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BOTOX® Cosmetic & Dysport®

For Dr. Sean Bidic's, Dr. Vinay S. Gundlapalli's and Dr. Casey Gene Sheck's South Jersey patients, BOTOX anti-wrinkle injections provide a safe and effective means of temporarily treating lines and wrinkles around the forehead, eyes and mouth, or folds in the neck. With more than 15 years of surgical experience and as a board-certified plastic surgeon skilled in surgical and non-surgical enhancements of the face, Dr. Sean Bidic of American Surgical Arts is exceptionally well-versed in facial anatomy and the use of BOTOX. Dr. Bidic also offers Dysport, a similar botulinum product for wrinkle reduction that Dr. Bidic may use alternatively or in conjunction with BOTOX to produce the best possible results for you.

If you're considering BOTOX Cosmetic in New Jersey, choose a skilled injector with experience and results that exceed your expectations. Request your consultation online, or call (856) 362-8898 to schedule your appointment.

What is BOTOX?

BOTOX and Dysport are two injectables classified as neuromodulators. At American Surgical Arts, we offer both products, and they have subtle differences. Mainly Dysport is a little thinner in consistency. Because they are so similar, we’ll simply use BOTOX for our descriptions here.

BOTOX is made primarily from the botulinum toxin type A. These are the same bacteria that can lead to botulism, but they also occur throughout the natural world, even in basic forest soil. Way back in the 1950s scientists discovered that if a tiny amount of the toxin was injected into a muscle, it temporarily stopped that muscle from contracting. This proved instantly intriguing as a medical treatment for issues with involuntary muscle spasms. In fact, that turned out to be the first FDA approval for BOTOX — for the treatment of involuntary eyelid spasms (blepharospasm) in 1989.

But BOTOX became a household name in 2002. That was the year the FDA approved BOTOX for aesthetic use, removing frown lines and forehead lines. The FDA added crow’s feet approval in 2013, although it had been used off-label for years before that.

How does BOTOX erase wrinkles?

BOTOX (and Dysport) works by blocking the acetylcholine, the nerve messengers, in muscles. When injected into a muscle, the botulinum toxin blocks the nerve messages sent from the muscle to the brain. The brain never receives the message to contract the muscle, so the muscle stays relaxed.

Why does this matter for wrinkles? Certain wrinkles, known as dynamic wrinkles, form due to muscle contractions when we make various expressions such as frowning and showing surprise. Go ahead. Make a frown or squint. You can feel the muscles around your eyes, brows, and on your forehead engage. Over time we form hundreds of thousands of those expressions and muscle contractions. As we age and our skin thins, wrinkles begin to form on the surface skin above these muscle contractions.

You see where this is going. When BOTOX is injected into the muscles that contract and create your crow’s feet, it blocks the nerve messages, so the muscle stays relaxed. This erases or dramatically reduces the crow’s feet on the surface skin. BOTOX keeps the muscles relaxed for around four months.

How is the BOTOX Cosmetic Procedure performed?

BOTOX is only effective for dynamic wrinkles and lines. These are creases that occur as a result of forced muscle contraction. The most common uses of BOTOX include smoothing out undesirable wrinkles between the eyebrows (scowl lines or 11s), and diminishing crow's feet around the eyes.

The surgeon injects precise amounts of BOTOX into the specific muscles responsible for the dynamic wrinkles. The BOTOX toxin blocks the nerve impulses, temporarily paralyzing particular muscles responsible for producing wrinkles. For your BOTOX procedure, you want a practitioner who understands BOTOX and the underlying anatomy of the facial muscles. If the wrong areas are injected, you could have difficulty, for example, raising an eyelid or smiling naturally.

Is there recovery after having BOTOX or Dysport injections?

There isn’t any recovery. That’s why BOTOX was deemed “the lunchtime treatment,” as you can come in during your lunch hour, have BOTOX injected in just 10-15 minutes and then get right back to work or your other normal activities.

There can be some slight redness and swelling at the injection sites (just as with any injection), but these typically pass within a few hours.

The one thing you’ll need to avoid after your injections with Dr. Bidic, Dr. Gundlapalli, or Dr. Sheck is rubbing the injection sites. This can cause the BOTOX to migrate to an adjacent, unwanted muscle. This can lead to temporary drooping of an eyelid and other unwanted issues. Because of this, it is important to not rub or touch the injection sites for 24 hours after your BOTOX injections.

What results can you expect from BOTOX® treatment?

BOTOX gives the skin a smoother, more youthful appearance. The cosmetic benefits of BOTOX treatments usually last about 3 to 6 months, depending on individual factors.

What else can BOTOX® Cosmetic be used to treat?

BOTOX can also be used to treat excessive underarm sweating technically called hyperhidrosis. While patient experiences vary, most notice a decrease in sweating for 9 to 12 months.

How long do results take to show and how long do they last with BOTOX?

Unlike dermal fillers, which immediately push the skin back up, BOTOX and Dysport results are not immediate. It takes from three to four days for the botulinum toxin to paralyze the targeted muscle. From there, your results will last from four to six months before the now-inert neuromodulator is absorbed by your body and your wrinkles return.

Are BOTOX or Dysport injections painful?

Dr. Bidic, Dr. Gundlapalli and Dr. Sheck inject BOTOX and Dysport with a very tiny needle, and it is not injected to great depth. Most patients equate the feeling to that of a pinprick, and they don’t feel the need to have topical numbing cream or anything prior to their injections.

Is BOTOX only for women?

BOTOX is popular with both women and men at American Surgical Arts. After all, women haven’t somehow cornered the market on crow’s feet, frown lines, and forehead lines.

More and more men across the country are having BOTOX injections, as they feel the need to compete with younger counterparts at the office. Men need different amounts of these neuromodulators than women, but the results, and the satisfaction, are the same.

Is there an age restriction for using BOTOX? Do I have to be over 40?

There isn’t any age restriction, other than the patient being over 18. The need for BOTOX, however, doesn’t really show itself until a person is in their 30s and above. That’s about the time when declining collagen, thinning skin, and hundreds of thousands of contractions with your expressive muscles on your upper face all contribute to the formation of wrinkles above the contracting muscles. In our youth, issues such as crow’s feet don’t show up when we contract muscles across our forehead and brow areas.

Still, while there isn’t any set age for BOTOX or Dysport injections, there is a trend toward having neuromodulators injected earlier to, in effect, head off crow’s feet, the 11s, and forehead lines from ever showing themselves. This trend is known as “preventative BOTOX,” and people are beginning to have BOTOX in their late 20s and early 30s with this in mind.

Consult With American Surgical Arts For BOTOX® In Mullica Hills!

Dr. Bidic, Dr. Gundlapalli or Dr. Sheck will identify your needs and determine how BOTOX can enhance your appearance. Not satisfied until our patients are satisfied, the surgeon spends ample time with each person to ensure he achieves the individual goals of the patient. Many women and men choose dermal fillers to complement the results of their BOTOX treatment. Be sure to give American Surgical Arts a call to schedule your personalized BOTOX® appointment. Dial (856) 362-8898 or fill out the form in our contact page. Our practice looks forward to serving you!

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