Botox and Dermal Fillers 

We were all born with smooth, baby-soft skin. When we were children, the muscles under our skin contracted to display facial lines of emotion, signifying happiness or sadness. As soon as our emotions returned to normal, our expression lines disappear.

But as we go through a lifetime of emotions and our skin begins to lose its elasticity, those facial lines do not go away completely, making us look older than we feel. Our skin becomes a road map showing the effects of where we have been and what we have done.

Causes of facial wrinkles:

• Age
• Sun exposure
• Alcohol use
• Smoking
• Poor nutrition
• Heredity

What is Botox Injection Wrinkle Reduction Treatment?

Botox injection is a revolutionary wrinkle reduction procedure that can reduce or eliminate wrinkles in the upper third of the face, including forehead lines, frown lines between the eyes and crow's feet around the eyes. It is not surgery. There is no chance of scarring.

Before	After

Botox is a protein that weakens and inactivates muscles that wrinkle the skin. When Botox is injected in extremely small doses directly into a specific muscle, it blocks the signals from the brain from reaching the muscle. As the muscle weakens, the skin overlying the muscle relaxes and the wrinkles caused by muscle contractions soften and often disappear. The effect can last from 4 to 5 months.

Botox injection is for those who wants to reduce or eliminate facial wrinkles.

Before your treatment:

Ask your doctor to determine if you are a candidate for Botox injection. Together, you will determine the number and regularity of treatments best for you.

What to expect on procedure day:

Your treatment can be performed in an examination room environment. Since it isn't a surgical procedure, it does not require a surgery center. Your doctor will inject an extremely small dose of Botox into designated facial muscles using a micro-needle. It will only take a few seconds. You might feel a stinging sensation that will subside quickly.

You won't see the effects of the initial injections for three or four days, and improvements will continue for several days after that. If you experience any discomfort after the procedure, you can use ice compresses or over-the-counter pain medication. You may have a little bit of bruising.

Because this procedure is non-invasive and non-surgical, you may return to your normal activities immediately.

Realistic expectations:

Botox, when used in these extremely small doses, has a high level of safety. Since Botox proteins are only attracted to muscles, it has no effect on the central nervous system. It does not cause numbness in the area of the injections, and muscles related to other facial expressions are rarely affected. One or two patients in every hundred may experience a temporary drooping of the eyelid, but this usually goes away in a week or two.

Serious complications with Botox injection are extremely rare, but like any medical procedure, it does have some risks. Going to a specialist experienced in Botox injection can significantly minimize the risks. The vast majority of our patients are extremely happy with their appearance after Botox injection, however, we cannot guarantee you will have the results you desire.

If you decide that Botox injection is an option for you, you will be given additional information about the procedure that will allow you to make an informed decision about whether to proceed. Be sure you have all your questions answered to your satisfaction.

Alternatives to Botox injection:

Chemical peels and cosmetic surgery have been the primary means of reducing the undesirable effects of aging and wrinkles. To learn about other cosmetic procedures, please visit the cosmetic procedures section of our Web Site. If you would like more information about this exciting procedure, you may want to make an appointment, attend a seminar, or request additional information from our practice.

Botox is a registered trademark of Allergan, Inc.

What is Restylane®?

Your skin is made of layers. Between those layers is a clear, jelly-like substance called hyaluronic acid. As you grow older, the amount of hyaluronic acid diminishes, and your skin can cave, causing a wrinkle along the line. That's where Restylane® comes in.

In simple terms, Restylane is a clear, anti wrinkle, biodegradable filler, based on hyaluronic acid. It is injected into the skin to replace hyaluronic acid that has dissipated over time. Restylane fills in and smoothes out wrinkles.

Restylane is for those who want to reduce or eliminate:

• Forehead lines 

• Crow's feet at the corner of the eyes 

• Frown lines that run between eyebrows 

• Vertical lines on the mouth 

• Lines at the corner of the mouth 

• Smile lines that run from the side of the nose to the corner of the mouth 

• Acne scars
• Some facial scars

What to expect on your procedure day:

Prior to your Restylane injection procedure, a topical anesthetic cream can be applied to the area to be treated. You can also choose to have a local anesthetic injection.

During treatment, Restylane is injected into the skin in tiny amounts with a very fine needle. The injected gel produces natural volume under the wrinkle, which is lifted up and smoothed out. The procedure takes about 30 minutes, leaves no marks or scars, and the results can be seen immediately.

Restylane wrinkle treatment is long-lasting but not permanent. The length of time a treatment maintains its effect depends on many factors such as your age, skin type, life-style and muscle activity, as well as the injection technique. Most Tampa restylane patients choose to have a follow-up treatment four to six months after the initial treatment of wrinkles.

Realistic Expectations

Restylane is a safe product, made of hyaluronic acid, which is naturally present in the body. To date, more than a million treatments have successfully been carried out with Restylane in more than 60 countries worldwide.

Immediately after the treatment, you can expect a slight redness, swelling, tenderness and an itching sensation in the treated area. This is a normal result of the injection. The discomfort is temporary and generally disappears in a few days. For lip augmentation injections, the swelling may last up to a week. During this time, the lips can look somewhat uneven. This means that the result directly after the treatment should not be regarded as the final result. If the discomfort continues or if other reactions occur, you should contact your doctor.

About 1 in 2000 patients experience reactions that can affect the surrounding tissues. Redness, tenderness and rarely acne-like formations have also been reported. These reactions have generally been described as mild to moderate with an average duration of two weeks.

What is Latisse™

Latisse™ is the first and only FDA approved prescription eyelash growth treatment proven to grow your own natural eyelashes longer, fuller, and darker...is now available at Kirk Eye Center.

For more information about Restylane® or to schedule a Latisse consultation, please call our office at 800-547-5393, or visit www.restylaneusa.com.