BOTOX wrinkle treatment

 

You no longer have to resort to plastic surgery to remove your wrinkles and look younger. Botox® has been used for many years to achieve the same effect. It is a medical product produced by Clostridium botulinum bacteria. It is used to treat wrinkles on the forehead, in the nasal area, in outer corners of the eyes and on the neck.

How does one treat wrinkles with botulinum toxin?

Botox has been used in medicine for a long time. It was initially applied in such fields as ophthalmology (to treat strabismus) and neurology. After years of research and observation, its effects were harnessed to eliminate wrinkles or treat hyperhidrosis. The amounts of this substance used in aesthetic medicine are about 1000 times smaller than the toxic dose. Botox blocks neuromuscular junctions, thus temporarily paralyzing muscles preventing their contraction. Because of that the skin does not fold, which means no wrinkles.

Over time, muscles fully regain their functions, so the wrinkle smoothing effect is not permanent.

What patients can use Botox in wrinkle treatment?
 

There are some strict counterindications for Botox treatments: These include:

- pregnancy

- breast-feeding

- postpartum period

- certain nervous system diseases such as myasthenia gravis

- Botox allergy

- blood clotting disorders

- inflammatory skin disorders

Make sure to always inform your doctor of any medicines you take (patients on some antibiotics and antiarrhythmics may not undergo the treatment).

An ideal age for this procedure is 18 to 65 years of age. 
 

Description of the procedure
 

Botox  is applied in ambulatory care settings. The whole procedure takes several minutes only. First, the skin is disinfected. Then Botox is applied through a thin needle into specific sites under the skin. Most frequently these are the forehead and eye area. An experienced specialist can eliminate even very slight facial asymmetries, or smooth out the early smoking wrinkles appearing on the upper lip.

Are there any limitations following the wrinkle treatment procedure?
 

Yes, of course. Once we have applied the botulinum toxin solution, we must make sure it does not migrate and affect other muscles. Up to 4 hours after the surgery, the patient should not bend over or lie down. You should also avoid scratching the site of Botox application. For up to 7 seven days, avoid sunbeds and massages.

 

Is it possible that no effects of the treatment will be visible? 
 

This happens extremely rarely. For instance, people who in the past have been exposed to small concentrations of botulinum toxin may have developed antibodies. Another reason may be using a sunbed on the first few days following the procedure. 

 

How long do the effects of Botox last?
 

These periods may be different. After the first application, the effects last for about 3-4 months. With each subsequent application, the period will be longer, even up to one year. The more frequently you use Botox, the longer you will benefit from the effect. However, there is no guarantee it will last more than a year. Because of that, you must undergo at least one treatment a year. You should also learn how to abstain from using certain facial muscles, which will help sustain the effect. With deep wrinkles, where collagen fibres have been damaged, complete wrinkle elimination is impossible, though some reduction can be achieved. In such cases Botox, should be used in conjunction with a suitable filler, such as collagen or hyaluronic acid. 

Indications:

• Crow’s feet reduction

• Wrinkle reduction 

• Radial wrinkles elimination

• Elimination of unsatisfactory facial expression (e.g. drooping mouth corners) 

• Treatment of hyperhidrosis (armpits, hands, feet, face)

Effects

• Temporary: 3-9 months

Procedure duration

• 10 minutes at most
  Procedure

Applying Botox® is painless. It is done straight into the muscle responsible for a given wrinkle. A very thin needle is used to accomplish that. During the injection you may experience a short lasting burning sensation. Directly after the treatment, you may have reddened skin. These symptoms will disappear spontaneously within an hour at most. You can go back to your everyday activities right after the procedure.

Effects

They will be visible after 3 to 10 days. Your skin will be more flexible and the wrinkles – shallower. After approx. 2 weeks the effect becomes fully visible and lasts from 3 to even 12 months, depending on how often you repeat the procedure. The effect will last longer with frequent treatments. The results are sex-independent. It is true, however, that men may require application of higher doses of Botox. 

Complications

Very rarely a headache may appear which will disappear after 2 days at most. In some very rare cases, patients experience eyelid drooping which is also a very short-lasting symptom (disappearing after 3 days at most). Some other equally rare complications may include: flu-like symptoms, redness, local swelling around the injection site, nausea, muscle weakness, double vision.  

List of the preparations we use:

• Botox

• Bocouture

• Azzalure