UNNECESSARY EMOTIONS CAN BE “TURNED OFF”
Our skin is inevitably aging: it is affected by genetics, lifestyle, general health, external factors, such as photoaging (ultraviolet radiation from the sun is the most destructive factor).
Wrinkles are formed in areas where the skin adapts to muscle movement: around the eyebrows and the outer corners of the eyes and lips, in the nasolabial fold. Wrinkles most often reflect the emotions we experience. If we laugh often, the crow's feet around the outer corners of the eyes will become the signature feature with age, while frowning will create wrinkles that will show it on the face.
Creases, wrinkles and bumps appear quite early, because we grimace, experience different emotions, from the childhood, but they disappear – all we need to do is to change our facial expression. However, over time, the wrinkles on the face tend not to smooth out completely.
IMPORTANT
The “youth injections” are mostly done by middle-aged people. Botulinum toxin A is effective for women and men with already pronounced wrinkles. In men, the wrinkle network is more developed, therefore, botulinum toxin A is injected more often, and the dose is larger.
WORK NOT WITH THE VOLUME, BUT THE WRINKLES
Botulinum toxin A is a drug that has a muscle relaxant effect. It is used to relax facial muscles, allowing you to significantly reduce the severity of dynamic wrinkles.
The drug relaxes the muscles, they stop contracting, and visually the wrinkle is smoothed, but does not disappear. Botulinum toxin A will help smooth out wrinkles if the interbrow area (glabellar lines) are very active while making facial expressions – the muscles giving a gloomy look are blocked. You can correct facial wrinkles in the eye area ("crow's feet"), as well as raise the line of eyebrows, which will make the eyes more open.
The mechanism is simple: botulinum toxin A blocks the transmission of nerve impulses, blocks the release of neurotransmitters. And as a result, the muscles DO NOT contract, wrinkles are smoothed out. Botulinum toxin A does not create volume and cannot fill soft tissue defects. Therefore, where it is necessary to smooth the skin and where volume is needed, for example, in the nasolabial fold or for lip augmentation, fillers are used.
IMPORTANT
Botulinum toxin A is not an alternative to plastic surgery, it is a medical manipulation that allows you to reduce visual defects - wrinkles, creases of the skin. Unlike filler injections, Botulinum toxin A injections do not change the volume of soft tissues and cannot fill uneven skin.
Only a certified doctor is allowed to perform the manipulation.
WHO CANNOT RECEIVE BOTULINUM TOXIN A INJECTIONS?
- Pregnant women;
- Women who are breastfeeding or during lactation period;
- People with herpes and local skin diseases in places where injections are necessary;
- People with oncological diseases;
- People with viral and infectious diseases in the acute phase.
Before the procedure, you must consult a doctor. And also tell him about:
- Allergic diseases;
- Autoimmune diseases (for example, thyroid diseases, etc.);
- Recurrent herpes (in order to take an antiviral medicine in advance)
Inform your doctor about the use of the following drugs and supplements:
- Vitamin E
- Anticoagulants and antiplatelet agents
These drugs cause increased bleeding, so they can cause unwanted bruising after injections.
IMPORTANT
Tell the doctor which botulinum toxin A preparation was given to you last time if you have received injections in another clinic.
WARNINGS AND QUESTIONS
How to prepare yourself for the procedure?
Botulinum toxin A and fillers are sometimes referred to as the “lunchtime procedures” because they do not require special preparation. However, plan the manipulations with a certain margin of time - 5-7 days. Do not plan a procedure on the eve of a trip or an important event. You cannot use alcohol before or after the procedure!
What will happen immediately after the procedure?
Within 3-5 days you need to refrain from visiting the solarium, tanning in the sun, getting facial massages, doing sports, going to the dentist. Avoid other facial treatments that day.
In the first hours after injections of Botulinum toxin A, you should not bend over, take a horizontal position and rub the injection sites so that the drug remains at the injection site.
How long does the procedure take?
The duration of the procedure is about 30 minutes. The doctor examines the skin and facial features at rest and the tension of the facial muscles. The needles used to administer the drug are very thin, the pain during injection is minimal.
IMPORTANT: Many people think that Botulinum toxin A is a poison that can turn your face into a motionless mask. The drugs registered in Latvia are practically safe and are intended for use according to indications. However, in order not to get an undesirable effect (hyper correction) - drooping eyebrows, ptosis of the eyelids, mask-like face – the manipulation should be carried out by a certified doctor. Injections of Botulinum toxin A to correct facial wrinkles should not be carried out under the age of 18 years.
When will the full effect be visible?
The effect of relaxing wrinkles can be seen 2-5 days after the injection. In some patients, the result is already visible on the first day. The face after the injection looks natural and young, the appearance does not change. During a study this was noted by 100% of women. The maximum effect of wrinkle relaxation occurs at 5-6 weeks. You can go through several treatment sessions.
How long does Botulinum toxin A last?
The drug blocks the transmission of a nerve impulse to the muscle. The muscle retains all its functionality, but does not receive the momentum necessary for contraction. Thus, the movement of muscles stops, and the appearance of facial wrinkles becomes less pronounced. Over time, this effect disappears as the transmission path is restored. The effect lasts approximately 4-6 months and depends on the physiological characteristics of the body. If a person leads an active lifestyle and their metabolism is accelerated, the drug may could stop working earlier.
What can and cannot be done between Botulinum toxin A injection sessions?
Be sure to moisturize your skin. The daily use of moisturizers helps maintain the right moisture balance and smoothes wrinkles even more.
Use sunscreen. Photoaging combines the loss of pigmentation and skin elasticity with the destruction of its texture. To prevent the effects of photoaging, it is necessary to use sunscreen for the skin daily.
To maintain beauty, sleep is important. Poor sleep quality enhances the signs of skin aging. Lack of sleep causes more negative feelings due to the overall appearance.
In the interval between botulinum toxin A injections, it is better to avoid:
- smoking (it accelerates skin aging up to 5 years, as proven by medical research),
- consumption of refined sugars (high glucose in food leads to a decrease in skin elasticity and premature aging of the face),
- alcohol (it dehydrates the body, including the skin, causes various inflammations, damages the skin barrier, leading to dryness and coarsening of its texture).
