Softer lines and a rested look, with a light hand, so you still look like yourself.
Most people start thinking about Botox when a line stops going away: the two creases between your brows that make you look cross when you aren’t, crow’s feet that stay after the smile has gone, a forehead that looks tired in photos. Botox softens lines like these by relaxing the muscles that make them. Done well, people notice you look rested, without being able to say what changed.
At Pearl, in Chicago’s Lincoln Park, Botox is given by Dr. Colby, who is certified through the American Academy of Facial Esthetics for Botox and fillers. We take the time to understand the look you want, and we’d rather do a little less than too much. Many of our patients come to us for Botox first and stay for their dental care, so the person looking after your smile also knows your face.
“Not only do I trust him 100% when it comes to my dental health he also gave me the best Botox ever! It’s exactly what I asked for and looks so natural!”
We start with the look you want and what you’d like to keep, because that decides where every injection goes. The injections themselves take only a few minutes.
Which lines bother you, what you’d like to keep and anything you’ve had before. We watch how your face moves when you frown, raise your brows and smile.
Medications, supplements and any conditions. Pregnancy and some nerve and muscle conditions mean Botox should wait or isn’t right for you.
Where the injections go, how much movement you’ll keep and what it costs, before anything is done. You’re only offered what you need, and sometimes that’s less than you came in for.
The skin is cleaned, and a very fine needle places small amounts into the chosen muscles. Most people feel a quick pinch at each spot.
Small bumps where the needle went in usually settle within half an hour, so you can go straight back to work, and nobody needs to know where you’ve been.
“I went in for Botox, and Dr. Colby really took his time to understand the look I was going for. He listened carefully, respected that I wanted a natural result, and didn’t try to upsell for any unnecessary treatments.”
Botox is a purified protein, onabotulinumtoxinA, that blocks the signal from a nerve to the muscle it’s placed in. The muscle relaxes, so the skin over it stops folding into the same crease thousands of times a day.
It works best on lines that come from movement, called dynamic wrinkles: frowning, squinting, raising your brows. Lines that stay when your face is still often soften over a few treatments. Deep folds and lost volume are a job for dermal fillers, and we’ll tell you which yours are before suggesting either.
Most often, lines in the upper face, plus the lip flip:
Forehead, frown lines and crow’s feet are often treated together, because the muscles work as a set. We start from the lines you came in about, and suggest more only when your face needs it.
Most people see the first change in three to five days, and the full result in about two weeks. Some people notice it a little sooner, some a little later.
If it’s for a wedding, an event or photos, book at least two weeks ahead, so the result has settled by the day and there’s time for a small adjustment if you want one.
Most people get three to four months from a treatment. Movement comes back gradually, so the effect fades rather than stopping overnight, and nobody sees a sudden change either way.
With regular treatments it can last a little longer for some people, and it can wear off sooner in strong muscles. Most people come back when the lines start to return.
Botox should leave you looking like yourself. The frozen, surprised look people worry about usually comes from too much Botox, or from treating one area without the muscles around it. Given with a light hand, Botox softens lines and leaves your expressions in place.
We plan around your face and the look you’re after, and keep it subtle. If you’re new to Botox, we start lighter, so you see how your face responds, and add a little later if you want more. Botox can’t be taken out once it’s placed, so we’d rather build up than overdo it.
A lip flip is a few small injections of Botox along the border of the upper lip. The muscle there relaxes slightly, so the lip rolls a little outward and more of it shows when you smile, without adding any volume.
It suits an upper lip that seems to disappear when you smile, and can soften a slightly gummy smile. It usually lasts two to three months, less than elsewhere, because the lips move so much. For a few days, drinking through a straw may feel a little different. For more fullness, lip filler is the treatment, and some people have both.
“I first came here for Botox appointments, specifically for my crows feet and to get a lip flip. Dr Colby listened to all of my concerns and had such a light touch.”
Dentists train in the muscles, nerves and blood vessels of the face, from the lips and cheeks to the jaw, and give injections every working day. We also look at how your smile sits in your face.
Dr. Colby is certified through the American Academy of Facial Esthetics for Botox and fillers. And because we look after teeth too, we see the whole smile. If what bothers you in photos is a worn edge or a darker tooth rather than a line, we’ll tell you, even when the answer isn’t Botox.
For the rest of the day:
Work, makeup after a few hours and your usual plans are all fine.
Most side effects are small and short-lived: little bumps where the needle went in, slight redness, and sometimes a small bruise. A mild headache on the first day is not unusual.
Less often, a brow or eyelid can feel heavy or droop slightly if the Botox reaches a nearby muscle. Following the aftercare helps keep it where it was placed, and if it happens, it’s temporary and fades as the Botox wears off, usually within a few weeks. If anything worries you after a treatment, call us.
Sometimes. Botox placed in the masseter, the large chewing muscle at the angle of the jaw, relaxes it, and some people with clenching, grinding or tight, aching jaw muscles find it helps. It’s an off-label use, meaning it isn’t one of Botox’s FDA-approved uses, and it doesn’t treat every jaw problem.
Jaw pain can come from the joint, the muscles, your bite or your teeth, so we look at it as a dental problem first, and treat the cause rather than only the ache. A night guard, which protects your teeth while you sleep, is often where we start.
Not much, for most people. The needle is very fine and each injection takes a second or two; most people describe a quick pinch or a sting that’s gone straight away.
If needles make you nervous, you won’t be the first. Tell us, and we’ll go at your pace and explain each step before it happens.
“I am terrified and nervous of needles . Got the courage to get Botox and it was painless!”
Bring the lines that bother you and the look you want, and we’ll tell you plainly what Botox can do for them, and what it costs, before anything is done. We’re at 1009 W Webster Ave, across from St. Vincent de Paul Church, with street parking nearby.
Dr. Colby James Gerth, DMD, earned his Doctorate in Dental Medicine at Midwestern University and has practiced in Chicago since 2020. He is certified through the American Academy of Facial Esthetics for Botox and fillers, and opened Pearl in Lincoln Park in 2025.
At Pearl Aesthetics & Dentistry, 1009 W Webster Ave, across from St. Vincent de Paul Church. Botox is given by Dr. Colby. Book online, or call (312) 858-7067.
It depends on the areas treated and how much is needed. Botox is usually priced by the unit or by the area, and you’ll know the cost before anything is done. It’s cosmetic, so dental insurance doesn’t cover it.
It depends on the area, the strength of your muscles and the result you want. Frown lines usually need more than a lip flip, for example. We’ll tell you before we start.
Yes, given by a trained injector. Botox has been FDA-approved for frown lines since 2002, and its side effects are usually mild and temporary. Tell us about your medications and health first.
Botox relaxes the muscles that crease the skin, so it suits lines that come from movement. Fillers add volume under the skin, for lips, cheeks and lines that are there at rest. They’re often used together.
The next day. Leave hard exercise, saunas and hot yoga for about 24 hours, so the Botox stays where it was placed.
There’s no set age. Many people start in their late twenties or thirties, when lines begin to stay after the expression has gone. Small, regular amounts can slow those lines from setting in. A good time to start is when a line bothers you, not when you feel you should.
No. Botox isn’t recommended during pregnancy or while breastfeeding, so it’s best to wait until afterward.
Your muscles gradually move as they did before, over a few months. Your lines don’t come back worse than they were.
Not bigger, but more of the lip shows. The upper lip rolls slightly outward as the muscle relaxes. For added volume, lip filler is the treatment.
Something else on your mind? Call (312) 858-7067 or see all our questions and answers.
Book online, or call us with any questions first. We’ll talk through the look you want before anything is decided. There’s street parking nearby.
