By Dr Maria Lombardo
Those pesky frown lines that lie between the eyebrows have been treated and improved with Botox (and other similar medications) since the product was first FDA approved and widely introduced as a cosmetic agent in 2002. When you furrow your brow, you push the brows closer together. This action causes the skin between the brows to fold onto itself. When we are young, the elasticity of our skin allows for those brow furrows to disappear after you relax the muscles. But, as we age and lose skin elasticity, the creases become etched into place with each contraction of the muscle. Even when the forehead is relaxed, the lines can make us look like we are frowning or worried.
The typical treatment for the glabella, the name of the area between the brows, is around 20 units of Botox. It is injected into the muscles and affects the nerves that signal the muscles. After the medication starts to work, usually 3 – 5 days, when you try to frown, the message is prevented from reaching the muscles and there is no movement. With the skin at rest, not being creased on a regular basis, the wrinkles slowly relax away.
Everyone has these muscles, known as the corrugators, but there are a few different ways that the anatomy of the forehead can vary. Look closely… some people frown and have one, single crease that forms. Others have two parallel creases (this is often referred to as “the elevens”). Some can even have three lines! And to complicate things further, the shape and width of the corrugators can be different from person to person. This is important because the Botox needs to be placed in the right spots, based on your specific anatomy.
So take a look in the mirror… which type are you? In order to prevent improper injection technique and possible problems: always have a physician who understands this special anatomy, and its variations, administer your Botox. As Dr. Bunin of Allentown, PA says, “It is very important to distinguish between these (different types of muscles) to avoid the all too common nasal brow ptosis (droop) and subsequent “spock brow”. Proper placement should give patients what I like to call “the Playtex bra of Botox–lift and separate (the brows)”!”
Call Lombardo Cosmetic Surgery today to make your appointment with Dr. Maria Lombardo – 760-610-8990.
