Choosing the right injector can make all the difference when it comes to med spa treatments such as BOTOX Cosmetic. When you’re considering a procedure, looking through before and after pictures can be a great way to judge a potential provider’s skills—that is if you know what you’re looking for.
In today’s blog post, I’d like to share a few criteria you should keep an eye out for as you browse BOTOX before-and-afters.
Reduction of Lines
While this one may seem obvious, it’s a clear first step. Do you really see smoother lines and wrinkles? Check the caption for a description of the areas that have been treated and really look at the side-by-side comparison. With a good BOTOX treatment, you should see noticeably smoother skin.
Some practices will even take photos of patients making the specific expressions that caused their lines (i.e., raising the eyebrows) to better illustrate the difference. When you see these photos next to each other, the improvement should be easy to spot. Here’s a great example:
Facial Expressions
One of the signs of a skillful BOTOX injector is the presence of facial expressions in “after” photos. Do the faces in the photos look frozen? Can you still see emotion and personality? This demonstrates an artful eye and careful administration.
Good BOTOX injectors will carefully place injections in specific locations to stop the contraction of certain muscles while allowing the movement of others. The patient in the after photo should be able to smile and maintain their expression without looking frozen or even droopy.
At our practice, we take a conservative approach and use small doses to allow patients to naturally emote. We never want to stop our patients from expressing their emotions, especially because many of them are getting the treatment done before a special event. (“Brotox” is a trend for grooms—learn more in our previous blog post.)
Youthful Transformations
While you may see fewer lines, make note of how this change affects the face overall. Do the patients look younger? More rested? Has the treatment had a positive effect on the face as a whole? Overused or poorly placed BOTOX can sometimes make the face appear more tired, but expertly injected BOTOX will give the face a smooth, youthful boost.
A youthful transformation doesn’t always stop at BOTOX. A skilled provider will often layer in additional injectables or aesthetic treatments like dermal fillers, microneedling, or laser skin rejuvenation to enhance BOTOX’s effects. The patient pictured below, for example, had forehead and crow’s feet BOTOX injections for her expression lines, filler injections to boost collagen production, and microneedling to improve her skin texture.
Red Flags
In addition to looking for positive characteristics, it’s also important to check for obvious indicators of poor practice, including:
- Droopy eyelids
- Asymmetry that wasn’t present in the “before” photos
- Unnatural facial expressions
- Very red or swollen injection sites
It’s also worth noting that a lack of before and after photos, or a refusal to show them to you when requested, is a red flag itself. A reputable provider should have plenty of photos to show you and will be happy to share them during your consultation.
Ready to start browsing? To see more BOTOX transformations, visit our BOTOX before-and-after gallery. If you would like to learn more about BOTOX treatments at our med spa in Atlanta, GA, please contact us online or call (404) 233-3937.
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