Botox is an FDA-approved treatment that temporarily reduces numerous signs of skin aging. Although the injectable medication is specifically approved for crow’s feet, forehead lines, and frown lines, it can also be used off-label to treat other areas of the face.

Most men and women only think about the aesthetic applications of Botox, but the medication has been used in medical applications for more than 50 years. For those who are concerned about the safety of this injectable, rest assured that the aesthetic uses of Botox are backed by more than 15 years of clinical studies and is the subject of more than 500 peer-reviewed scientific articles.

Botox is used widely to correct facial expression lines that appear with intrinsic and extrinsic skin aging. Facial movements, caused by muscle contraction, crease the skin with their action. These creases later turn into, what we call, static lines that are noted when the face is at rest, or without movement. Made from a naturally occurring substance, Botox acts as a neurotoxin that relax targeted facial muscles. In turn, the skin stays relaxed and corrects itself over time. This leads to the softening of current lines seen while prohibiting new lines from being formed.

You’ll still be able to make normal facial expressions, and your face will still move in a natural manner. However, the muscles that cause horizontal forehead lines, wrinkles at the sides of your eyes, and that little furrow between your brows will be relaxed, leaving your skin smoother in those areas.