w magazine
Botox
With the praise lavished on Botox, it has quickly become the must-have of cosmetic procedures.
Most experts agree that increased muscle atrophy is a legitimate concern with Botox, the general consensus is that not only is this side effect extremely minimal, but it actually should be viewed as a positive. “You desire atrophy,” stresses New York dermatologist Patricia Wexler. “These hyperkinetic muscles are causing wrinkling and other problems, so to waste or atrophy this muscle is actually a good thing.” In fact, adds Wexler, during certain facelift operations, it’s these very forehead muscles that are removed.
New York plastic surgeon Thomas Romo III compares Botox’s paralytic effect to a broken arm that has been in a cast for a few months. After the cast is removed, says Romo, the arm muscles are certainly weakened, but day by day, their strength returns. “Botox stops the nerve from firing a signal to the muscles,” he explains. “This is just temporary paralysis.”
The key to a successful Botox procedure is to find a doctor who understands facial anatomy and is familiar with how the relevant muscles interact. “What the critics fail to understand is that some muscles in the face pull things up, while others pull things down,” says Michael A.C. Kane, a New York plastic surgeon and author of The Botox Book. “You can’t just haphazardly inject the face.”
Since the FDA’s approval of the cosmetic use of Botox early last year, some doctors have zealously experimented with off-label use. Some such uses have created expressionless faces. More worrisome, though, is the recent suit filed...