BOTOX® In Eugene/Springfield & Bend, OR

The tox in BOTOX stands for toxin. The FDA-approved drug is made using the bacteria Clostridium botulinum. If you're thinking botulism, you're right. That said, BOTOX is manufactured with a minute amount of this neurotoxin, which is diluted in a sterile saline solution. There are only 0.00000000005 grams of botulinum toxin in each unit of BOTOX Cosmetic. That's 10 million times less than a grain of salt! The amount of dilution involved in the manufacturing of this drug nearly wipes out all risks of dangerous side effects. Just be sure to receive your injections from a properly trained and certified provider.

Millions of BOTOX treatments have been performed around the world since the early 2000s. The side effects of this drug are well-known and very limited. The few risks that you should consider and talk to your provider about include:

• Flu-like symptoms
• Headache
• Droopy eyebrows 
• Eyelid drooping
• Excessive tearing or dry eye symptoms
• Crooked smile
• Drooling

There is a very unlikely chance that BOTOX can spread systemically. Signs that this has happened include:

• Vision problems like double vision
• Difficulty swallowing
• Muscle weakness
• Trouble speaking
• Breathing difficulty
• Bladder control issues

Even rare side effects like these can be treated. It's important to receive prompt medical attention if they occur. Most often, the side effects of BOTOX injections are limited to temporary, subtle swelling and redness.

There's an old story that, when you get BOTOX injections, you'll look surprised or won't be able to move your face to make expressions. This is untrue. BOTOX doesn't freeze your face. It relaxes the muscles so motions like frowning aren't as strong as they would be naturally. Even with the lessened muscle movement, you can expect to look like yourself, only younger!

It would be a bit over-the-top to describe BOTOX injections as painful. Most injectable treatments, whether cosmetic or medically necessary, can be uncomfortable. To support your comfort, your provider uses a very small needle when performing BOTOX injections. You can expect a tiny pinprick sensation that lasts momentarily. There are no lingering sensations or stinging at the injection sites. If you're concerned, though, talk to your provider about the use of topical numbing medication. Keep in mind that a topical anesthetic takes about half an hour to take effect, so your appointment time increases from about 20 minutes in total to nearly an hour.

There isn't much that you need to do before getting BOTOX. In fact, you don't have to take any precautions at all if you don't want to. The primary recommendation that doctors make is to avoid products, including supplements, vitamins, and alcohol, that can thin the blood. The purpose of this precaution is to decrease your chances of bruising after your injectable treatment. If you're not concerned about this temporary side effect, maintain your normal activities right up until the day of your appointment.

Similar to pre-treatment precautions, some of the aftercare instructions for BOTOX patients are related to the prevention of bruising. While you can resume most of your normal activities after your appointment, it's beneficial to avoid strenuous activity for at least a few hours after getting BOTOX. You also should avoid lying down, massaging the treatment area, or receiving any other treatments that may press on the area we've treated for four or more hours. Pressure on the area could encourage the product to spread into surrounding tissue, where we don't want to see its effects.