BOTOX ฎ temporarily smoothes moderate to severe lines, helping you to regain a more youthful appearance. Its affordability, effectiveness, safety record and treatment comfort makes BOTOX ฎ a true winner compared to any other anti-wrinkle treatment.

According to the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (ASAPS), BOTOX ฎ is the number one non-surgical cosmetic procedure in the United States. Though it’s getting more and more popular for both men and women all around the world, many possible candidates that could greatly benefit from BOTOX ฎ treatments are hesitant due to misconceptions. So here are some that I want to share with our readers:

Myth 1: "BOTOX ฎ is dangerous"
BOTOX ฎ has been used for treatment of facial lines since 1987. With over 2.8 million procedures performed annually, no long-term side effects are seen, even with repeated BOTOX ฎ injections and among patients who received 30 injection sessions over a nine-year period.
In fact, BOTOX ฎ is also effective for a variety of other medical disorders such as migraine headaches, back pain, spastic limbs due to stroke, cerebral palsy, writer's cramp, tic disorders, hand tremors, vocal cord disorders and excessive underarm sweating or hyperhydrosis.


Myth 2: "I will have a frozen face with no facial expressions"
There is a balance between the muscles of the face. This treatment can give you a naturally younger look. If too much BOTOX ฎ is injected, one can easily lose the action of muscles of expression. However, if this muscular balance is maintained, by only injecting small doses into specific muscles, one can have a natural softening of unwanted lines and wrinkles without compromising facial expressions.

Myth 3: "BOTOX ฎ will poison my body"

For cosmetic use, the typical patient receives an average of 20-70 units of BOTOX ฎ per treatment. Over time, the body naturally eliminates the administered BOTOX ฎ. This is why the effects of BOTOX ฎ are temporary. As with every medication, excessive amounts can be dangerous. The lethal dose of BOTOX ฎ is 2800 units, 100 times the average dose given for the treatment of lines and wrinkles. Even Tylenolฎ, one of the safest pain medications can cause liver failure and death when used in very large doses.


Myth 4: "I am afraid of painful injections"

Your BOTOX ฎ treatment involves a few tiny injections that require no anesthesia. However, an attentive doctor will provide an anesthetic cream or ice pack prior to your treatment to make it as comfortable as possible. Talk to your doctor about your fears, as they can alleviate your concerns through proper consultation.


Myth 5: "BOTOX ฎ treatments can cause droopy eyelids"

If your BOTOX ฎ treatment is administered properly, the risk of suffering from droopy eyelids is lower than 2%. As with any potential side effect, the condition is temporary and should resolve within a few weeks. Choose an experienced medical professional for your BOTOX ฎ treatment to lower all risks of side effects.

Myth 6: “BOTOXฎ is dangerous and if used too much, it can cause serious damage”

In its unpurified form, the bacterium in BOTOXฎ is in fact toxic and a severe form of food poisoning. However, when purified and used in injectable form, the small doses used in BOTOXฎ have been deemed safe by the FDA. When BOTOXฎ is administered by a trained professional in the proper setting, the risk of side effects is very minimal. There is no prolonged, permanent damage because BOTOXฎ is only temporary and wears off after approximately four to six months.

Myth 7: “You can become immune to BOTOXฎ”

I have never seen immunity to BOTOXฎ, and I’ve been using it on my patients for years. An increase in injections can occur as the patient ages and lines become more severe – however, immunity from prolonged use is not an issue.


Myth 8: “You can become addicted to BOTOXฎ”

BOTOXฎ is not a permanent solution – therefore, approximately four months after your injections, lines will gradually begin to reappear. In this sense, BOTOXฎ can be mentally addictive for patients who want to keep the look. However, there are no physically addictive properties in BOTOXฎ.
Just like surgical procedures, these are permanent, but cannot actually stop the aging process from continuing. Therefore, it is possible that a patient will want to have a second facelift after a number of years to maintain results.

BOTOXฎ has been used for many different indications with and without US FDA approval including frown lines, horizontal forehead lines, periorbital lines, brow shaping, migraine or even excessive underarm sweating. For mid-lower face and neck, BOTOXฎ can improve gummy smile, perioral lines, Marionette lines, dimpled chin, horizontal neck lines, platysmal band and many more. BOTOXฎ can shape up the square face by reducing jaw muscle hypertrophy. This advantage can be extended to calves muscle for ladies who want to have slimmer legs. And with new injection technique, BOTOXฎ can provide a light facelift as well. Latest BOTOXฎ indication is to prevent widening of facial scars. Another fact is that BOTOXฎ is known as Vistabelฎ in the French market.

If you’re interested in getting BOTOXฎ procedure done, just go and ask your physician if you’re a good candidate for the treatment. BOTOXฎ might be able to erase concerns that you don’t think can be possibly treated. And please remember that BOTOXฎ can’t improve all kinds of lines, your physician will be able to tell if you other procedure should be performed.


Dr Thanaruch Thanakorn

For more information, please contact dr.thanarch@phuketlaser.com or call 076 341 689