Botox: Still The Top Non-Surgical Treatment

Botox continues to be the top choice among non-surgical treatments. The injectable is not only one of the most successful cosmetic procedures, but also one of the most well-known. Its success at battling crow’s feet and other facial wrinkles has piqued the interest of many who may have never considered a cosmetic procedure before.

Three leading plastic surgeons from Texas discuss Botox’s triumph and what is new with the procedure today.

Botox the Wrinkle Denier

Botox’s main purpose is to be injected in sites where wrinkles have started to deepen. Typically, wrinkles in the upper third of the face are affected best by the medicine. Botox works by relaxing the muscles beneath wrinkled areas, causing the overlying skin to smooth out.

When and where do these wrinkles come from? Our longtime friend and enemy the sun is to blame. Damage from sun exposure ages the skin rapidly, causing wrinkles as early as the mid to late 20’s, if the exposure has been substantial.

Dr. Rob Whitfield, a plastic surgeon in Austin, Texas, sees a lot of wrinkles caused by the Texas sun. One of the trends he’s seen of late is younger patients coming to inquire about Botox, a procedure they’ve been familiar with and now understand to be quite effective and safe.

“We see patients in a younger and younger age group all the time for Botox,” says Whitfield. “We’re in Austin, Texas, so there’s quite a bit of sun exposure and sun damage. We see a lot more crow’s feet at an earlier age.”

Men are also a new group of patients interested and curious about what the product can achieve. Typically men have avoided cosmetic procedures, potentially due to the thought of surgery and the time they’ll need to recover. With Botox, it’s a procedure done during a lunch break with a tremendous result for so little time in the doctor’s office.

“Also we see it growing exponentially in male patients,” Whitfield shares. “Patients who through their businesses, associations, or just wanting to look better in general are using Botox as their entry into the aesthetic marketplace.”

Botox is a Procedure for All

At the end of the day, Botox may be so popular because it’s so simple. A quick injection here and there could peel years of wrinkles off your face. No, the effects are not permanent, but for such a simple procedure at an acceptable price point, many more people are wandering into doctor’s offices curious.

Dr. Steven Camp of Ft. Worth, Texas sees this all the time, performing Botox injections for people who may not have ever thought they’d be having a cosmetic procedure. “[Botox] is accessible, it’s an in-office treatment, it’s very well-tolerated, and it has a wide range of applications for both women and men,” says Camp. “I think it’s going to continue to grow.”

Besides men, younger patients sport a growing interest in Botox, further staving off aging by adjusting a few wrinkles here and there. Dr. Ned Snyder, partner of Dr. Whitfield in Austin, argues that people considered young can be great candidates for Botox.

“Almost everybody over the age of 25 or 30 has some application or use for Botox,” says Snyder. “It’s such a quick, easy treatment with a really limited risk. For most people, the cost is not a barrier.”

Botox continues to stand as one of the most important and successful procedures in aesthetic medicine, prompting the current exponential growth of non-invasive and minimally-invasive procedures. These new products try to mimic the victory of Botox; a simple, effective procedure that gets interested folks back to their lives without any downtime or worry.