Lines & Wrinkle Treatment
THE COSMETIC USE OF BOTULINUM TOXIN
Crease lines and wrinkles are part of the natural process of ageing and are due to a combination of sun damage, gravity and the muscle actions of laughing, talking, frowning and crying.
Hyperactivity of the facial expression muscles often results in the development of deep frown lines, forehead lines and/or crow’s feet. Injecting botulinum toxin into the affected area temporarily paralyses the underlying muscles responsible for wrinkling, giving the face a more relaxed and pleasant appearance. The wrinkles become smoother or disappear altogether.
WHEN AND HOW LONG DOES BOTULINUM TOXIN WORK?
The initial effects of treatment become visible within 48-72 hours and the maximum effect is reached in 1-2 weeks. A top-up may be required at this stage to reach the required dose level for an acceptable result. Your facial expression will become more relaxed but by no means mask-like and the overall results will be very natural. The effect of treatment generally lasts for 3-4 months, after which time re-treatment will be required.
FROWN LINES
Vertical frown lines between the eyebrows result from overactive muscles, which are also used when concentrating. By drawing the eyebrows inward, one expresses anger, confusion or anxiety. Repeated often enough, permanent skin creases develop and, even when relaxed, these frown lines remain. Relaxation of these overactive brow muscles helps eliminate these lines.
CROW’S FEET
Wrinkles radiating from the corner of the eyes, caused by smiling, laughing or squinting, can be especially distressing to some individuals. Previously, no reasonable medical or surgical solution improved this problem due to the strong underlying muscles. Even with deepest chemical peels or laser resurfacing techniques, rapid recurrence of these lines around the eyes is inevitable. Now botulinum toxin has proved to be effective at preventing the recurrence of these wrinkles by relaxing the underlying muscles.
HORIZONTAL FOREHEAD LINES
Some individuals use different muscles for raising brows, others ‘talk’ with their forehead. A more dilute toxin is used when treating the resulting horizontal forehead lines.