Botox Cosmetic Treatment of the Neck and Face
Introduction
Medical technology has spawned new therapies to treat the aging face. Botox, injectable fillers (like collagen and Restylane), and laser light therapies have been developed to treat wrinkles and folds. These lines form as the underlying muscles in the face contract over and over again. Eventually, the folds in the skin become permanent. These are most commonly seen on the forehead, between the eyebrows, around the eyes, around the mouth and as a line running from the nose to the corner of the mouth (the nasolaabial fold). Sunlight and smoking worsen these changes. Too much sun is the biggest factor. Botox is a chemical injected into the muscle to stop underlying muscle movement and will soften these lines.
As the skin ages, it becomes less elastic and begins to sag. Fat is lost and the roundness of the face in the young is replaced with a more sunken look. The bones wear down adding to the loss of facial fullness. The cartilage can stretch out causing the nose to droop. These signs of aging are more difficult to treat but can be addressed with injectable fillers and plastic surgery.
There is a scale called the Glogau Photoaging classification that describes the events of facial aging. In Class I, there is minimal wrinkling. People are in their 20’s or 30’s and wear little or no make up. In the type II, discolored skin lesions occur and smile lines appear around the mouth. People are in their late 30 to 40’s and wear some foundation make up. In class III, there is more discoloration and wrinkles present even without facial movement. People are in their 50’s or older and always wear heavy foundation. In type IV, the skin may be yellow-gray, wrinkles are widespread, and skin cancers may occur. These people are in their 60’s or 70’s and cannot wear make up because it cakes up and cracks.
When planning treatment, the face is divided into thirds. The upper third goes from the top of the forehead to the glabella (the area between the eyebrows). The middle third goes from the glabella to below the nose. The lower third goes from below the nose to the chin.
The face divided into thirds
In the upper third of the face, the forehead is damaged by sun exposure. Because of this and contraction of the forehead muscles, long horizontal lines appear. There are muscles that run from the root of the nose to the brow. When they contract they cause squinch lines. The tissue there can also sag and make these lines worse. Botox can halt this muscle movement to treat these lines.
Introduction
Medical technology has spawned new therapies to treat the aging face. Botox, injectable fillers (like collagen and Restylane), and laser light therapies have been developed to treat wrinkles and folds. These lines form as the underlying muscles in the face contract over and over again. Eventually, the folds in the skin become permanent. These are most commonly seen on the forehead, between the eyebrows, around the eyes, around the mouth and as a line running from the nose to the corner of the mouth (the nasolaabial fold). Sunlight and smoking worsen these changes. Too much sun is the biggest factor. Botox is a chemical injected into the muscle to stop underlying muscle movement and will soften these lines.
As the skin ages, it becomes less elastic and begins to sag. Fat is lost and the roundness of the face in the young is replaced with a more sunken look. The bones wear down adding to the loss of facial fullness. The cartilage can stretch out causing the nose to droop. These signs of aging are more difficult to treat but can be addressed with injectable fillers and plastic surgery.
There is a scale called the Glogau Photoaging classification that describes the events of facial aging. In Class I, there is minimal wrinkling. People are in their 20’s or 30’s and wear little or no make up. In the type II, discolored skin lesions occur and smile lines appear around the mouth. People are in their late 30 to 40’s and wear some foundation make up. In class III, there is more discoloration and wrinkles present even without facial movement. People are in their 50’s or older and always wear heavy foundation. In type IV, the skin may be yellow-gray, wrinkles are widespread, and skin cancers may occur. These people are in their 60’s or 70’s and cannot wear make up because it cakes up and cracks.
When planning treatment, the face is divided into thirds. The upper third goes from the top of the forehead to the glabella (the area between the eyebrows). The middle third goes from the glabella to below the nose. The lower third goes from below the nose to the chin.
The face divided into thirds
In the upper third of the face, the forehead is damaged by sun exposure. Because of this and contraction of the forehead muscles, long horizontal lines appear. There are muscles that run from the root of the nose to the brow. When they contract they cause squinch lines. The tissue there can also sag and make these lines worse. Botox can halt this muscle movement to treat these lines.
Squinch lines, Forehead lines, Brow lines
The appearance of the eye and eyebrows can be changed as well. The perfect eyebrow in females is club shaped on the inside and gradually tapers toward the outside end. It has a gull wing shape with the outside end higher than the inside end. In males, the eyebrow is just above or at the bony rim above the eye and it runs horizontally. The brow can droop giving a fatigued appearance or drop so low as to get in the way of vision. Crow’s feet are fine wrinkles that fan out from the corner of the eye. Sun damage, loss of fat and skin loosening cause changes around the eyes, cheeks, and nose.
The ideal female brow The ideal male brow
The ideal female brow The ideal male brow
Crow’s feet
In the lower third of the face the lips, chin, cheek, and neck are affected. Wrinkles fan out around the mouth. The mouth corners droop giving a saddened look. The lip border thins and the lip flattens and looses fullness. Botox is used fro addressing wrinkles caused by contraction of facial muscles. People can see this best looking in a mirror and performing various movements to see the wrinkles form and what happens to them when the muscle rests. For example, lip lines form when the lips are pursed with speaking. More lines form around the mouth when smiling.
Marionette or drool lines
The use of Botox bowever, carries some risks. If someone has a drooping eyebrow, the forehead muscle may be used to lift the brow to see. If Botox is used to paralyze the forehead muscle to treat forehead wrinkles, the brow may drop further and interfere with vision. Also, if too much Botox is used around the mouth to treat the vertical wrinkles spreading up from the lip, eating and speaking could be affected.
In the lower third of the face the lips, chin, cheek, and neck are affected. Wrinkles fan out around the mouth. The mouth corners droop giving a saddened look. The lip border thins and the lip flattens and looses fullness. Botox is used fro addressing wrinkles caused by contraction of facial muscles. People can see this best looking in a mirror and performing various movements to see the wrinkles form and what happens to them when the muscle rests. For example, lip lines form when the lips are pursed with speaking. More lines form around the mouth when smiling.
Marionette or drool lines
The use of Botox bowever, carries some risks. If someone has a drooping eyebrow, the forehead muscle may be used to lift the brow to see. If Botox is used to paralyze the forehead muscle to treat forehead wrinkles, the brow may drop further and interfere with vision. Also, if too much Botox is used around the mouth to treat the vertical wrinkles spreading up from the lip, eating and speaking could be affected.
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