Neuromodulators in Alpharetta
A neuromodulator is an injected protein that temporarily reduces the contraction of specific facial muscles. It works on the lines that appear when you move — forehead, between the brows, around the eyes — and does nothing at all for lines that are etched in at rest. That distinction matters more than anything else about this treatment, because it is the single most common reason someone is disappointed with a result they were told to expect.
What it is
The injected protein blocks the signal traveling from a nerve ending to the muscle fiber it controls. The muscle is not paralysed in the way people imagine and it is not damaged; it simply receives less instruction to contract, and it contracts less forcefully as a result. The effect is dose-dependent and it is confined to the muscles actually injected.
Because the skin above a treated muscle stops being folded as hard, the crease it was making softens over the following one to two weeks. Placement is the whole craft: the same units in slightly different positions produce a natural result, an over-flat forehead, or a brow that sits lower than it did. That is why an assessment of how your face moves comes before any decision about where the injections go.
What it feels like
A series of quick, sharp pinches, each lasting about a second. Most people describe it as less uncomfortable than they expected and considerably less than a blood draw. No numbing is used for the standard upper-face areas because the needle is finer than the numbing needle would be. The whole appointment takes about fifteen minutes, most of which is assessment.
Downtime
None that stops you going back to work. Expect small raised bumps at each injection point for fifteen to thirty minutes, and pinpoint redness for an hour or two. Bruising occurs in a minority of treatments, most often around the eyes, and takes three to seven days to fade.
How long it lasts
Three to four months for most people at a standard dose. A first treatment sometimes wears off closer to ten weeks; treatments after that tend to last longer as the muscle gradually reduces its baseline activity. Heavy exercise and a fast metabolism both shorten it, and there is nothing anyone can do about either.
Who it’s for — and who it isn’t
A good fit
- Lines that are clearly present on movement and clearly absent when your face is completely still.
- Someone who wants softening rather than the removal of all movement, and is willing to be assessed rather than to order units.
- Excessive underarm sweating, which uses the same molecule for a different purpose and is described on its own page.
Not a fit
- Lines that are visible when your face is at rest. A neuromodulator will barely touch those, and if that is what you are pointing at we will say so and talk about resurfacing or support instead.
- Anyone who wants no movement at all across the upper face. That result is achievable and it is not one this practice produces.
- Anyone treated elsewhere within the last eight weeks. Layering onto a result that has not settled is how people end up somewhere they did not intend to be.
Who performs it here
Jordan Keel
MSN, NP-C
Founder & Lead Injector
Practices under a nurse protocol agreement with, and under the medical direction of, Anita Rao, MD.
Camille Duarte
RN, BSN
Aesthetic Nurse Injector
Performs delegated medical treatments under the medical direction and standing orders of Anita Rao, MD.
Sydney Pham
PA-C
Physician Assistant, Injector
Practices under a job description approved by, and under the medical direction of, Anita Rao, MD.
What it costs
We do not publish per-unit pricing, and the reason is not coyness. The number of units that suits your anatomy is decided at the exam, and a figure quoted beforehand pressures both of us toward a bigger number to make it look like value. You get a written plan with a total at your consultation, and the consultation is free.
Questions about neuromodulators
How long until I see anything?
The first change is usually visible on day three or four, and the result is settled by day fourteen. We book a review at two weeks for first-time patients specifically so that any adjustment is made at the right moment rather than guessed at.
How long does it last?
Three to four months at a standard dose, and there is genuine individual variation either side of that. Anyone quoting six months is describing a dose most faces do not want.
Will I look frozen?
Not unless you ask for it and we agree, and mostly we will not agree. Softening is a dose and a placement decision, and the difference between softened and immobile is a conversation we have at the exam rather than a setting on a machine.
What is the difference between this and filler?
A neuromodulator changes what a muscle does. Filler adds or supports volume. They treat different problems, they are frequently confused, and asking for one when you need the other is the most common mismatch we correct at a consultation.
Can I exercise afterwards?
Wait about four hours before lying flat, rubbing the area, or a hard workout. The reasoning is to avoid moving the product away from where it was placed while it is still binding. After that day, normal activity is fine.