Botox Treatments in Chicago, IL

How is Dr. Thomas different?

Dr. Thomas is a board certified facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon. He is a leader in the facial plastics industry and has utilized Botox since its introduction in 2002. Dr. Thomas has a wealth of knowledge in the field and has a lengthy history of technique instruction for physicians based in the United States and the broader international community. Each patient is individualized and the treatment is tailored to thus match patient goals and best possible effect of the Botox injection. Patients are extremely pleased with the results of their Botox treatments provided by Dr. Thomas.

What is a Botox injection?

A Botox (Botulinum toxin) injection is a non-invasive muscle relaxant designed to relax the muscles in your face and smooth out any unwanted lines and wrinkles. Deep wrinkles such as crow’s feet and frown lines can be smoothed over with Botox and the effects typically last between three and four months depending on the individual.

In some cases, Botox may also be used to treat medical conditions such as neck spasms, lazy eye, chronic migraines, or hyperhidrosis. However, the most common use-cases are cosmetic. Botox injections work by blocking those chemical signals from the nerves that cause muscle contraction.

Botox injections are carried out by plastic surgeons and each procedure can be tailored to the individual. Your consultant will design a unique Botox procedure targeting those areas that you wish to change. During the procedure, botulinum toxin is injected into the facial muscles using a fine needle. Injections are made in specific places to target problem areas, the aim being to rebalance the face, whilst preserving full movement and expression.

Who is a candidate for Botox?

Although most patients are older than 30 years, virtually anyone over the age of 18 is a good candidate for Botox treatment. This non-surgical procedure is typically utilized to address lines in the upper half of the face (e.g. forehead, between the brows, crow’s feet, etc.). Botox is occasionally used for other lines in the lower face –such as around the lips. Dr. Thomas is skilled at using Botox to address all of these conditions.

What is my downtime for Botox with Dr. Thomas?

Patients who receive Botox injections from Dr. Thomas will experience limited downtime following the procedure. It is common for patients to experience slight redness at the injection site; this clears over the next day or so. Dr. Thomas encourages patients who are on aspirin or other blood thinners to minimize these ahead of a planned Botox treatment to limit downtime. Patients can typically resume normal facial cleaning and care immediately after treatment.

How long does Botox treatment take?

Botox treatment with Dr. Thomas is dependent on the areas that are to be injected and the number of sites that are being addressed. Because some areas require special care (e.g. injections near the eye), additional time may be allotted. On average, Botox injections can be done in less than 15 minutes.

How long does Botox last?

Following treatment with Dr. Thomas, patients can enjoy three to four months (up to 16 weeks) of Botox effects. Patients are encouraged to assess the effects at the 3.5 month (or 14 week) threshold. If touch-up is needed, patients can schedule appointments for customized reinjection of Botox by Dr. Thomas at that time.

Is Botox injection painful?

Patients of Dr. Thomas who have received Botox injections remark that they have experienced little to no pain during the procedure. To minimize pain exposure, a topical anesthetic is also used ahead of treatment. Dr. Thomas’ signature gentle technique further reduces patient discomfort during Botox injections.

Does Dr. Thomas use an assistant injector?

Dr. Thomas does not use an assistant injector for patients receiving Botox care. As such, all Botox injections are handled directly by Dr. Thomas. His patients benefit from his commitment to excellence in treatment and patient satisfaction. Each patient is individualized and the treatment is tailored to thus match patient goals and best possible effect of the Botox injection.

Is Botox a dangerous treatment?

Botox is considered a safe procedure, when performed properly. Botox is quite potent, therefore desired results can be successfully achieved by using very small amounts of product. One of the advantages of Botox in treatment is that it tends to stay localized quite well.

What are the risks with Botox?

As a board certified facial plastic surgeon, Dr. Thomas is aware that the risks of leveraging Botox to treat patients are minimal. Rarely, there may be some facial asymmetry where one side results in a greater result than the other. These will need to be secondarily touched up. Bruising at or near the injection site is highly unusual following Botox treatment. When treating near the upper eyelid area, Botox can be in the lid and cause some position changes – this needs to be very carefully avoided, which Dr. Thomas uses special care when injecting in this region.

How does Botox work?

The facial muscles treated by Botox are stopped from contracting and causing facial wrinkles immediately following injection. The full effect of the Botox may take several days to be observed.

Are there other types of Botox available?

Botox is the brand name of a biologic product clinically known as onabotulinumtoxina and is manufactured by Allergan. There are several other brands of Botox-like materials on the market. Dr. Thomas typically uses Botox and a newer material known as Jeuveau for patients seeking this kind of treatment. Dr. Thomas works with the patient to identify which product should be used in care.