(703) 924-3144BOTOX® Cosmetic is the most popular nonsurgical cosmetic option performed at our Alexandria, Virginia office. Effective at eliminating deep lines and wrinkles for moths at a time, BOTOX® Cosmetic is considered a modern miracle by many of our patients. But how, exactly, does BOTOX® Cosmetic work?
Your neuromuscular junction is the point where facial muscles and nerves meet. When signals reach this junction, a chemical called acetylcholine is released from its nerve side. Acetylcholine binds to the muscle side of the junction, causing a chemical reaction resulting in muscle contraction. These muscle contractions are what cause facial wrinkling.
BOTOX® Cosmetic is a strain of the bacteria, Clostridium botulinum. Approved by the FDA in 2002 for the treatment of wrinkles, Type A of the botulinum toxin performs the action of selective muscle denervation. By blocking acetylcholine receptors on the muscle side of the junction, contraction is prohibited, thereby eliminating wrinkles.
BOTOX® Cosmetic blocks acetylcholine receptors without permanently damaging the nerve. This allows you to maintain your normal range of facial muscles, but also makes BOTOX® Cosmetic injections temporary. Your receptors will begin to repair themselves within a few months, necessitating additional treatments to maintain your results. The frequency of your treatments will be discussed during your initial consultation with Alexandria plastic surgeon Dr. Eric Desman.
If you live in or around Alexandria, Virgina and would like to learn more about BOTOX® Cosmetic, please contact the Virginia Center for Plastic Surgery to schedule an initial consultation with Dr. Desman today.