Our expressions are part of who we are, but as we age our faces don’t always communicate what we want them to! The muscles of the face allow us to express a range of emotions but repetitive movements over time lead to folds and wrinkles that alter the appearance of the face. These lines, particularly in the frown area and outer corners of the eyes can cause our faces to look old, tired or angry (even when we are not!)
Wrinkle reduction injections are a dilute substance called botulinum toxin that is designed to smooth away wrinkles and lines of the face and neck and is generally well tolerated at low cosmetic doses. They allow the untreated areas to move as normal. You will still be able to laugh, smile and frown, just with less wrinkling of skin in the treated areas. Wrinkle reduction injections work well on wrinkles that ‘come-and-go’ with muscle movement. They do not work on wrinkles that are pre-existing; it can only be used to soften these areas. Nurse Nuala Naughton has 25 years experience.
The botulinum toxin which is used may also treat some medical conditions such as bruxism (teeth grinding) and excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis).
Wrinkle reduction injections are useful for:
• Frown lines (11’s),
• Smile lines (around the eyes)
• Forehead lines
• Scrunching ‘Bunny lines’ of the nose
• Chin Crinkling
• Downward pull of the mouth
• Neck wrinkles
• Teeth grinding (bruxism)
• Excessive sweating of the hands, feet, under arms and face
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Are wrinkle reduction injections painful?
Most clients do experience some discomfort during the treatment, but it is mild and temporary, lasting a few seconds.
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How long is the treatment?
Please allow 30 minutes to an hour for the doctor and nurse to take a full medical assessment. The actual injections take approximately 2-5 mins per area.
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Are their side effects?
Bruising, swelling and tenderness at the injections site are common. A headache can occur that settles within 2-4 days.
Uncommon side effects are muscle imbalances, product tolerance and adjacent muscle compensation. These effects usually settle over a few weeks and are not permanent.
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How many treatments will I need?
After your first treatment, we recommend you return to the clinic after two weeks to assess if we need to administer more product to the area. We would rather under treat on the first occasion than over treat.
Muscle movement will return after 3 months; however it may be sooner for some. We advise treating the area every 12 weeks.
Crow’s feet are the fine lines and wrinkles that appear around the eyes. It is natural for crow’s feet to develop as we age and lose collagen.
Bunny lines are known as lines along the nose that form when we ‘scrunch’ our nose up.
Frown lines appear as 2 deep furrow lines between the brows and are visible when we frown. They become more pronounced as the skin thins and ages.
Forehead wrinkles run horizontally across the forehead and are caused by frequent muscle movement. They also become more pronounced as collagen diminishes during the ageing process.
Teeth grinding can be painful and cause the masseter muscles to over-develop. When these muscles over-develop, they can become more pronounced. Masseters can be treated to assist with discomfort from grinding as well as aesthetics.
Part of treatment of aging of the lower face is to treat the neck. Some individuals have strong platysma bands. These are the muscles that pull the bottom of the face down and can be seen best when opening the lower mouth wide and down. A strong platysma pulls down and can contribute to the jowls and lower face and neck ageing. These muscles are often very strong in desk workers. Wrinkle reduction injections to the neck muscles can create lift in the lower part of the face, and the treatment is often called the “Nefertiti lift.’
An overactive chin muscle can cause dimpling of the chin and an orange peel appearance. Relaxing this muscle with wrinkle reduction injections can elongate the lower part of the face and also help with puckering from acne scarring in the area.
The depressor angular oris muscle pulls down the corners of the mouth. It can lead to a sad face and the appearance of ageing. Treatment of the DAO allows an upturning of the bottom lip.
1. Come to your appointment makeup free - Your skin will be cleaned with an antiseptic before you get wrinkle reduction injections, so please come to your appointment with nothing on your skin. If you wear makeup, it will have to be removed before commencing the treatment.
2. Stay still but pay attention - If you are afraid of needles, don't make yourself writhe with discomfort by thinking about them. Distract your mind with other thoughts and focus on your breath. The wrinkle reduction injections will be over before you know it. Try and stay as still as possible but please pay follow your nurse/doctor’s instructions. He/she will tell you to smile, relax, frown and so on throughout the injecting process.
3. Use an ice pack – Ice is important before, during, and after wrinkle reduction injections as it can help reduce any potential signs of bruising
1. Don't touch your skin where you have been injected. Avoid rubbing and massaging the treated area for at least 24 hours because you don't want to make the wrinkle reduction injections spread to other unintended muscles.
2. Avoid strenuous physical activity for 12-24 hours.
3. Avoid consuming alcohol for 24-48 hours.
4. Avoid getting facials, chemical peels, microdermabrasion and other skin treatments for 24 hours post wrinkle reduction injections.
5. Avoid taking the blood thinning medications for 24-48 hours. Paracetamol is a safe fir headache/pain relief).
6. If you get bruising from wrinkle reduction injections, topical treatments such as vitamin K and Arnica can help. Alternatively you can get Vbeam, pulsed-dye, or KTP laser treatments to make the bruising reduce faster. Green or yellow concealers can also help cover up bruising.
7. Please ensure you make a follow up appointment for 2 – 4 weeks after treatment.
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