As a top skin care provider in New York City's Upper East Side, Dr. Altchek uses advanced techniques to help reduce or eliminate the appearance of lines and wrinkles so patients can look as young as they feel.
BOTOX is a neuromuscular agent that's designed to treat specific types of wrinkling, including crow's feet (wrinkles at the corners of the eyes), frown lines (or glabellar folds, located between the eyebrows) and forehead lines or rhytids (horizontal forehead lines).
When we smile, frown or make other facial expressions, nerve signals travel from the brain to the facial muscles and back again, triggering muscle contractions that are involved in those expressions. In turn, those contractions pull on facial skin, causing lines and wrinkles to form. When skin is young, lines and wrinkles disappear when we finish smiling or frowning. But over time, repeated facial expressions result in permanent lines and wrinkles. BOTOX works by blocking those nerve signals so muscles are not “told” to contract. As a result, wrinkles and creases don't form and skin looks smoother and less worn.
BOTOX works on dynamic wrinkles – wrinkles that form as a result of facial motion. For other wrinkles, anti-wrinkle treatments like chemical peels, microdermabrasion and fillers can help reduce or eliminate the appearance of wrinkles, creases and folds so skin looks smoother and rejuvenated. Often, BOTOX and fillers are used together to create a “mini-facelift” effect.
Dr. Altchek will evaluate your skin to determine if BOTOX is a good choice or if another anti-wrinkle treatment might be more appropriate.
That depends on the type of treatment you receive and how well you care for your skin. BOTOX usually needs touch-up applications every four to six months; some fillers and peels can last well over a year. Using sunscreen every day can help prolong the results of most treatments.
Dr. Altchek accepts most major insurance providers.