Neuromodulators

AT A GLANCE

Neuromodulators are injectable botulinum toxin type A treatments that relax targeted facial muscles to soften frown lines, forehead lines, and crow’s feet. At Santa Barbara Face & Body in Santa Barbara, California, a board-certified facial plastic surgeon performs every treatment. Smoothing usually begins within a few days and lasts about three to four months.

A neuromodulator is a purified botulinum toxin type A, injected in small amounts to relax the muscles that fold skin into expression lines. It treats the frown lines between the brows, horizontal forehead lines, and the crow’s feet beside the eyes.

What it does

Expression lines form where a muscle folds the skin in the same place thousands of times. Relax that muscle a little and the fold eases, which is why a neuromodulator works on lines you make when you move and a filler works on volume you have lost. The two are often planned together, and you can plan them alongside filler in one visit.

The result people ask for most is the one worth naming plainly: softer lines with a face that still looks like yours. Placement decides that. Enough to ease the fold, not so much that the brow goes flat or the smile changes.

Individualized the product and dose chosen to fit your anatomy, movement, and goals

How it works

1. Dr. Pontius maps your movement. You frown, lift, and squint while she watches which muscles pull where. The map is yours, not a template. 2. A few precise injections. A fine needle places small doses into the muscles that drive the lines. Most treatments take a few minutes. 3. It settles over about two weeks. You feel nothing holding you back; the muscle simply eases. Smoothing starts within a few days and reaches its full effect around two weeks.

A few days when most people first see lines start to soften

How your treatment is individualized

Several botulinum toxin type A products are FDA-approved in the United States, including Botox, Dysport, Xeomin, Daxxify, Jeuveau and Letybo. They differ in formulation and dosing, and their units are not interchangeable. Dr. Pontius selects the product, dose and placement based on each patient’s anatomy, movement, treatment goals and prior response.

The product and dose are chosen with your history, anatomy, and goals in front of the physician, and adjusted over time based on how you respond.

Areas we treat

Neuromodulator treatment can be used throughout the face and neck, with dosing and placement individualized to facial anatomy, muscle activity and treatment goals.

Upper face

Forehead lines, glabellar/frown lines and crow’s feet can be softened while maintaining natural expression and careful attention to brow position and balance.

Lower face & neck

Targeted treatment of the DAO, mentalis, jawline and platysma can help soften downward pull, improve chin dimpling, refine the lower face and address prominent platysmal bands. Treatment along the jawline and platysma is sometimes referred to as a “Nefertiti lift.” Results are generally subtle and depend on individual anatomy.

Masseters

In appropriate patients, treatment of the masseter muscles may reduce excessive muscle activity associated with jaw clenching and can also soften a widened or strongly muscular lower-face contour.

Hyperhidrosis

Botulinum toxin may also be used to reduce excessive underarm sweating.

Why Santa Barbara Face & Body

Dr. Pontius is a board-certified facial plastic surgeon with more than two decades of injection experience and has served for more than a decade as a principal investigator in FDA clinical trials evaluating next-generation dermal fillers and aesthetic treatments. Her approach favors precision and restraint, softening unwanted lines while preserving natural facial movement.

20+ years of injection experience behind every treatment plan

A good fit if you

See lines when you frown, lift your brow, or smile that linger a little longer each year
Want softening that keeps your natural expression
Are looking to slow lines before they set in, as well as soften ones you have

Worth talking through first if you

What to expect

Most patients return to normal daily activities immediately. Temporary redness, small injection-site bumps or occasional bruising can occur. Patients receive individualized post-treatment instructions before leaving the office.

What it costs

Neuromodulator treatment is priced according to the product and dose used. Because the appropriate dose varies with facial anatomy, muscle strength, treatment area and individual goals, treatment plans and cost are individualized.

What it is: Injectable botulinum toxin type A
FDA-approved areas: Frown lines, forehead lines, crow's feet, neck bands
Onset: A few days, full effect around two weeks
Duration: About three to four months
Downtime: None for most people
Placed by: Dr. Allison Pontius, board-certified facial plastic surgeon

Will my face look frozen?

Not when it is dosed for movement. The goal is to ease the muscle that folds the line, not to switch it off. A face that still moves is the point, and it is what keeps the result looking like you rather than like a treatment.

How long does it last?

For most people the smoothing holds about three to four months, then eases back gradually as the muscle returns to its normal activity. Many patients settle into a rhythm of a few treatments a year once they see how their own muscles respond.

When will I see it working?

Smoothing usually starts within a few days and reaches its full effect around two weeks. If an event is coming up, planning a treatment two to three weeks ahead gives it room to settle.

Is there any downtime?

For most people, none. You can return to work the same day. Small red marks where the needle went in can show up briefly and fade within a few hours.

What is the difference between the botulinum toxin products?

FDA-approved botulinum toxin type A products — including Botox, Dysport, Xeomin, Daxxify, Jeuveau, and Letybo — all relax the same muscles but differ in how quickly they show, how long they tend to last, and how they are dosed, and their units are not interchangeable. Dr. Pontius selects and doses based on your anatomy, movement, goals, and prior response, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.

Does it hurt?

Very little for most people. The needle is fine and the injections are shallow and quick, so patients tend to describe brief pinpricks rather than pain.