BOTOX Cosmetic® Dynamic wrinkles are caused by contractions of the delicate underlying facial muscles every time you smile, laugh, or frown. The more emotion you show, the deeper these wrinkles and lines are likely to be. While you may have earned every one of your worry lines, you don't have to show them anymore. Now, thanks to a new use for an approved drug, dynamic lines can be dramatically softened. The procedure known as cosmetic denervation uses BOTOX Cosmetic® injections to improve the appearance of worry lines, frown lines, laugh lines, crow’s feet and other dynamic wrinkles.

What is BOTOX Cosmetic®? BOTOX® Cosmetic is a simple, nonsurgical, physician-administered treatment that can temporarily smooth moderate to severe frown lines between the brows in people from 18 to 65 years of age. BOTOX® Cosmetic is a purified protein produced by the Clostridium botulinum bacterium, which reduces the activity of the muscles that cause those frown lines between the brows to form over time. How is BOTOX Cosmetic® used? A tiny amount of is injected into the muscles that creates the dynamic wrinkle. When is injected into a muscle, it blocks the nerve impulse from reaching that area, and as a result, the muscle relaxes. As the muscle relaxes, the dynamic wrinkle overlying the muscle is smoothed away. One 10-minute treatment—a few tiny injections—and within days there's a noticeable improvement in moderate to severe frown lines between the brows, which can last up to 4 months. Results may vary. After several treatments, the effects may begin to last longer. Are BOTOX Cosmetic® treatments safe? BOTOX® has been licensed in Canada since 1990 as a safe and effective treatment for a number of disorders caused by overactive muscles, including in children as young as 2 years old to treat cerebral palsy. In 2001, Health Canada approved BOTOX Cosmetic® for wrinkle therapy and it has proven to be very safe through extensive research and testing. In the amounts used for wrinkle therapy, the most common side effects, such as bruising, are temporary and localized to the area of injection. Is the treatment for everyone? There are very few restrictions regarding BOTOX Cosmetic® treatments. Patients who are pregnant or nursing, or have a neurologic disease should not be treated. What is the treatment like? A tiny amount of BOTOX Cosmetic® is injected, very precisely, into the muscles being treated. Because the needle is so fine and only a small amount of liquid is used, the pain associated with the injections is minimal. Most patients compare the sensation to a bug bite. No sedation or local anesthetic is required, and you can resume normal activities immediately. You can even drive yourself home or back to the office. Some patients experience a slight temporary bruising at the injection site which can be easily covered with make-up.