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For the most part, Botox injections are safe and have very few side effects. However, like any other medical treatment, some people can have bad experiences. Fortunately, you can take steps to keep your chances of having a bad experience minimal.

Experience Matters

Only have Botox injected by someone who is experienced in the procedure. Everyone’s facial anatomy is different, and your provider should have the knowledge and experience necessary to know how the muscles in your face work together and the best way to inject so you can have the best possible results.

You Get What You Pay For

Like tattoos and sushi restaurants, Botox injections are not the kind of product you want to be bargain shopping for. Some less reputable clinics may even be injecting counterfeit Botox. The person doing your injection should have no problem showing you the vial for the product. Botox has no approved generic on the market, so make sure you are getting the authentic product, which is made by Allergan.

Follow the Directions

Your doctor will give you instructions for properly preparing for your Botox treatment and caring for yourself afterward. Discuss these instructions with your doctor, make sure you get answers to any questions you have, and follow these directions to the letter. Some of these instructions likely involve avoiding aspirin and ibuprofen or vitamin E and some types of herbs. If you take these medications prior to your Botox treatment, you could experience bruising and bleeding.

Check Dosages

Ask your doctor how much Botox you will be getting. Typical doses are 20 units for frown lines and 15 to 20 units total to treat crow’s feet. These doses are for fairly deep lines and creases. Your doctor may recommend less. If this is your first time getting Botox, you may not need the standard dose. Your treatment may not kick in for at least a week, so be prepared, watch for changes and keep up good communication with your provider.

To get a free botox consultation in Los Angeles, visit Your Laser Skin Care.

 

Taking medications and having medical procedures done while pregnant can sometimes be a dicey subject. While some medications are known to be safe during pregnancy, others are known to be dangerous to a developing fetus. Many other medications have no conclusive data one way or the other, and the decision to use the medication has to be made on a case-by-case basis, taking both potential risks and potential benefits into consideration.

Lab Testing with Botox

Lab tests using animals have shown that Botox may potentially have a harmful effect on a fetus, causing dangerous results such as low birth weight and interference with bone development. Higher doses in these tests caused miscarriages and fetal malformations. While these results are frightening, it’s important to recognize that the doses given in medical trials are far higher than would be used in an actual procedure. Controlled studies on the effect of a therapeutic dose of Botox on a developing human fetus would be neither ethical nor legal, meaning we have no conclusive data on how Botox would affect a pregnancy.

Cosmetic vs. Medical Use of Botox

Because the potential does exist for birth defects and miscarriages, most OB-GYNs and cosmetic surgeons recommend that Botox done strictly for cosmetic purposes should not be done during pregnancy. If an expectant mother received a Botox treatment shortly before conception or before she realized she was pregnant, doctors advise that she should have no cause for worry, although she may wish to be more carefully monitored. However, no further treatments should be done until after delivery.

The decision is trickier to make when Botox is being used for a medical purpose. Since Botox is used to treat conditions like migraines and multiple sclerosis, which can seriously affect the mother’s quality of life, the mother and her doctor should have a conversation about the risks and benefits of Botox, and make their decision based on that. If safer alternatives are available, a temporary switch might be a good choice. Always tell your doctor if you are pregnant, might be pregnant or wish to become pregnant.

For more information visit the #1 Botox Doctor in Los Angeles

Laser Hair Removal preparation tips

Getting ready for your laser hair removal procedure? Properly prepping your skin before your appointment is the key to getting the best results. Follow these tips to keep your treatment as safe and effective as possible.

1. Avoid tanning.

You should avoid tanning for three to four weeks prior to your appointment. Self-tanners, including creams and sprays, also need to be avoided. The lasers are attracted to the melanin in the hair and skin. Tanning will “confuse” the lasers and botch your results.

2. Apply sunscreen.

Prior to your procedure, and over the course of your treatment, use a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 to prevent damage from sun exposure. Like tanning, a sunburn makes it harder for the laser to work properly and can give you poor results.

3. Leave the hair in the follicle.

If the hair is not in the follicle, the procedure will not work. Do not use any of the following hair removal procedures for at least four weeks prior to your treatment:

— waxing

— tweezing

— bleaching

— threading

— depilatories.

4. Shave the area.

The day prior to your appointment, cleanly shave the area being treated. This shortens your treatment time and will also reduce pain and discomfort. Failing to shave will cause the lasers to target the hair on top of the skin. This can result in burns.

5. Keep your skin clean.

Do not wear any type of lotion, moisturizer, cream, deodorant or make-up in the area where your procedure will be done. These can refract the light of the laser beam or otherwise obstruct it, marring your results.

6. Follow your treatment instructions.

Your practitioner at your laser skin care will likely give you a series of instructions to follow to properly prepare your skin. Follow these to the letter. You may also be offered a special lotion following your procedure. Use this as directed to help your skin recover easily.

 

For more information about Laser Hair Removal in Los Angeles  visit your Your Laser Skin Care

When it comes to looking your best, a wealth of options are available. If your primary concern is lines on your face, you may have narrowed down your options to either Botox injections or a facelift. Each option has its pros and cons and depending on your specific situation, one is probably going to be a better fit for you than the other, but its important to know the details before making your decision.

Botox

Botox has a number of benefits:

— Compared to a facelift, Botox is inexpensive.
— It is minimally invasive.
— It can prevent wrinkles from forming or treat mild to moderate facial lines.
— Recovery is simple and short.

Like any medical treatment, Botox also has its drawbacks:

— Botox is not permanent. Multiple treatments and maintenance will be required.
— While Botox can erase finer lines, it can only soften deep creases and wrinkles.
— Some side effects are possible, including pain at the injection site.
— While less expensive than a facelift, multiple treatments can add up.

