Botox is a Neurotoxin which is part of  a class of injectable treatments used primarily in cosmetic treatments, although some neurotoxins are used for medical conditions such as migraines. Botox, in particular, is made from purified botulinum toxin, which weakens facial muscles to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

To understand why botox works, you first have to understand what neurotoxins do. Every function of our body, including the movement of our facial muscles, is orchestrated by the release of neurotransmitters, which tell nerves in the body how to behave.

A neurotoxin is a compound that essentially cancels out the neurotransmitter because it blocks the neurotransmitter from sending messages.

Neurotoxin treatments are effective for a moderate length of time. In general, any injectable treatment can last for 3 to 6 months at a time. Neurotoxins such as this one produce results for about 4 to 6 months. The length of time the treatment is effective depends on how quickly your body metabolizes the injection as well as how sensitive you are to the neurotoxin solution.

You will need multiple treatments to continue enjoying your results. For neurotoxins, we usually see patients at regular maintenance appointments about 3 to 4 times a year or every 4 months. You will need a new treatment when your current treatment starts to wear off or become less effective. We may also encourage you to alternate this neurotoxin with another one to stretch out the length of effectiveness for each treatment.