botox

Masseter Botox for TMJ: The Safe and Immediate Solution for Jaw Pain

Masseter Botox for TMJ: The Safe and Immediate Solution for Jaw Pain

What is TMJ?  TMJ disorders, also known as the temporomandibular joint disorder, is situated at the back of the jawbone and plays a pivotal role in talking and chewing. Yet, under stress, some individuals unconsciously clench or grind their teeth during sleep, creating excessive pressure on the TMJ. This can lead to soreness, headaches, and severe joint pain. This is where the masseter and jaw muscle takes center stage—an essential player responsible for jaw movement during talking and chewing. However, when nighttime teeth grinding occurs, the masseter muscle becomes overwhelmed and over stressed, causing jaw tension and discomfort both in the muscle itself and the TMJ. This grinding places strain on the joint and masseter muscle, often resulting in pain, headaches, and significant discomfort. Inflammation can further compound the issue, intensifying these symptoms. Numerous methods are available to address symptoms arising from joint and muscle stress, including wearing night guards,…

My Friend Has Too Much Botox. What Do I Say?

We’ve all seen it – the friend whose cosmetic treatment has changed their facial appearance, and not for the better. What do we do, when we want to say “You’ve had too much Botox,” while looking at their frozen face or puffy lips and cheeks out of proportion with the rest of their features? The answer, nothing, do not comment, unless you are asked for your opinion or your friend opens the door for feedback, announcing they are receiving treatments. Most importantly, before you say anything, know that Botox is very rarely the cause of significant changes in the face, facial oddities after treatment are almost always the result of surgery or overcorrection with hyaluronic acids (HA) fillers like Juvederm or Restylane. What, you say how can this be? The explanation is simple; Botox is a muscle relaxer, it does not stretch or create puffiness in facial features, it only…

Botox Pricing in New York

In this latest episode of Ageless Rage, Dr. Stephen Bracci explains the different ways in which Botox treatments are priced and sold in NYC. Dr. Bracci goes over how and why you might be charged differently depending on which area of the face you’re treating as well as the difference between per-unit pricing and treatment area pricing. Click to learn more about Botox treatments at Verve.

Does Botox Prevent Wrinkles?

In my practice, one of the questions patients frequently ask about Botox treatments is: does it prevent wrinkles? The simple answer is yes; before I explain the specifics of this process, let me identify the two types of facial wrinkles Botox treats.   The first type, “static” or “resting” lines, are actual creases in the skin when it’s at rest. The second type, “dynamic wrinkles,” are caused by muscular movement.   With an understanding of what Botox treats, here are five important facts you should know about treatment and wrinkle prevention.   Does Botox prevent facial wrinkles, or does it exclusively provide short term relaxation of muscles that move the skin?   It does both. Botox works first and foremost on relaxing the muscles that pull and wrinkle the skin; this movement causes “dynamic wrinkles” or movement lines. By relaxing these muscles and preventing further movement, Botox’s long term effect…

Medical Cosmetic Solutions for Crow's Feet

Whoever said laughter is the best medicine did not have crow’s feet, those pesky lines that start at the outer corner of the eye and over time fans out and deepens.  The condition for most adults is the first sign of aging. This is because the eye and temple area have less collagen than the rest of the face, and this effect’s the skin’s elasticity. To add insult to injury, this fragile area is prone to sun damage and deteriorates further based on unhealthy habits and poor skincare. Even if you do everything “right” — wear sun block, skip squinting, and vow to never smile again you can’t prevent volume loss, another culprit responsible for this condition. Thankfully, Verve Medical Cosmetics is armed to the teeth with wrinkle fighting solutions. Our arsenal includes: Botox Cosmetic, a powerful medicine that blocks signals from the nerves to the muscles which softens and often…

Intentions for Prevention

We are now into the second month of the New Year, and I have to ask — how many of you stuck to that New Year’s resolution you made about eating better and exercising more? Show of hands please? Hmmm, I thought so. Okay, don’t beat yourself up. Good intentions can pave the way to great health if you take things one-step at a time. Let me brag for a moment. I am vegetarian and amateur athlete. I don’t smoke, I drink in moderation, and yes, I make sure I have plenty of water each day. Nevertheless, it took time to establish healthy habits and make it a part of my everyday life, and I did it in baby steps and so can you. Vow to walk at least once per week and build from there.  Take measures to cut processed foods one meal at a time. Keep a journal…