Such injections have become incredibly popular due to the fact that over time, the lower part of the face begins to “sag”, and mimic wrinkles are formed due to involuntary muscle contraction. As a result, face contours and ovals often change as well as the face itself acquires a sad, malicious or even tired expression. Thanks to new advances in cosmetology, it has become possible to rejuvenate the skin quickly and with a guarantee of a long-term result.
More about botulinum toxin
Initially, botulinum toxin injections were introduced in neurology in order to be able to relax the muscles that had stopped contracting due to blocking the nerve impulses passing through the muscle fibers. It was soon noticed that this way wrinkles could disappear for a while. And the usage of botulinum toxin in cosmetology has begun. For 30 years now, many patients have resorted to “beauty injections” that help maintain youthful and fresh skin.
The injection involves the botulinum toxin injection into the skin – the strongest poison which is a product of the vital activity of the bacteria called Clostridium botulinum. However, don’t be scared of such injections. They are completely harmless. Poisoning is impossible due to the use of a tiny dosage of poison, which acts locally. Yet, only an experienced and trained specialist can use this substance.
In modern cosmetology, various botulinum toxin-based drugs are used. Commonly known types are “Xeomin”, “Botox” and “Dysport”. They are the most demanded due to their efficiency and high safety. There are some other drugs – “Lantox”, “Relatox”, etc.
Indications and contraindications
The main indications for injections are:
- The occurence of wrinkles on the face, in the neck and decollete area.
- The need for correction of the corners of the mouth, the shape of the lips and eyebrows.
- Diseases caused by impaired muscle tone.
- Increased sweating.
With all problems mentioned, injections have a significant therapeutic and cosmetic effect.
However, there are a number of cases when it is not allowed to inject botulinum toxin:
- Some blood diseases connected with its coagulability.
- Medication allergy.
- Infection and inflammation in areas of the body that are supposed to be injected.
- Menstruation period.
- Chronic lung and endocrine diseases.
- After-surgery recovery period.
- Strong ptosis (soft tissue prolapse), myasthenia (muscular weakness).
- Pregnancy, breastfeeding period.
- Any disease in the acute phase.
- The use of certain drugs (particularly antibiotics and anticoagulants).
Before prescribing a botulinum toxin injection to a patient, the doctor examines the history and decides whether a patient should undergo the procedure.
How the procedure is carried out
The required medication dose is individually selected for each patient before the procedure. The amount of needed botulinum toxin depends on the depth and intensity of wrinkles, their location, and quantity. A small needle is inserted under the skin, through which a drug is injected into the muscles. Usually, it requires a few shots in the correction zone. In the meantime, a patient mostly doesn’t feel any pain.
When a substance penetrates a muscle, a violation of the conduction of nerve impulses occurs and this muscle stops contracting. Thus, wrinkles become smoother.
The procedure lasts for 5-10 minutes, in some cases – up to 30 minutes, and does not require to stay in a day and night clinic. Moreover, anesthesia is often not even required. After the procedure, it is necessary to make the facial muscles work so that the drug is evenly distributed. There is no recovery period after injections.
In addition to the fact that after the procedure it is recommended to make the muscles (where the drug was injected) contract, it is also necessary to be in an upright position for at least 4 hours, and not to apply make-up or carry out cosmetic procedures in the next 12 hours. Besides, experts advise not to touch the injection spot for about 3-4 hours as well as avoid consuming alcohol and visiting the sauna for 2 weeks. It is also necessary to avoid direct sunlight, heating and physiotherapy procedures during this period.
What happens after the injections
Due to the fact that muscles, in fact, stay in rest, there is smoothing effect of wrinkles around the lips and eyes, on the nose and forehead, in the decollete and neck area (depending on the intended area of correction). Minor wrinkles will be smoothed out completely, and the deepest ones will become less noticeable.
Muscle denervation occurs as early as 3-4 days after the procedure. The complete effect occurs in about two weeks. This result is reversible, since after 6-9 months the functions of neuromuscular conduction are restored. If you carry out such a procedure 1-2 times a year, you can forget about many wrinkles. Besides, the effect becomes more distinct and sustainable with each subsequent procedure.
This correction method helps people with facial asymmetry resulting from facial paresis or muscle aplasia. The drug is perfectly combined with products based on hyaluronic acid and collagen. These natural polymers are better absorbed by the tissues as well as taken up more effectively.
The rumor goes that injections of botulinum toxin can turn a face into a mask. If the procedure is performed by a qualified specialist with relevant experience, then such risks are reduced to almost zero chance.
Possible consequences after the procedure
Insignificant consequences are possible as a result of the introduction of botulinum toxin. These include:
- Slight pain in the puncture area.
- Discomfort.
- Hematoma in the injection area.
- Soft tissue swelling.
These phenomena usually disappear within a week.
*There are minimal risks to this procedure. The asymmetry of movements of facial muscles and face can be provoked. However, as it was mentioned above – the risks are negligible providing that the procedure is carried out with help of high-quality drug by a highly experienced qualified specialist.
*The effect, result, risks, and recovery period depend on the individual peculiarities of the human body.
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