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Dr. Lawton is an Allergan “Black Diamond” Botox provider, making him one of the busiest solo injectors with one of the highest client retention rates in all of Orange County. Black Diamond certification is awarded to only the top 1% of Physician Injectors nationwide, and it demonstrates Dr. Lawton’s commitment to excellence and innovation in patient care and medical esthetics. In 2013, Dr. Lawton’s practice earned Allergan’s newest accolade, the Top 50 status; based on the volume of treatments performed, Dr. Lawton’s practice is amongst the 50 largest in the nation! Dr. Lawton personally performs Botox injections for all of his clients at Bella Luce Medispa, and the large volume of Botox treatments that he performs allows him to offer you the most competitive prices available in Orange County. Dr. Lawton also participates in the Botox Brilliant Distinctions Program, which allows you to save even more money every time you return for your Botox treatments. Dr. Lawton offers no-pressure, free consultations and prides himself on working closely with his patients to develop a lasting relationship that fosters the kind individualized and specialized care that yields natural-looking cosmetic results.
A husband and wife team of physicians in Vancouver, British Columbia, were instrumental in bringing Botox Cosmetic to the attention of the world. Jean Carruthers, an ophthalmologist, was treating a patient in 1987 for blepharospasm, as chronic twitching condition involving the eyelid. She used tiny doses of Botulinum toxin, which is the purified protein that is present in Botox Cosmetic, in order to block the nerve impulses to the affected muscles, thereby reducing their overactivity. The treatment worked well to stop the patient’s debilitating symptoms.
However, even with no further symptoms of blepharospasm, the patient continued to return to see Dr. Carruthers for Botox injections….she said that every time she got the injections she noticed that the wrinkles near her eyes seemed to disappear, leaving her with a relaxed and untroubled look. She looked and felt younger! Dr. Carruthers husband, Alastair, a dermatologist, took note of this intriguing phenomenon, and the two decided to do some experimentation with Botulinum toxin. They reported their results to Allergan, and the rest is history! Beginning in 1989, Botox was approved by the FDA for blepharospasm and strabismus, another eye condition. Then, in 2001, Botox was approved by the FDA for cervical dystonia, which is a painful spasmodic muscle condition affecting the neck muscles. Finally, in 2002 the FDA approved Botox for the cosmetic treatment of frown lines between the eyebrows. Since that time, Botox cosmetic has been used “off-label” by physicians for an ever-expanding array of cosmetic uses, and it is now the most popular non-surgical cosmetic treatment in the United States.
Botox cosmetic is a purified protein called Onabotulinum toxin Type A. This protein is a toxin produced by the commonly occurring bacteriumClostridium botulinum. The bacteria actually produces seven varieties of the toxin, but Type A is marketed by Allergan as Botox. To explain how Botox works, you need to know where it works. It works at the site where nerves connect to muscles, or the neuromuscular junction. When you want to move a muscle, the brain sends a signal down the nerve to the muscle you want to move, and the nerve releases a neurotransmitter chemical called acetylcholine into the neuromuscular junction. Normally, the acetylcholine then binds to a receptor on the muscle side of the junction, initiating movement. However, if Botox has been injected into that muscle, it blocks the ability of acetylcholine to bind to its receptor. Hence, the muscle is essentially completed relaxed and incapable of movement. The effects of Botox usually begin in as little as 24 hours from the time of injection and peak at about 2 weeks post injection. Gradually, over about 3-4 months, the muscle gradually develops new receptor sites and the effects of the Botox wear off completely.
Botox cosmetic was originally approved only for cosmetic use to reduce frown lines between the eyebrows. However, because the FDA allows “off-label” use of approved medications, the uses for Botox cosmetic have expanded over the years. A partial list of its many cosmetic uses is as follows: frown lines between the brows, horizontal forehead lines, crow’s feet, eyebrow lifts, smoker’s lines on the upper and lower lip, down-turned mouth corners, “gummy” smiles, chin dimpling, under-eye lines and bunny lines on the sides of the nose. Botox also has more esoteric uses such as bladder incontinence, migraine headaches, excessive teeth grinding, prostate issues, and excessive hand and under-arm sweating.
At Bella Luce Medispa, Dr. Lawton will consult with you before your treatment and work with you to decide which areas you are interested in treating with Botox cosmetic. You can almost always be injected at the same time as your consultation as the treatment itself takes only about 5-10 minutes and requires no advance preparation. The area to be injected will be cleaned by the doctor with an alcohol prep pad. Then, using a very small 30 gauge needle, the Botox is injected into the targeted muscles. Since the needle is so small, the injection itself is virtually painless. If you are apprehensive, the area can be iced with an icepack for a few minutes prior to the injection to further reduce sensation. After the treatment, you can return to work or normal activities immediately. The only thing to remember post-injection is that you should not drink alcohol, exercise vigorously, or lie down/sleep for 4-6 hours. The cosmetic results appear within days, often as soon as 2-3 days but sometimes up to 10 days. By 2 weeks time, nearly all people have achieved optimal results. The effects from Botox can last up to 4 months in the average person, longer in some. Your appearance will return to normal after the treatment wears off.
As we know, Botox has been used for medical purposes since the late 1980’s. Since Botox was approved for cosmetic use in 2002, it’s estimated that nearly 11 million treatments have been performed. Although no formal long-term studies have been conducted, the safety of Botox in long-term use has been clearly established. However, you should not get Botox cosmetic if you are pregnant, planning on becoming pregnant, or breastfeeding, as the safety in these situations has not been established. The most common side-effects from Botox treatments are mild headache, pain or redness at the injection site, and bruising.
The cost of a Botox treatment will vary widely based upon how many areas you want treated, the depth of the wrinkles, your age, your muscle size, and a host of other factors. The image right below will give you an idea of the average doses of Botox that are needed for any given area of the face you want treated. You can add up the approximate number of units you’ll need by using this image, and then multiply that by $8.50 (our fee per unit for new clients)and you will arrive at an estimate of your cost for the Botox treatment you desire.