While BOTOX Cosmetic treatment have been around for a while, they became much more mainstream knowledge in the United States because of the 2004 political election when it was revealed that Senator John Kerry used BOTOX treatments to keep a more youthful appearance. BOTOX Cosmetic treatment is considered by many to be a revolutionary approach to reversing the affects of facial wrinkles. Crow's feet, worry lines and laugh lines can all be treated. Cosmetic de-nervation is the process of injecting BOTOX Cosmetic into the tiny facial muscles that create the wrinkles, and then the treatment takes care of the rest. BOTOX Cosmetic injections are performed without anesthesia because it is virtually painless. BOTOX is given by injections, and not actual surgery, which makes this a much quicker and less painful way of treating a patient. Only a very small sting is felt when the injections are made. The effects are not permanent and may need to be repeated two to three times per year to retain their full effectiveness. Research has suggested that long term use of the injections leads to a longer duration of each treatment's effect. Patients over the age of 65 may not experience as dramatic of results. BOTOX Cosmetic is only useful in treating expression lines and cannot be used to repair sagging skin caused by aging. After the operation patients may experience slight bruising around the area that quickly fades. Normal activities can be performed right away, as if nothing had happened at all. Possible side effects are temporary weakness of nearby muscles, or in some very rare cases an eyelid may droop. BOTOX Cosmetic is completely reversible so any side effect is only a temporary condition, a big advantage over more permanent procedures that other cosmetic surgeries offer. The doctor will explain all risks associated at the time of your consultation, and help to determine if BOTOX will actually treat the lines on your face that you would most like to see reduced. The important re-iteration here is that BOTOX treats “expressive lines.” These aren’t natural sagging or wrinkles caused by age, but that come from smiling, laughing, being wide-eyed. These are the lines that BOTOX treats. Ask your doctor how effective the BOTOX treatments would be, since there’s no point if they do not help the specific wrinkles you want to target, and take the doctor’s advice. He/she is the expert, after all.