Botox - Dr Vaibhav Shah

Look Young and get best anti-aging treatment with Botox! Vanish your frown lines, crow feet and other wrinkles from your face!

What is Botox?

Botox is a brand name of Botulinum Toxin Type A.  The company which markets the brand Botox is Allergan, the leader in a production of Botulinum Toxin Type A.

Is Botox a neurotoxin?

Yes. Bacterium Clostridium Botulinum produces a neurotoxic protein which acts on the nerve endings.  There are other companies which produce Botulinum Toxin Type A, eg. Ranbaxy under the brand name Neuronox,  Xeomin etc

How does Botox work?

Acetylcholine is secreted from the nerve endings which is responsible for movement and normal functions of the nerve.  When one injects Botox, the SNAP-25 receptor gets blocked and forms a SNARE complex. This causes inhibition of acetylcholine secretion and partially blocks the nerve. There is, hence, no movement or there is partial restriction of muscle movement which gives free fall and inhibits the wrinkles on the skin of the forehead and of the crow’s feet (on animation) giving the anti-aging appearance.

Am I the right candidate for Botox?

Anyone with multiple forehead lines on animation or in a dynamic position or anyone who gets a lot of wrinkles near the eye (crow’s feet) while giving certain expressions is a good candidate for a Botulinum Toxin Type A (Botox).

What effect does Botox actually produce?

Horizontal wrinkles or small wrinkles on the forehead, as well as around the eyes, during facial expressions is a very common problem, which one gets as early as the age of 35-40 years. Botox injections help temporarily get rid of these wrinkles which are produced on animation. It reduces the number of wrinkles or prevents them in the area of injection, thereby giving an anti-aging appearance.

Are Botox and dermal fillers different?

Yes, they are both different .Botox is used where one gets dynamic lines- lines on the forehead and around the eyes on expression. On the other hand, a dermal filler is a volumizer. It increases the volume in the area of injection- where one has rhytids without expression at a static position. The best area to use a filler is laugh lines or to increase a volume of a lip.

Is Botox harmful?

Definitely not! There is no reaction like anaphylactic shock or any major morbidity and mortality noted with Botox. It is very safe but for best results, choose a Doctor with some clinical experience in injecting Botox for cosmetic uses and who practices the same regularly.

What are the side effects of Botox?

Apart from a mild headache, sometimes for a day or two, there is no major side effect of the Botox. The anatomical site and quantity to inject Botox always depends on the surgeon.

How long does the effect of Botox last?

One can start seeing the effects of Botox within a week.  A number of factors influence the duration for which the effect of Botox lasts.

Some of these factors are:

• The amount of Botox injected?
• The site of injection?
• The number of wrinkles one gets in the area of injection?
• Whether it’s the first time of injection or if the injections are done repeatedly?
• The brand of Botulinum Toxin Type A that is being injected?
• Experience of the injecting doctor?
• Any underlying muscular pathology or muscle illness?
• The effect of Botox usually lasts on an average of 3 to 4 months but can last up to 6 months if injected multiple times.

In what form is Botox available in the market? Is the injection painful?

Botox is available in the form of a powder, which has to be diluted with saline to make it injectable. The dilution is variable depending on the surgeon’s preference and the injection is usually not too much painful.

Is there any specific dilution for the Botox?

Usually, 2.5 International units of Botox are diluted with 1ml of saline. At Dr Vaibhav Shah’s clinic, we prepare a more concentrated solution so that the effect is longer lasting and the desired result is achieved. Undoubtedly, the dexterity of the doctor while diluting and injecting it is very important.

What factors should be taken into consideration for injecting Botox?

Understanding the anatomy of face is essential for best results. Surgeons, General Practitioners, Nurses, Beauticians, anybody is able to inject Botox but someone well versed with the facial anatomy, like a Maxillofacial Surgeon, is the ideal choice to inject botulinum toxin or Botox, so as to prevent or minimize the complications caused due to incorrect site of injection.

What are the indications for injection of Botox, other than wrinkles?

• Muscle hypertrophy
• Mayofascial pain
• Temporomandibular Joint pain
• Drooping smile
• Hyper-active mentalis muscle
• Bunny nose
• Loose platysma in the neck

How one can make Botox injection pain-free?

Use of a vibration device which confuses the nerve endings while injecting Botox is the best tool to give the most pain free experience to the patient.

How much does Botox cost?

The cost depends on multiple factors, few are listed below:

1. The brand of the Botulinum Toxin?
2. The quantity to be injected?
3. The experience of the doctor?
4. Generally, it starts from 170 INR per unit. Hence, 100 International unit of a Botox will cost a minimum 17,500 INR. Price can go up to 300 INR per unit of Botox depending on the factors mentioned above. Offers of less than 170 INR per unit are practically not possible since that is only the material cost.

Patient review -

I’m Lorem.  I am an Australian citizen and have visited India and Mumbai for a leisure trip.

I love cheetahs! Sanjay Gandhi National Park which is situated in Borivali, houses many leopards and cheetahs so I visited it. The experience was wonderful! Borivali is a Western suburb of Mumbai.

Situated very close to the national park is Dr Vaibhav Shah’s clinic, which is a Center for facial cosmetic and plastic surgery. I have read his blogs and about him on his website. I have seen some of his YouTube videos too.  He has been trained in the United States, to be specific- under Dr. Joe Niamtu. He is a very skilled facial cosmetic surgeon. I consulted doctor for Botulinum toxin or Botox as I regularly take Botox injections. At the first consultation he was really friendly. He listened to me carefully and I did not feel hesitant to express my views and to talk about the flaws of my face. What I liked most about Dr Vaibhav Shah is he has restricted his practice only to facial cosmetic and hair transplant surgery which gives him a cutting edge over many other doctors. After the first consultation we decided to go ahead with 150 units of Botox. It really was a pain-free experience, as promised by doctor, I got Botox for my upper face- for my forehead, my frown lines, crow’s feet, hyperactive mentalis, as well as the Masseter muscle. The best part about Dr Vaibhav Shah is that he is very approachable, responds to queries on the phone or even on WhatsApp. He was always eager to help, a gem of a person and a good human being.

Mumbai or India is the best for the medical tourism. One can find highly skilled doctors at really affordable and reasonable costs. I was born and raised in Sydney, Australia. The cost of doctors, specifically for Cosmetic procedures is atleast a fifth of the cost in Australia. My experience in India has been delightful. I have flown back to my country with memories for a lifetime.