Botox works by blocking impulses from the nerve to the facial muscles. As a result, the muscle stops contracting and relaxes, leaving the overlying skin smooth and unwrinkled. It acts as a therapeutic muscle-relaxing agent. Cosmetically it has been used for years to treat the facial wrinkles caused by muscle hyperactivity. The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) announced in April 2002 that Botox is approved for use to temporarily improve the appearance of moderate-to-severe frown lines.

In the right hands, Botox is simple, safe, easy, and gives great results. A recent patient who was bothered by her furrowed brow said, “I want to look like me, but a softer me.” Following her Botoxtreatment, she said, “I like what I see in the mirror.” For some lines, namely the frown lines between the brows, crow's feet and horizontal forehead lines, Botox produces a magnificent effect and is probably superior to any other form of wrinkle removal. It physically stops the contraction of those muscles and therefore prevents those lines from forming, or getting deeper if already present.

Botox is injected in small quantities into the small muscles of the face to block the nerve endings and temporarily reduce or erase wrinkles. The procedure is quite simple and consists of a few pinpricks in the areas of maximal wrinkling. Results are visible within a few days, with the full effect unfolding within a week. Botox injection treatments are temporary. The injection wears off in 3 to 4 months and repeat treatments are needed several times a year to keep wrinkles from reappearing. However, each treatment effect lasts a little longer. In time, patients may need treatment twice a year.