"Does skin Botox freeze your expressions too?"
"I'm looking into it for pores and sebum — is that the right Botox?"
This is the part people looking into skin Botox first get confused about.
Greetings from DA Clinic Myeongdong.I'm Director Kwon Si-jin ^^
We're getting ready to open our doors in Myeongdong soon, and since so many people have been curious about skin Botox ahead of our opening, we wanted to put together this overview for your information first.
Because 'Botox' is in the name, many people think it's the same as the treatment that smooths expression lines, but in fact the purpose and the injection depth are different, so let's start by clearing up that part.
Skin Botox Targets Skin Texture, Not Muscle
Let me point out the definition first.
Skin Botox refers to a method of injecting botulinum toxin into the shallow layer of the dermis in very small doses, divided across many points.
It's commonly also called dermo Botox, and its very target location differs from ordinary Botox, which binds muscle to reduce movement.
Ordinary Botox is a treatment that targets the expression muscles to reduce movement, while skin Botox is an approach that influences the activity of the sebaceous glands and sweat glands in the layer close to the skin surface.
So even using the same component, the change you hope for is different.
It's an Approach That Gently Tidies Up Sebum, Pores, Fine Texture, and Redness
The change skin Botox hopes for is toward tidying up the 'texture' of the skin surface to be a notch smoother.
By spreading finely into the shallow dermal layer, it influences sebum secretion and sweat secretion activity, and in that process it hopes to reduce the impression of prominent pores or the shine.
You can also expect a flow where skin whose fine texture looked rough or a texture with rising redness settles down a little.
That said, since it goes in at a shallow depth that barely touches the muscle, it's focused on refining only the impression of the skin surface while leaving the expressions as they are.
Let me mention in advance that the degree of change and when you feel it differ from person to person.
The Effect Doesn't Set Permanently in One Session; It Continues Temporarily
Skin Botox isn't a treatment where one session is the end; it's closer to a temporary flow where the effect stays for a certain period and then slowly fades.
Since the action of the toxin that entered the shallow dermal layer wears off over time, it'll be easier on your mind to see it as a flow of roughly two to three months.
So rather than expecting a change that lasts forever from one session, many people approach it as a concept of periodically tidying up the texture.
Also, since repeating it at too-frequent intervals is thought to change the response to the toxin, it's reasonable to space out the intervals and adjust whether to proceed.
Keep the Possibility of Bruising or Temporary Irritation Open
Since it's a method of placing injections across many points, it's good to keep the possibility of fine bruising or a stinging sensation open.
It goes in shallowly with a fine needle, but there are many small blood vessels in the dermis, so bruising can briefly show point by point.
It mostly settles within a few days, but if you have an important schedule coming up, it's best to set the timing with some leeway.
Also, if the injection depth goes deeper than intended and reaches the muscle layer, the expression in that area can temporarily become awkward.
So delicate injection that keeps the depth consistent is what determines the naturalness.
How it differs from wrinkle Botox
The names are similar and get confused, but the two differ in the depth they go in at.
- Wrinkle Botox — placed into the muscles that make expressions. Reducing movement to address lines that fold
- Skin Botox — placed far shallower, spread widely through the skin layer. Addressing oil, pores and texture
So what you can expect diverges too.Expecting skin Botox to smooth a glabellar line will be off, as will expecting wrinkle Botox to shrink pores.
Expressions looking unnatural is generally described as arising when what should sit shallow goes in deep.If skin Botox has affected your expression, look at depth rather than dose.
The duration differs too.Placed shallow and spread out, it's generally given as two to three months, so it can feel shorter than the wrinkle side.
These People Should Take an Extra Moment to Check
Skin Botox isn't a treatment recommended the same way for every skin concern.
If your concern is deep scars or a pitted texture rather than sebum or pores, this approach that refines surface texture alone may not achieve the change you'd hoped for.
If you're pregnant or breastfeeding, have a neuromuscular-related condition, or have had an allergic reaction to botulinum toxin, it's best to check your condition first and then decide whether to proceed.
Also, if there's inflammation or a breakout in the treatment area, it's safer to postpone the timing until after it settles.
The day itself, and afterwards
The treatment itself is generally over in about ten minutes, and with almost no downtime many people go straight back to their day.
There are a few things worth observing on the day, though.
- Don't rub the treated areathis stops it spreading before it settles
- Don't lie down for a few hoursusually advised for the same reason
- Avoid alcohol and saunas that daythey can affect swelling and bruising
And it's more accurate to judge it one to two weeks later. Feeling that little has changed the next day is natural — it isn't the point at which it shows.
So booking a follow-up at around two weeks lets any imbalance or shortfall be touched up then.
- It leans toward settling the skin texture
- It works in the shallow dermis
- The change is temporary
FAQ
Q. Won't my expressions freeze if I get skin Botox?
A. Unlike ordinary Botox that binds the expression muscles, skin Botox targets the shallow layer of the dermis, so the goal is to leave the expressions themselves as they are.It goes in at a depth that barely touches the muscle.That said, if the injection depth goes deeper than intended and reaches the muscle layer, that area can temporarily become awkward, so the delicacy of keeping the depth consistent is important.It's good to keep in mind that the degree of naturalness and the change you feel have individual differences depending on your skin condition and injection design.
Q. Once I get it, does the effect keep lasting?
A. The effect of skin Botox isn't something that sets permanently; it's closer to a temporary flow where it stays for a certain period and then slowly fades.That's because the action of the toxin that entered the shallow dermal layer wears off over time. So rather than a treatment that finishes in one go, it'll be easier on your mind to see it as a concept of periodically tidying up the texture.That said, repeating it at too-frequent intervals can change the response, so it's reasonable to space out the intervals and adjust whether to proceed.
Q. Enlarged pores are my concern — is skin Botox enough?
A. Skin Botox is an approach focused on tidying up the impression of prominent pores while influencing sebum secretion and shine.That said, the cause of pores looking enlarged isn't only sebum but can also be reduced firmness or a pitted texture like scars, so what you can expect changes depending on the cause. So it's more reasonable to first check which kind of texture concern it is and then set the direction, and it's good to be aware together that the degree of change has individual differences.
Q. Can I have it with other treatments?
A. It's sometimes planned alongside skin boosters or repair injectables, because what each targets — texture, hydration, repair — differs. Order and interval are safer settled in consultation.
Q. How often is it done?
A. Two to three months is the usual guidance.That said, narrowing the interval too far raises the risk of antibody formation, so a minimum of three months is sometimes advised.
Q. Do pores really shrink?
A. It's described as pores appearing less open as oil production falls. That's different from reversing the pore size itself, and the effect is temporary.
Texture, not muscle
If you've read this far, this is the one thing to remember.
Skin Botox isn't a treatment that binds muscle; it's an approach that temporarily tidies up skin texture in the shallow dermal layer.
Going back to the question I opened with, the answer is here.
If shine or rough texture has been your concern, it's fine to look into it in the direction of refining the surface impression while leaving the expressions as they are. Just please remember that the degree of change and the maintenance period vary by individual.
DA Clinic Myeongdong is set to open soon.We'll share news of our opening and treatment information first on our blog and Instagram ^^
Thanks for reading all the way through.Director Kwon Si-jin, DA Clinic Myeongdong.
This column is an informational article meant to provide general medical information, and the effects and side effects of treatments may vary by individual. DA Clinic Myeongdong is set to open soon. (Medical Service Act Art. 56)