Can Someone Be Resistant to Botox?
Adults seeking treatment of facial lines and wrinkles have more options than ever. Botox is arguably one of the best ways to soften lines and wrinkles without surgery or recovery downtime. The treatment is quick and the results appear rapidly.
There are a lot of misconceptions about Botox, and one of them has to do with building up an immunity to the injectable. Dr. Ronald DeMars, who offers a full selection of anti-aging solutions including Botox at his Portland plastic surgery practice, addresses that concern in this post.
Understanding Botox
Botox is a cosmetic injectable formulated with a highly-processed form of the botulinum toxin. It is designed to temporarily minimize the appearance of dynamic wrinkles, or wrinkles caused by repeated facial expressions like frowning or squinting. When injected into specific facial muscles, Botox temporarily relaxes the muscle, which causes the overlying crease to smooth. On average, the effects of Botox last four to six months, at which point repeat treatment is required to maintain the effects.
Some first-time patients are concerned that they may be resistant to the product, and some regular patients worry that they will develop a resistance to the injectable over time.
Truthfully, the vast majority of Botox patients will never develop a resistance to the injectable. It is very uncommon for patients to develop antibodies that inhibit Botox’s effectiveness; this happens in less than 1 percent of cases.
What You Can Do to Enjoy Great Results with Botox
Select an experienced injector: There is a fine art to injecting Botox, and the skill and experience of the injector is of paramount importance. You want to select someone that has performed thousands of treatments — preferably a board-certified plastic surgeon or a well trained nurse.
Go to a reputable practice: Having Botox treatment performed at a reputable practice eliminates the risk that the injector will use old or inactive Botox, or that they will dilate or water down the product.
Follow your injector’s instructions: Your injector will provide detailed instructions for prolonging the results of your treatment, such as not touching or rubbing the treated area for a specified period of time.
Explore alternative options: If you happen to be one of the few who develops an immunity to Botox, you should inquire about your other options. You may be better suited to a dermal filler product, or another non-surgical treatment like laser skin resurfacing to fill in wrinkles.
If you would like to learn more about what Botox can accomplish, please call (503) 253-3458 or email Dr. DeMars today.
