Dr. Gulia Omene Discusses Botox and Xeomin

Hi Readers,

Today I am here to talk with you about Botox and its counterpart Xeomin. Botox has been FDA approved since 2002 for the treatment of glabellar lines (or “11s” as people affectionately call the lines in between their eyebrows.) Since it’s development advancements in therapy have led to its use on forehead wrinkles, crow’s feet, water bottle lines, overactive sweat glands, gummy smiles, headaches, strabismus and uncontrolled bladders just to name a few.

Botox is an injectable medication that acts to reduce the strength of muscle. It does not work directly on the skin; rather it blocks the connection from nerve to muscle so your muscle cannot contract as forcefully. As time goes on and we make similar facial movements over and over again (think about the squinting face you make every time you step outside on a bright day) our skin begins to get etched with deeper lines in that area. These muscles become hyperactive as the result of our habit. When you block that muscle you block that pattern of etching and your skin is finally able to smooth out and relax over that area.

By relaxing the muscles we are effectively letting the skin “recover” giving patients a youthful more relaxed appearance. We relax only the muscles necessary to smooth your skin. By keeping the rest of the facial muscles active we avoid the “frozen” look that was very fashionable in the early 00’s (thank goodness that trend is over.)

Our goal here is to make patients look less mad, less tired and more happy, more refreshed. It’s not for everyone, but it can certainly help the right candidate. To find out more information check out our frequently asked questions page.

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