Happy halloween! This podcast was done in October of 2020 and transcribed here.

Let’s talk about Botox treatment! It is one of the most popular services offered at our BeautybyNuvoyou medical spa.

What is Botox?

· Botulinum Toxin is a neurotoxin derived by botulism that blocks nerve signals from entering a muscle, causing the muscle to stop moving.

· It can cause temporary paralysis of any muscle that it is injected into, with varying degrees depending on dosage.

· Like placing your hand in a cast, the wrinkles of the skin disappear when the muscles stop moving. Botox stops muscle movement, and wrinkles are gone!

· Botox injections can create the “frozen” look where there is no muscle movement, or the “Actor’s Botox” look, where the face still has muscle movement for a smooth and natural finish and can make expressions.

What can you get Botox treatment for?

· Pronounced lines in the face that form with movement, such as the lines around the eyes when we smile or forehead lines when we raise our eyebrows.

· Hyperhidrosis: very smelly underarms! Botox can treat excessive sweating under arms or on hands by shutting off the apocrine glands there.

· Neckband lines for the “Nefertiti neck lift,” and Crow’s feet lines around the eyes.

· Frown “11” lines, forehead wrinkles.

· Brow lifting and eye opening for a more refreshed appearance.

· Lifting of the jaw and masseter muscles for a slimming appearance to the face. This can also help with conditions like TMJ headaches, which are caused by jaw clenching.

· A “lip flip,” for lip projection without injecting fillers.

· “Gummy smile,” for reducing the appearance of gum lines when smiling.

· Chronic headaches like migraines.

How early or late can you get Botox treatment?

· We do not inject teenagers despite receiving requests from clients under the age of 21.

· If you start seeing facial lines with movement, like lines around the eyes and forehead lines, you can start treating them with Botox.

· If you see the facial lines are permanent without any movement, Botox will not completely resolve the lines. It can soften the lines and lessen their appearance.

How does BeautybyNuvoyou offer Botox treatment?

· Ashley, Physician Assistant (PA-C), and Simona, Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN), are licensed in Botox and filler treatments and have extensive cosmetic dermatology experience. Ashley and Simona are located at our Nuvoyou Medical Spa in Miami Beach and at By Angels Salon in Bay Harbor Islands.

· We like to have a very individualized approach and build a relationship with our Botox patients. We believe it is most important to examine a patient’s face, see how their face moves and assess their anatomy and asymmetries before starting any injections.

· Botox can highlight existing facial asymmetry in muscle movement. We try to avoid causing this by performing our pre-injection assessment.

· We start light and “go slow,” especially with someone who is having Botox injections for the first time. We like to see how the person’s anatomy responds to Botox and what effect it has on them. Some patients may receive 12 units in their forehead and still have lines and movement, and some patients may receive 6 units in the same place and have frozen foreheads.

· We like to have our patients return in 2 weeks for a post treatment follow up.

How long does Botox last?

· It can last between 2-6 months. It varies by person, since each individual person has a different metabolism and processes the Botox at different rates.

· Botox is temporary and does wear off, so you should be seeing us again for follow up and your next Botox injections!

Why are there negative stories about Botox?

· “My friend did Botox, and I didn’t like the way she looked later”

· “I don’t like the way I looked after this person gave me Botox”

· Oftentimes, if Botox recipients are unhappy with their results, it is due to where the Botox was placed and how much of it in a specific area. The Botox itself is not the problem.

· It really matters how Botox treatment is used, who is giving it, and what the desired results are!

What should I be worried about with Botox? Cost?

· Cost should NOT be the first thing you ask regarding Botox treatment!

· The experience of the practitioner and the quality of their work giving you Botox treatment should be THE MOST IMPORTANT factor to consider when choosing a Botox treatment provider.

· We have heard of beauty bars and medspas that offer “treatment for an entire face for $100” and heavy discounts of Botox units. Clients have said their providers have medical licenses in another country, and the Botox units come from foreign countries with unknown regulation statuses.

· We had a client who had gone to a medspa that offered 20 free Botox units with the purchase of 20 units. She had bought into the offer thinking it was a great deal, but the Botox wore off in half the time it should have.

· What if your Botox provider does not have licensing to practice in the US or has just graduated from school and has not worked under a medical director? Will they take care of you if you develop complications during or after the Botox treatment?

· If you do not ask about the experience of the practitioner and the source of the Botox units they carry, it is possible to end up paying for ineffective, diluted or non-FDA approved Botox units.

But isn’t cost still something I need to worry about?

· Yes, so let’s consider some math!

· If a medspa charges you $9 per Botox unit by an inexperienced injector, you could end up having to buy 75 units to treat your face so that the medspa makes more money.

· With an experienced injector at $12 per Botox unit, you could end up needing far fewer units for the same treatment, if not longer lasting. This means you would pay less money!

· See how the experience of the practitioner and the quality of their work can make a different in cost?

I’m ready for a Botox treatment! How do I get one with BeautybyNuvoyou?

You can reach Ashley and Simona directly at 786-369-0941! We are Nuvoyou Medical Spa in Miami Beach and By Angels Salon in Bay Harbor Islands. Our medical director is Dr. Ashwin Sabbani. You can check out our services on the Nuvoyou.com site and our work on IG @nuvoyoumedspa and @beautybynuvoyou.

Listen to this podcast episode with Ashley and Simona discussing Botox!

See you soon!