Dr. Michael Horn, a board certified plastic surgeon based in the Chicagoland area, recently completed a Q & A session covering a very popular topic in plastic surgery and appearance enhancement, Botox. Dr. Michael Horn, who has extensive experience working with Boxtox and other wrinkle methods, talked about how Boxtox works, the nature of the treatment, and what results the patient can expect from this treatment.

According to Dr. Michael Horn, wrinkles are caused by the contractions of the facial muscles every time individual shows an emotion. Indeed, the more emotions you show, the more pronounced your wrinkles become. But Dr. Michael Horn assures his patients that your well-earned “worry lines” need not appear upon your face when you use Botox. The procedure, known as cosmetic denervation, uses Botox injection to improve the appearance of worry lines, known as dynamic wrinkles. A surgeon such as Dr. Michael Horn would use Botox to target worry lines, frown lines, crow’s feet, and other dynamic wrinkles.

Q: How Does Boxtox work?
Dr. Michael Horn: Boxtox blocks impuses from the never to the tiny facial muscles that are related to expression lines. Boxtox relaxes themuslces so they do not contract. After treatment, the overlying skin remains smooth and unwrinkled while the untreated facial muscles contract in a normal fashion, allowing normal facial expression to be unaffected.

Q: What is the treatment like?
Dr. Michael Horn: Cosmetic denervation with Botox is a simple and safe procedure. Using a tiny, micro-needle, a very small amount of Botox is injected, very precisely, into several locations on the face. 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. Very few patients experience a slight temporary bruising at the injection site. This can be covered with make-up. Bruising can be avoided by taking arnica, a homeopathic medication with no side effects. Arnica is started two days prior to injection. Patients are recommended not to take aspirin or anti-inflammatory pills for 10 days prior to treatment.

Q: What results can I expect?
Dr. Michael Horn: If dynamic wrinkles make you look older than youa re, Botox can smooth these out and give you a more youthful and pleasant appearance. However, this procedure cannot improve some wrinkles due to aging and sun damaged skin since they are unrelated to facial muscle contractions. Botox injections will not improve sagging skin or replace the need for a facelift or brow lift.

If you would like to learn more about Botox, visit the website of Dr. Michael Horn, where he discusses many different aspects of plastic surgery.