What are anti-wrinkle injections and what are they used for?
Anti-wrinkle injections are made of a natural, purified protein and neurotoxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. Botox injections block certain chemical signals from nerves, mostly signals that cause muscles to contract. The most common use of these injections is to temporarily relax the facial muscles that cause wrinkles in the forehead and around the eyes. The injections work by relaxing certain wrinkle-causing muscles to produce a younger and fresher appearance.
As you get older, the effects from frowning, squinting and the movement of our muscles from facial expressions cause folds and creases to form. With age, our skin naturally becomes less elastic, causing these wrinkles to stay permanently on our face, at rest or when expressing.
Anti-wrinkle injections are a quick and simple, non-surgical solution to facial wrinkles and fine lines. The injections weaken facial muscles causing them to relax, resulting in in a smooth and younger looking complexion. They are most commonly used on the crows feet, forehead and frown, but can also improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles to the lower face, e.g. smokers lines, neck bands and around the mouth. Anti-wrinkle injections may also be used in the treatment of excessive sweating (also known as hyperhidrosis), especially to the palms and underarms. Outside the cosmetic sphere there are medical uses for anti-wrinkle injections e.g. for achalasia.
Anti-wrinkle injections are not used in the same way as dermal fillers as they do not ‘’plump’’ the skin. Anti-wrinkle injections provide a more natural look than Dermal fillers and work differently as they target the muscle as oppose to volumising the skin.
The history behind anti-wrinkle injections
BOTOX® Cosmetic and Bocoture can prevent the use of facial muscles in areas prone to wrinkling. Expressions such as frowning and squinting cause the muscles to repeatedly contract and cause deep wrinkles to develop in the brow and between the eyes. Botox and Bocoture are in the form of the neurotoxin botulinum type-A, and works by temporarily relaxing these muscles, thereby smoothing lines and producing a more rejuvenated complexion.
What issues do BOTOX® and Bocoture help with?
A Plastic Surgeon called Dr Richard Clarke was the first to document a cosmetic use for botulinum toxin. He treated forehead asymmetry caused by left sided forehead nerve paralysis that occurred during a cosmetic facelift or Bell’s Palsy. Nerves can take up to 2 years to recover, a two-year waiting period was necessary before definitive surgical treatment could be done. The first use of the toxin was in 1980 for a youth with cross eyes. In 1989, the US Food and Drug Administration approved the substance for several childhood conditions: crossed eyes, twitchy eyelids and involuntary facial twitching as well as the cosmetic use for which is most popular today.
The first approval for cosmetic use was in 2002 for glabellar lines. Glabella lines are the horizontal forehead creases. 2 years on and it was approved for treatment of hyperhidrosis, this is excessive sweating (most commonly in the hands and feet). In 2010, it was approved for treatment of chronic migrane. In 2011 it was used in urinary incontinence due to neurological conditions added.
Anti-Wrinkle injections have become increasingly popular in the Belfast area over the last 10 years. At Balmoral Aesthetics Belfast you can book in for your treatment now.
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