What is Botulinum Toxin A?
Botulinum toxin A comes from a bacteria called Clostridium Botulinum. There are different brands of neurotoxins that help to get rid of wrinkles such as Xeomin and Dysport. In very small and controlled amounts, it is carefully injected into muscles that cause wrinkles, temporarily decreasing tension of the muscles and smoothing out the wrinkles.
To understand the science behind how Botulinum Toxin A works, you have to understand how the wrinkles are formed in relations to our facial muscles. Over time and with repetitive facial movements, like squinting, frowning and smiling, our skin develops lines that get deeper and deeper.
The action of Botulinum Toxin A lies at the site where it is injected. When Botulinum Toxin A is injected in the muscle, it stops the signal between the nerve endings and muscle fibers. Blocking this signal decreases or eliminates the contractions of the muscles. No overactive muscle activities and no contractions means no deep wrinkles.
What Areas Can Be Treated?
Frown lines
Crow's feet (lateral sides of the eyes)
Horizontal forehead lines
Bunny lines (wrinkles that form when scrunching up the nose)
Lip lines (smoker's line)
Jaw line (masseter muscle)
Armpits (excessive sweating)
Myth vs Fact:
I heard...
...It's DANGEROUS!
Actually, Botulinum toxin A is astoundingly safe to improve wrinkles when used appropriately. It is probably safer than some of the vitamins you take over the counter. Botulinum toxin A has also been approved to treat lots of medical conditions
...you'll look worse after it wears off!
Completely false. Your face will return back to how it was, if anything, the wrinkles may be less deep as compared to before. Some clients have even said that when the treatement wears off, it helped them to frown less which decreased the development of their wrinkles even further!
...it is addicting! Once you start, you definitely can't stop.
If you are able to stop eating chocolate, you can stop getting botox. Botulinum toxin A has no addictive properties. Similar to the make up you wore today, if you liked how you look with it, you will likely want to wear it tomorrow, however you don't NEED to wear it.
...you will not be able to feel anything at the treated area!
Botulinum toxin A works at the nerve and muscle level to decrease movements. Botulinum toxin A is not a numbing agent. Some may be confused with the inability to fully move certain treated areas (as the muscle is now relaxed) with numbing. If you are stung by a bee there, I promise you will feel the full effect.
...you will be expressionless!
Stop listening to whoever is giving you this information. You will only be expressionless if you were expressionless before you got the anti-wrinkle treatment. When done right, the muscles responsible for the wrinkles will be relaxed just enough to fade out the lines and at the same time still be able to preserved all the expressions that makes you who you are.
...it is PAINFUL!
It would be inaccurate to say that you won't feel anything (although some clients do say that), but it is the smallest of shots. Imagine a flu shot needle to be the size of your pinky, the needle we use for anti-wrinkle injections would be like a toothpick.
When should I start Botulinum Toxin A?
Most people wait until they start to see wrinkles before they seek treatment, but preventative treatment uses Botulinum Toxin A to treat wrinkles before they emerge. By injecting the muscles that typically cause wrinkles around the mouth, eyes, and eyebrows with Botulinum toxin A before they start to develop wrinkles, you are essentially preventing them before they happen.
The Botulinum toxin A slows down the use of those muscles, preventing lines from developing (or at least delaying the development of the lines). One of the most common places for preventative Botulinum toxin A is to the forehead and glabellar area. Preventative anti-wrinkle treatment can prevent deep lines, which can make you look older and tired and are harder to treat once they develop
How Young is Too Young?
If you’re looking for a hard and fast rule about when to start anti-wrinkle treatment, we’re going to disappoint you, because there isn’t one. Although many people start getting preventive treatments in their 20s and 30s, there’s no one “magic” age when you should start getting it.
Instead, you should focus on your skin and its issues. Once you start noticing fine lines beginning to start, that’s when you should consider anti-wrinkle treatment. If you want to prevent the earliest fine lines from becoming full-blown wrinkles, preventative treatments can be the solution.
Botulinum toxin A is approved for patients who are 18 years and older and most experts agree that patients in their mid to late 20s and early 30s are at a good age for preventative anti-wrinkle treatment. It’s unlikely that you’ll have enough lines to worry about earlier than your mid to late 20s, so any earlier than then is probably unnecessary.
Am I a Good Candidate for Preventative Anti-wrinkle treatment?