Facelift

Facelifts have benefits in some situations:

— A facelift can remove deeper wrinkles that cannot be removed with Botox.
— Although some upkeep may be required, a facelift is more permanent than Botox.
— A facelift can remove sagging skin that can’t be helped by Botox.

However, facelifts also have several negatives:

— A facelift is a surgical procedure. Like all surgical procedures, serious risks are involved. Some of the risks connected to facelifts include scarring, bleeding, clotting, infection and poor healing.
— Because a facelift is surgery, it requires anesthesia, which also carries with it a number of risks.
— Facelifts can be quite expensive and are not covered by insurance.
— Facelifts have a significant recovery period, which could be weeks. While you could go back to work after having a Botox procedure, recovering from a facelift will require time off, painkillers and antibiotics. It will also take weeks before the full benefit is seen.

 

Botox injections usually require no recovery time and allow you to quickly return to your usual level of activity, but sometimes discomfort can occur at the injection site. The irritation is most commonly compared to a mosquito bite in nature. By following your doctor’s instructions and these tips, you can ease and even prevent discomfort.

1. Sometimes some mild discoloration can occur immediately after the injection. It usually fades away quickly, but if you need to be at work you can usually cover this up easily with makeup.

2. If you have experienced a little bit of bruising or swelling, holding a cold washcloth or other lightweight cold compress to your face can help ease the swelling.

3. Avoid strenuous activity or exercise for the next 24 hours after receiving an injection.

4. Don’t lie down for at least four to five hours following an injection.

5. Although it might be tempting, especially if you are feeling achy, don’t massage the area around the injection site. Massaging can cause the Botox to migrate to other areas and may cause unintended results.

6. Your doctor will prescribe daily facial exercises for you to perform. These help to restore your natural range of motion and can determine which muscles are affected and to what degree. Perform the exercises as directed by your doctor.

7. Wear sunblock. Damage from the sun can intensify any bruising that results and causes wrinkles, which can defeat the purpose of the Botox injection.

8. Discuss with your doctor any additional medications you are taking and follow any advice you are given regarding these.

9. If your doctor suggests changes to your skin care regimen, follow the instructions given carefully.

10. While allergic reactions happen less than 1 percent of the time, they are possible. If you appear to be having an allergic reaction such as severe swelling, go to the emergency room. If you are having a more serious reaction, like difficulty breathing, call 911.

 

For information on Botox Los Angeles visit our home page at www.yourlaserskincare.com or call us at 323-525-1516

To understand how Botox works, you first need to have an understanding of how the muscles in your face are controlled. Whenever you work a muscle, either the large ones in your legs or the tiny ones in your forehead, you send a signal to the muscle from your brain through the nerve. When this signal arrives at the place where the nerve and the muscle meet, a chemical is released. This chemical is called acetylcholine. The release of acetylcholine creates another reaction where several more chemicals are released. These chemicals tell the muscle that it is time to contract.

The muscles in your face contract every time you smile or frown. Over time, the constant movements of the muscles create lines and creases in your skin that become deeper and more noticeable as you age. This is where Botox comes in.

When you receive a Botox injection, the Botox prevents the muscle from receiving the signals that are being sent by the acetylcholine. Even though everything is working as it did before, with the brain sending the signal through the nerves that tells acetylcholine to be released, when the chemical is released it has nowhere to go. The muscle essentially ignores the signal.

Since the muscle doesn’t know that it is supposed to be moving, it is, in a sense, paralyzed. While paralysis is normally caused by damage to either the brain or the muscle, Botox causes no damage to either. The effect takes place as early as 48 hours following the injection and lasts for about three to five months. Slowly the muscle regains the ability to recognize the acetylcholine being released and the effect begins to wear off.

Because of this action, Botox is most helpful in treating the deep wrinkles and creases that appear when the muscles on the face move. While it may not completely treat the lines that are left on the face as a result of the muscle contractions over time, it can soften them so that they are not as noticeable.

Thinking about getting Botox in Los Angeles?  Call us for a free consultation at (323) 525-1516

Most people have heard of Botox being used as a way to smooth out fine lines and wrinkles. What people may be surprised to learn is that in fact, Botox has many other uses as well. Here are three amazing uses of Botox– all of which have been approved by the Food and Drug Association (FDA).

1. Migraines:
Migraines are extremely painful, and for the many people who suffer from chronic migraines, migraines can be debilitating and lead to loss in the ability to work and socialize. Studies have found that injecting Botox into the forehead of people with chronic migraines can actually help to prevent these migraines!

2. Urinary Incontinence:
The inability to control one’s bladder is a serious problem for people with certain neurologic disorders such as multiple sclerosis and people who have severe spinal cord injuries. These people have no control over the muscles in their bladder, which is sometimes referred to as having an “overactive” of the bladder. Fortunately, the FDA has just approved the use of Botox to help treat this condition. By injecting Botox into the bladder of people affected with this type of condition, they are able to decrease their urinary incontinence.

3. Muscle Spasms:
People who have had strokes or other types of traumatic brain injuries are sometimes afflicted with muscle spasticity, which causes stiffness and tightness of the affected muscles. This can not only be very painful, but it can also make daily tasks such as brushing your teeth or tying your shoelaces very difficult. Studies have found, however, that injecting Botox into the muscles of the elbow, wrist, and fingers of those who suffer from spasticity of the muscles can actually be quite effective at providing relief.

Clearly Botox is not only an effective cosmetic treatment, but it also has many other beneficial uses that have been FDA improved- Botox can treat migraines, urinary incontinence, and even muscle spasms!

If you live in the grater Los Angeles Area and need botox please give us a call for a free consultation