What is BOTOX®
Botox cosmetic is an injectable temporary neuromodulator used to remove the wrinkles and folds of unwanted expression. Botox has been implemented in medicine since 1948 and carries with it one of the safest profiles of all drugs with FDA approval. It was originally used for patients with torticollis (permanently paralyzed necks due to spasm). It was first discovered to have benefitial applications in cosmetic surgery in the late 1990’s.
Unattractive deep furrows between the eyes (referred to as the “angry 11’s”), indelible forehead lines, and crepey crow’s feet, were totally smoothed within 48 hours after having received only droplets of precisely placed Botox in an office setting. With Botox, there is simply no down time. Numbing cream is applied that Dr. Weintraub has custom made in California, and it comprises three different compounds rather than the ubiquitous Emla which is found in most doctors’ offices.
Botox is injected in a treatment-room setting. Dr. Weintraub uses needles specially ordered from Japan that are as fine as a baby’s hair, thus leaving little or no marks on the skin, and thus causing as little discomfort as possible. Because of this, you can go back to work or your personal responsibilities immediately after the treatment. Approximately two to three days after injection, Dr. Weintraub’s patients are checked for the ability to 1)produce frowns between their eyes 2)create horizontal forehead furrows 3)squint at the corners of their eyes.
Precisely placed Botox should last in the vicinity of four months.* When looking in the mirror a few days after injection:
- You should notice the inability to move the middle part of your brows together to make a frown
- You should notice that your horizontal forehead lines are smooth
- You should notice a diminution of crow’s feet
- In addition, one of the wonderful secondary benefits of Botox Cosmetic is that when properly placed, it should produce a gently arched eyebrow almost like an inverted “Nike” insignia.
The effect of these injections in reducing angry and unwanted facial motions tends to brighten up the midface and provides our patients with fresh, rested, and rejuvenated look. Another beneficial side effect is that, over time, because the muscles are not used as frequently, they are weakened, and often require fewer treatments.
Some of Dr. Weintraub’s patients benefit from more sophisticated uses of injectable Botox. The additional problems that Dr. Weinraub corrects are as follows:
- bunny lines which creep onto the sides of the nose
- down-turned mouths, which are corrected to a more neutral position by injecting Botox to particular areas along the jaw line
- platysmal bands (the vertical cords directly under the neck), which are treated by direct injection, and are softened in their appearance
- vertical lines around the mouth (“lipstick lines”), which are quite successfully treated with micro-droplets
What Sets Dr. Weintraub Apart
Dr. Weintraub has always been blessed with a strong aesthetic sense. He possesses a unique blend of medical science and artwork, as it truly is artwork that he performs on the human form. His attention to detail ensures that he gets the best results possible, and he is meticulous about everything he does, from pre-op to post-op care and beyond.*
He studied medicine at Cornell during a time when core values were emphasized, and it is on these values that he bases his practice. He believes that physicians should be humble and respectful, and should never lose sight that the person they are operating on is exactly that: a person possessing real-life issues and concerns. The chairmen of the department of general surgery at Cornell at the time, Dr. Tom Shires, along with another luminary, Dr. Leon Morgenstern of Cedars-Sinai, taught Dr. Weintraub that “The operating room is a sacred place. It’s a very serious place. Never be cavalier about surgery.”
During his surgical residency training, Dr. Weintraub regularly visited Mexico to donate his time operating on deformed children and adults who couldn’t afford proper healthcare. In less-than-optimal conditions, he learned how to perform surgery with the basics, and received great satisfaction in making profound differences in people’s lives by restoring their faces and bodies. Similarly, when he was Chief Resident at the New York Hospital – Cornell Medical Center, and later when he was Chief Resident at the Reconstructive Unit at Memorial Sloan-Kettering, he found that his compassion for patients, along with his skill and precision as a surgeon, could change lives and bring people joy they never thought possible.
Dr. Weintraub believes that surgery is never a race. The patient is always number one. He keeps in his wallet a piece of paper that is his motto in the operating room: “Always demand what is right, and never accept second best.” He likes to consider himself a “thinking surgeon,” and does not enter the operating room with a mechanical series of steps to execute robotically, but likes to remain alert and ready for whatever intraoperative challenges might spontaneously arise. Although many notable surgeons openly listen to music while performing surgery, Dr. Weintraub does not, preferring the mood of the operating room to remain serious and focused.
Over 60% of Dr. Weintraub’s practice is comprised of complex redos of surgeries performed by other offices. Such procedures always involve difficult issues, since there exist not only the limitations of a patient’s own anatomy, but also the limitations of another surgeon’s aesthetic, and the scar tissue that has developed as a result. Patients seek Dr. Weintraub from all over the world to correct their aesthetic problems. He takes great pride in getting the best results, and always enjoys the challenges of such procedures.
Last, Dr. Weintraub will not hesitate to turn patients away if he feels they are not good candidates for surgery. If a surgery is not in someone’s best interest, he will be the first to say so. However, when a patient is a good candidate, the results produced by Dr. Weintraub can be magical, and he feels that it is an honor to give patients a gift they can enjoy for the rest of their lives.