But a new Botox practice has some women looking younger, clients say.

Smiles already abound at most parties.

But someday soon, Margaret Sandler will attend a Bainbridge bash bereft of crow’s feet and crinkly countenances. That is, as soon as guests enjoy food, drink and a few injections of Botox, administered with care by Sandler, a family nurse practitioner at Bainbridge Family Care Clinic on Hildebrand Lane.

Botox parties are all the rage elsewhere, and will likely be offered here on the island by Sandler once her Botox business grows.

“There’s a science to this,” she said as she marked the forehead of patient Karen Hart in preparation for a treatment. “But there’s also an art.”

Instead of brush, canvas and paint, Sandler uses syringe, skin and Clostridium botulinum to enliven her subjects.

Clostridium botulinum is a naturally occurring neurotoxin that was used to treat migraines and excessive underarm sweating prior to being approved by the FDA in 2002 for cosmetic use.

Now low doses of the substance are injected into facial muscles to temporarily paralyze them, thus reducing the appearance of wrinkles.

Effects of the procedure typically last about four months.

Last year some 3.3 million people received Botox treatments, according to Botox Cosmetic, one of the main commercial producers of the substance.

It’s not entirely new to Bainbridge; the procedure is also offered by a doctor at Virginia Mason Winslow Clinic.

But since Sandler branched out from her more traditional medical practice into the cosmetic field three months ago, she has found plenty of demand for treatments that help people look younger.

She offers glycolic facial peels and microdermabrasion, a technique likened to sandblasting – though less ominous than it sounds – that removes the dead outer layer of skin.

But at about $250 per 10-minute treatment, Botox has by far been the biggest boon to Sandler’s beauty business.

For Hart, an aesthetician in Poulsbo who last week received her second Botox treatment, the benefits far outweigh the cost.

“I’m 100 percent satisfied,” she said, after receiving 13 injections in her forehead. “It doesn’t hurt much and it doesn’t even feel that numb unless you focus on it.”

Beats a facelift

While that may induce cringes among the needle-wary, Hart said Botox is a breeze compared to the “acupuncture facelift” she once endured.

That procedure, she said, included 15 separate needle treatments, was less effective and more painful.

Sandler said Botox is safe, but if performed incorrectly can result in ptosis, a condition in which the eyelids or affected area droops.

It’s not permanent, but that’s little solace to those left with lagging lids.

“You’re stuck with it for a few weeks,” Sandler said, which is why she recommends paying to have the procedure done by someone who’s properly trained.

Hart, who has shunned cheaper Botox businesses like those at malls in favor of Sandler, agrees.

“I’ll go to the mall for shoes,” she said. “But not for Botox.”

So far Sandler said most of her Botox clients have been women, though men are starting to catch on. Patients are typically in their 40s or 50s, but some younger women have taken to “preventative” Botox treatments, preferring to wrest their wrinkles before they reach the surface.

Treatments are especially popular for those looking to spruce up their appearance before a wedding or party.

Still, Sandler admits Botox isn’t for everyone. For some, the results are positive enough that the process can become “a bit addictive.”

It also doesn’t work miracles. Sandler anticipates having to turn patients away if they are too old to warrant having the procedure.

She also thought long about the implications of Botox on stereotypes about youth, beauty and image, but decided there were enough positive benefits to give it a try.

“I’m careful about screening my clients,” she said. “It’s important that people go in with realistic expectations because you’re not going to come out looking like Elle Macpherson or Cindy Crawford.”

But you may come out looking and, in many cases, feeling younger, Sandler said.

“It’s often subtle, but you’ll look more rested,” she said. “It also helps lift people’s spirits. And there’s nothing wrong with that.”