA 30 years ago for strabismus (crossed eyes), and 20 years ago for wrinkle therapy.  There are over 20,000 papers in the scientific literature proving the safety of this prescription injectable wrinkle treatment.  And the list of approved uses of neuromodulator continues to expand.

3.  It’s non-invasive.  This is a non surgical treatment, which must be performed by a licensed medical professional.  Dr. O’Neill uses tiny needles (like the ones used for insulin injections for children), and with her adept skill no local anesthesia is required.  Discomfort is minimal, treatment duration is quick, and you can resume most regular activities immediately after your visit.  The results with neuromodulator treatments are reliable, and give a natural, refreshed and rejuvenated appearance.

What are you waiting for?  Our staff offer a complimentary cosmetic consultation, and will discuss Botox as part of a comprehensive skin care program.

  Remember our motto: Artistic Innovations, Natural Results.