BOTOX COSMETIC®



Serving Hamilton, Stoney Creek, Grimsby and surrounding areas.


How does a wrinkle form?

  • The lines that appear between your brows (glabellar lines) actually result from muscle movement and the passage of time. You may have heard the expression "wearing your emotions on your sleeve," but in reality you wear them on your face. If you are angry or annoyed, you knit your brows together. Underneath your skin, your facial muscles contract, cause a pleating of the overlying skin, and then, as anyone can see, you're frowning.
  • After years of crinkling and wrinkling, those glabellar lines start to linger longer and can become more pronounced. For women, whose faces tend to be more animated than men's, and whose skin is typically more delicate, these lines may appear exaggerated and more permanent.
  • Fortunately, there is a way to temporarily reduce moderate to severe glabellar lines. Treatment with Botox® Cosmetic can visibly smooth and soften moderate to severe frown lines between your brows. An improvement can be seen within days and may last up to 4 months, although results may vary. In clinical trials, nearly 90% of men and women surveyed rated the improvement in the appearance of frown lines between their brows as moderate to better 1 month after treatment.

General Information:

  • Botox® is a medication that is used to treat wrinkles especially crow’s feet around the eyes as well as wrinkles of the forehead, nose (bunny lines) and frown lines.
  • Botox® Cosmetic works by temporarily reducing the contractions of the muscles that cause those persistent frown lines that have developed between your brows over time.
  • It is injected in the areas to be treated. There is little or no pain with the injections because a very tiny needle, thinner than an acupuncture needle, is used.
  • The effects last 3 to 4 months on average. After that time another injection would be required.
  • Some people find that their tension headaches improve following treatment.
  • Results are seen usually within 14 days of the injection. Within days, you may see an improvement that can last up to 4 months. Results may vary. If you do not continue treatments, the frown lines between your brows will gradually look like they did before treatment.
  • The best time to start Botox treatment is the time when wrinkles are first starting to appear, before they become very deep.
  • Treatment with Botox does not lead to more wrinkles than you had prior to treatment. Botox is very similar to colouring gray hair. In both cases the treatment leads to immediate improvement, and slowly wears off over a period of 3 to 4 months. Colouring your hair doesn't produce more gray hair than a person had in the first place, and the same is true for Botox and wrinkles.

What are the Possible Side Effects?

  • One percent of patients may develop a droopy eyelid if the frown lines are treated. This is treatable with eye drops and will also spontaneously improve within a few weeks.
  • A small number of people may develop a temporary mild headache or bruising at the injection sites.
  • Botox® does NOT freeze the face. After treatment the ability to smile, raise the eyebrows and facial expressions are all normal. The skin does not feel numb after a treatment.
  • After treatment with Botox® Cosmetic, you may look in the mirror and see a marked improvement in the moderate to severe frown lines between your brows. But Botox® Cosmetic will not radically change your facial appearance. Botox cannot achieve the results of a facelift - i.e. lifting sagging tissues such as jowls.
  • After your treatment you can still frown or look surprised—without the wrinkles and creases between your brows.
  • If you have extremely deep wrinkles, some of the crease that forms in the skin may persist after a Botox treatment. Deep creases will also improve but require multiple treatments and time. It took years for the wrinkle to form, thus it takes time for it to improve.

How is the treatment Done?

  1. On your first visit you will have a FREE consultation with Dr. Vignjevic or one of his staff members. You will receive an explanation about the way that Botox works and the benefits and risks associated with treatment. You will be provided with a price quote.
  2. If you decide to proceed with a treatment you will be given a consent form outlining the risks and benefits of treatment.
  3. In addition, baseline photographs will be taken. These photographs are solely for storage in your chart and will not be revealed to anyone else or used without your permission. Your privacy is of the utmost importance to us.
  4. Only Dr. Vignjevic administers Botox in the clinic. He has been injecting Botox to treat wrinkles and sweating soon after its use was approved in Canada.
  5. For your treatment you will be asked to sit in a chair.
  6. The areas that are to be injected are cleansed with alcohol.
  7. Dr. Vignjevic will administer several tiny injections of Botox® Cosmetic directly into the muscles that cause those moderate to severe frown lines between the brows, or to whichever area is being treated. He will determine where to administer the injections by examining your ability to move certain muscles in your face. He does this by asking you to smile, frown and raise your eyebrows. The location, size, and use of the muscles that create a furrowed brow vary markedly among individuals.
  8. There is no need for freezing or local anesthetic. Discomfort is usually minimal and brief.
  9. The injections are placed in affected areas. The treatment takes 10 to 15 minutes.
  10. You may be asked to press lightly on some of the areas for a few minutes to minimize the risk of bruising.
  11. After this your treatment is done. You can expect to be in and out of the office without downtime. You can go back to work immediately.
  12. You should avoid rubbing the injected area or lying down for 4 hours after the treatment. After this time, there is no limitation to physical activity, bathing or other daily activities.
  13. You should avoid exercising for 4 hours after your treatment. Wiping your brow while sweating may cause the Botox to move to an undesired location.
  14. Dr. Vignjevic likes patients to return 2 weeks after their first treatment. In this way he can assess your results and minor touch-ups can be done if necessary. You may see a marked improvement in the moderate to severe frown lines between your brows within days. Improvement may continue for as long as a month, and could last up to 4 months.

