Botulinum toxin is a popular injectable that temporarily reduces or eliminates facial fine lines and wrinkles. The most commonly treated areas are frown lines, forehead creases, crow's feet near the eyes.

Botulinum toxin is a purified substance that's derived from bacteria. Injections of botulinum toxin block the nerve signals to the muscle in which it was injected. Without a signal, the muscle is not able to contract. The end result is diminished unwanted facial wrinkles or appearance.

Smiling, frowning, squinting and even chewing - basically any facial movement - can eventually lead to one of the most common signs of aging – wrinkles. They can make you appear tired or even angry when you are not. One of the quickest and safest remedies to remove wrinkles is an injection of botulinum toxin.

Botulinum toxin can be combined with other cosmetic skin procedures—such as chemical peels, laser treatments, dermal fillers or microdermabrasion—to further improve your results. This combination of therapies can even help to prevent the formation of new lines and wrinkles.

Although generally safe, botox side effects and complications can include bruising and pain at the injection site, headache, nausea or redness.

The procedure

Injections of botox may seem like a simple procedure, since it's just a few shots. But it's actually both an art and science that only an experienced healthcare professional should do.

There are 43 muscles in the face and it's vital that the person who performs botulinum toxin injections understands and pinpoints the correct spots to optimize treatment.

No anesthesia is required. A very thin needle is used to inject small amounts of botox into specific muscles. Botox treatment usually take less than 15 minutes.

Recovery

There is no down time or recovery time for botulinum toxin injections. Resume normal activities is possible immediately.

Don't rub or massage the treated areas after the wrinkle treatment because it can cause the botox to migrate to another area of the face. Learn more about the risks of botulinum toxin type A injections.

The results are visible within a few days, but it can take up to a week to see the full effect. This improvement typically lasts about 4 to 6 months.

When the effects of botox begin to fade, muscle reactions and the wrinkles will return.