Muscle relaxant facial wrinkle treatments

“Muscle relaxant facial wrinkle treatments” use a substance known as botulinum toxin A.

• a most effective and popular therapy for smoothing lines & wrinkles, for young and old alike — although it does not work quite as well in people over 60s, where the muscles are laxer and the wrinkles deeper;
• linked with food poisoning and bacterial warfare! But the dose used here is tiny, and carefully placed just beneath the skin onto the small muscles of facial expression;
• works by blocking the nerve impulses and putting the muscle movements into a sort of hibernation;
• has been used since 1978 as an accepted and licensed form of hospital treatment for squints, headaches and spasms;
• the drug license is still awaited in the UK for cosmetic therapy but has been granted in the US and France (delay here is more about fears of possible costs to the NHS, than safety and effectiveness.

Excellent results are achieved with

• Frown creases —with the deep ‘11 lines’ between the eyebrows. You can actually lose the frowning habit. Many would agree that frowning and snarling is not a pleasant habit, and tends to spoil the beauty and serenity of the face;
• ‘Bunny lines’ – bridge and sides of the nose;
• ‘Worry lines’ — horizontal forehead wrinkles;
• ‘Laughter lines’ (crow’s feet) radiating away from the eyes;
• Face generally becomes more relaxed, smooth and youthful. ‘smokers lip’ lines;
• Fewer headaches or a feeling of inner calmness — some patients report;
• Chin crease;
• Prevents all these lines getting deeper, especially if you keep it up with 2 or 3 treatments a year;
• Neck-bands –vertical.

Before	After

Prior to your treatment, which only takes about 10 minutes, you will have a consultation to ensure that muscle relaxant facial wrinkle treatment is the most appropriate treatment for you. We will decide the number of areas to be treated, address any questions and concerns you may have and agree a price.

I will ask you to frown hard, so that I can see the pattern of frown and forehead movements. The injections with a very fine needle take about 10 minutes and are slightly stingy; normal activities can be resumed immediately. It will take effect within 3-5 days and you should notice that it becomes more difficult to frown. Inadvertent frowning may also stop. After 1–2 weeks, the muscle should be nearly ‘asleep’.

Good results are obtained after a single treatment, but occasionally if you have well-exercised and developed frown muscles you may require more than the usual injection amount or may require minor adjustments as a ‘top-up’. But it is better to inject a lesser amount of the drug, and if necessary, add more later. The effects should last for about 3-5 months (average 4 months) dependent on skin type, depth of lines, and if you have had treatment previously.

Muscle relaxant facial wrinkle treatments however will not improve static wrinkles due to skin thinning etc. Other types of management will be required such as ‘Skin Fillers, acidic ‘skin peels’, or cosmetic surgery. However, these processes vary in effectiveness – and how long they last. They treat the effect rather than the cause; the ‘damage’ has already been done, and continues to be done.

Remember, the aim of the treatment is for an improvement, not perfection.
(All the other facial muscles can still be used normally, and skin sensation is unaffected.)
Price: £150–290 –depending on the number of areas.

Do not have treatment. if you are pregnant, or are on blood thinning or ‘Calcium-blocker’ drugs.

PRECAUTIONS

For the first 4 hours after treatment avoid:

• poking or massaging the treated area (use gentle movements when cleansing the face)
• vigorous exercise and sun-beds;
• lying flat for a nap;
• wearing a tight hat.

Possible temporary Side Effects:

(Allergic reactions to muscle relaxing injections fortunately do not occur.)

As with any injection there is the risk of:

• slight redness, tiny bumps, swelling and tenderness at the injection site and lasting up to a few hours;
• a little bruising (occasionally) which fades away in days.
• Very occasionally you may experience drooping of your eyebrow, which could last for a few weeks. In the meantime, a carefully placed small dose can usually rebalance brows. Some older patients, because of the poor tone of the muscle, may feel heaviness over the eyebrows. This can last for a week or so; usually a lower dose prevents this.
• Eyelid droop, fortunately, is extremely rare.
• Fleeting headache is possible.

After receiving treatment you may subconsciously attempt to produce your usual facial expressions in the temporarily weakened area by recruiting neighboring muscles. This can occasionally uncover hidden ‘sleep lines’but these can be improved with Fillers.

Sweat-blocking Armpit treatment also available.