The decision to get Botox is one many are weighing right now, and the experience of one doctor might help you make up your mind.
Dr. Bita Farrell gained attention in June last year after volunteering to be her own “lab rat” to demonstrate the effects of botulinum toxin, the active ingredient in Botox. While Botox is primarily used for medical purposes, its cosmetic benefits have become widely recognized.
Botox works by temporarily paralyzing the muscles in the face, which results in smoother-looking skin. While it’s crucial to understand the science behind Botox, Dr. Farrell’s Instagram video provides a real-life look at the effects and the process.
The doctor detailed the results (drbitaaesthetics/Instagram)
A medical expert decided to explore the effects of injecting only half of her face.
The physician, who trained and worked as a Clinical Professor at UCLA, brings over 20 years of injection experience—so she certainly knows her craft.
Dr. Farrell injected herself two weeks before filming the video, targeting the lower muscles on the right side of her face with Botox.
She focused on the DAO muscle, responsible for pulling the corners of the mouth down, and the platysma muscle, which plays a role in facial expressions and mouth movements.
“Now, two weeks later, I’m showing you the results as I try to contract the muscles in my lower face,” she explained to her followers.
The results were quite telling: the medic struggled to move the right side of her face, while the left side was much more expressive.
Dr. Farrell explained, “You can observe how the platysma muscle on this [left] side is contracting and pulling my jawline down, along with my DAO, which is pulling the corners of my mouth downward.”
He went on to clarify the effect of Botox in the caption: “Facial muscles either pull up or pull down. When the muscles that pull the lower face down (platysma and DAO) are injected with a neuromodulator like Botox, the muscle that lifts the mid-face (zygomaticus, or cheek muscle) takes over, lifting the face.”
“This process can help reduce the visibility of marionette lines, jowls, frown lines (resting b**ch face or ‘sad face’), and nasolabial folds. It also lifts the neck, enhances the jawline, and can make the cheeks appear fuller and more lifted.”