Again, there’s no hard and fast rule about when you should start Botulinum toxin A, but earlier than your mid-20s is too early. Certain wrinkles are genetic, so once you start noticing fine lines that mimic what you see in your older relatives, you might seek treatment.
A doctor can usually tell if you need preventative Botulinum toxin A simply by looking at your face. If you purse your lips, furrow your brow, or your face is in a permanent frown, they can identify the areas to inject. This helps train your facial muscles to no longer fall into that habit, preventing the formation of deeper or more noticeable wrinkles.
The nice thing about preventative anti-wrinkle treatment is that it helps keep the muscle weak which means you do not need as much Botulinum toxin A as the older you get. Your treatments will last longer and need fewer treatments, as it doesn’t last forever, especially if it’s effective in preventing your wrinkles.
In fact, too much Botulinum toxin A can actually make you look older. Overuse could result in atrophy of your muscles, especially the ones around your eyes, so don’t overdo it, or the results will be the opposite of what you want. Preventative anti-wrinkle treatment should be done at lower doses with about half the regular dose.
It’s also important to note that Botulinum toxin A won’t work for all wrinkles though. If your face is wrinkled due to sun damage or an unhealthy lifestyle, anti-wrinkle treatment can’t help you. You need to do your part to prevent sun damage, eat healthily, and take care of your skin to prevent these types of wrinkles. Botulinum toxin A is meant for wrinkles that you are genetically predisposed too.
What to Expect
Before getting Botulinum toxin A
Do your homework. Select a creditable injector with proper education, training, and certification.
Make an appointment first. That way the provider knows that you are coming and will block out enough time for you (this is especially important if it is your first time).
Stay away from these if you can: NSAIDs (such as aspirin, motrin, advil, naproxen etc.), fish oil.
Lastly, BREATHE, and pat yourself on the back for stepping out of your comfort zone.
On the day
Wash your face with water and soap before leaving the house.
-It is best to arrive without any make up on, however if that is not an option, you can take it off at the clinic.A medical personnel will go through your medical history to make sure that you are medically cleared to get anti-wrinkle treatment. Because this is a medical procedure, it is important to get a good history. There will be consent forms that you will have review and sign.
During the Consultation
Discuss what you want to achieve with the treatment
Discuss any questions or concerns you may have
You may want to think about it and come back, that’s OK!
We will take photos of your face & have you sign a consent form.
Your face will be cleansed again with alcohol wipes to make sure it is bacteria free before the injection.
After the Injection
Your wrinkles will still be there. Don't freak out. It takes at least 2-3 days for the treatment to take effect and 14 days for full effect.
You may see very small tiny dots on your face; these are injection sites that fade shortly after.
Some Do's:
Stay upright for the next 4 hours following injections to avoid spreading of toxin to other areas
Apply ice to the treated area to decrease swelling and potential bruising BUT avoid pressing on the area
Some Don'ts:
(Many enjoy this part:) Avoid exercise or strenuous activities
Drink Alcohol
Avoid massaging or pressure to the treated areas (no hats, headbands, etc.)
Avoid saunas, hot tubs, tanning, or any skin care treatment (microdermabrasion, chemical peels, etc.) for the next 24hrs
Avoid extended UV exposure until the redness/swelling subsides (use sunscreen that is SPF 30 or higher)
No laser treatments to the treated area for at least 2 weeks
How Long Does it Last?
The Short Answer:
3-6 Months (on average 3-4 months)
The Long Answer:
How long it lasts depends on the frequency of the treatment, the dilution, and your individual muscle mass and body's response. If you are on top of your treatment plan and get it done routinely, it is much more difficult for muscles and wrinkles to return to their original state (before you first had your anti-wrinkle treatment). In turn, the botulinum toxin will last longer over time, and you may even see a reduction in the dosing.
Depending on the dilution of the Botulinum toxin A, if the provider hyper dilutes the solution, the amount of botox given may not be as stated (eg. 1 unit may be 0.8 unit) and can result in under-dosing and results not lasting as long. We don’t dilute our products.
The factor that no one can change is how big or small each of our muscle mass is and how fast or slow your body breaks down the Botulinum toxin A protein. Bigger muscles requirer a higher dose and under-dosing can result in wrinkles coming back quicker than desired. Even with average muscle mass, we sometimes see clients stating that the lines are coming back as early as 2 months and as long as 5 months. Ruling out all the factors above, we conclude that these uncommon unpredictable variations of longevity is most likely due to one’s individual processing of anti-wrinkle treatment.