CLICK HERE to watch a CH news segment in which Dr. V and his office staff demonstrate laser hair removal and other cosmetic procedures available in the office.

Who Should Not Have Botox®?

  • Patients with history of nerve and muscle disorders such as Multiple sclerosis, Myasthenia Gravis, Strokes, Lou Gehrig's disease, Parkinson Disease etc.
  • Patients with a known allergy to Botox®.
  • Women who are pregnant or nursing.
  • Women who think that they MAY be pregnant.
  • If you have a skin infection in the area where Botox® Cosmetic will be injected

Which medicines interact with BOTOX® Cosmetic? You should not be treated with Botox if you are taking the following:

  • Antibiotics used to treat infections, such as gentamicin, tobramycin, clindamycin, and lincomycin.
  • Medicines used to treat heart rhythm problems, such as quinidine.
  • Medicines used to treat different conditions, such as myasthenia gravis or Alzheimer’s disease.
  • As with all prescription medicines, you should also notify your doctor if you are taking any over-the-counter medicines or herbal products.

Is the Treatment Dangerous?

  • Botox® is naturally occurring protein that can be dangerous in large doses. Usually 18 to 75 units would be used in a single treatment session. A toxic dose would be 3000 (three thousand) units administered to one person in one visit. The dose that is used to treat wrinkles is far below any dangerous level.
  • Botox® has been used for over 10 years to treat spasm in the eye muscles and is now being used to treat muscle spasm in adults and children with Cerebral Palsy and Strokes. It is known to be a safe drug when used properly by a skilled physician. It has been used to treat wrinkles for over 10 years.
  • Botox is FDA approved for the treatment of wrinkles and sweating. But what does “FDA approval” really mean? In the United States, prescription drugs and biologics are required to undergo rigorous testing before they can be put on the market. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reviews the results of these studies to: verify the identity, potency, purity, and stability of the "ingredients," and demonstrate that the drug is safe and effective for its intended use.
  • What about Botox® Cosmetic? Botox® Cosmetic received FDA approval in 2002 for the temporary treatment of moderate to severe frown lines between the brows in people 18 to 65 years of age. Botox® Cosmetic is available by prescription only.
  • Botox does not accumulate in the body. The Botox injected during a treatment is broken down by your body within 1 to 2 days, but the effects of the Botox persist for up to 3 to 4 months. As a result there is no risk of accumulation of Botox in the body with repeated treatments. Multiple treatments are very safe.

What is the Cost?

The cost is determined based on the number of units of medication that are used. For an estimate please talk to Dr. Vignjevic or one of the staff in the office.

What other techniques can be combined with Botox® to further improve the appearance of my skin?

A new treatment called IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) - also known as Fotofacials is now available. IPL treats and removes broken facial blood vessels (telangiectasia), background red skin tones, decreases brown freckling, shrinks pores, improves sun damage and increases collagen in the skin. All of these lead to smoother, younger looking skin and reduced redness at the same time. To learn more about IPL click here.

Do I need a doctor's referral to make an appointment?

No. You may phone the office directly to book your free consultation with one of our staff members.

When can I start having treatments?

Today!

For your convenience, the services above are available in my office.


What if you are interested to learn more?


If you would like to learn more:

  • Please click on the underlined links above
  • E-Mail Us
  • Or call our aesthetic centre directly at 905-549-7873 to book a free consultation with one of our knowledgeable technicians


Frown Lines


Crow's Feet


Forehead Lines