Botox on the forehead: how many injections are needed and how many units of the drug

The consequence of active facial expressions - expressions of surprise, admiration, dissatisfaction - are wrinkles on the forehead and in the area between the eyebrows. Every day, unbeknownst to ourselves, we frown and raise our eyebrows, which negatively affects the condition of our skin. Constant muscle tension leads to the fact that facial wrinkles become pronounced and noticeable even under a layer of corrective products.

The procedure of botulinum therapy - Botox injections - allows you to smooth out wrinkles and give your face a calm, rested look.

Botox for forehead wrinkles - what is this procedure?

A Botox injection blocks nerve impulses transmitted to muscle tissue. The muscle relaxes, which leads to restoration of symmetry and smoothing of wrinkles. The skin remains smooth for a long time.

Regular injections of the drug (first every six months, then once a year) maintain the muscles in a certain condition. The cumulative effect of botulinum therapy persists even if you stop taking injections.

In cosmetology practice, Botox helps remove:

Eyebrow wrinkle Wrinkles on the forehead “Crow’s feet”

Botox and analogues

In the strict sense of the word, Botox is one of several drugs based on botulinum toxin. The Botox trademark belongs to the American-Irish company Allergan, the founder of the market for the use of Botox in medicine and cosmetology. Also, the word “Botox” is used as a common noun to refer to the entire category of drugs used for botulinum therapy.

Allergan's Botox was the first. But the emergence of competitors was inevitable: women all over the world rushed to pay billions of dollars a year for “beauty injections.”

So Botox has competitors. The main one is Dysport (France). Next come Lantox (China), Xeomin (Germany), Relatox (Russia), Refinex (Japan) and several drugs from South Korea: Botulax, Neuronox, Nabota, Meditoxin.

All these drugs contain the same active ingredient – ​​botulinum toxin type A (BTA). This is the same type of poison that was developed by the military as a bacteriological weapon.

What distinguishes botulinum toxin-based drugs from each other:

• price,
• production technology,
• BTA concentration,
• degree of purification,
• composition of excipients (and therefore allergic reactions),
• molecular weight (a drug with a lower molecular weight is used for injection into the smallest muscle clusters),
• duration of exposure,
• injection pain,
• duration of effect,
• contraindications,
• side effects.

Indications for the Botox procedure

Botox injections are indicated for:

Abundance of facial wrinkles in the forehead, eyebrows, eyes;

Active facial expressions (including those related to professional activities: actors, singers, animators always have an acute problem with facial wrinkles);

Facial asymmetries

With active facial expressions, one eyebrow may appear higher than the other, and it is known that it is the symmetry of facial features that is responsible for the attractiveness of the appearance. You can contact a cosmetologist if wrinkles are not very pronounced, as well as if there is noticeable asymmetry. Botox injections can be done even at a young age.

For patients with pronounced signs of aging, plastic surgery with concomitant botulinum therapy is recommended subsequently. Botox is effective against wrinkles, but it will not help with sagging tissues, blurred facial contours, or deep wrinkles.

Contraindications for Botox for the face

Despite the fact that botulinum therapy is a safe technique, there are a number of conditions that are considered contraindications for administering Botox to the face:

• pregnancy period;
• weakness of the facial muscles due to pathological conditions or as a result of taking muscle relaxants;
• the presence of chronic diseases of internal organs in the acute stage;
• acute and chronic infectious conditions;
• skin diseases in the facial area;
• allergic reactions and individual intolerance to botulinum toxin preparations.

In addition, it should be noted that approximately 1-2% of people have a lack of sensitivity to Botox, which also causes the absence of a visual effect after the procedure.

Injection techniques

Classic injection

The technique of injecting the drug deep into the facial muscle. Botox immobilizes her, so she assumes a calm position for up to six months or more. This technique is used to eliminate deep wrinkles and severe muscle tension.

Mesobotox

An easier correction option that involves maintaining mobility of the facial muscles. It is good for getting rid of fine and moderate wrinkles. In this case, the injections are not made as deep as with the classical technique.

History of Botox

Botulinum toxin is the substance that forms the basis of Botox. It is produced by the bacteria Clostridium botulinum. Initially, the substance was used to solve other problems. This is how people with facial nerve neurosis were treated. Muscle tension forms on the face due to nervous tension and psychological problems. A person does not fully control his muscles, and they are constantly in good shape due to psychological pressures. Botulinum toxin was used to relax them.

Doctors noticed that after administering the drug, the network of wrinkles on the face completely disappears. And deep wrinkles become barely noticeable. This is how Botox was discovered as a cosmetic product.

Detailed procedure

1. Consultation with a cosmetologist to identify possible contraindications. In their absence, the doctor names the number of units of the drug required to effectively get rid of imperfections.
2. The face is cleansed. Anesthesia is used if necessary. Typically, we give Botox injections without pain relief.
3. Injection of the drug at certain points. The doctor distributes it evenly over the correction area. The procedure lasts no more than half an hour and is comfortable.
4. You receive recommendations and leave the clinic.

A follow-up examination is scheduled two weeks after the injections. In some cases, additional correction may be required.

Usually after a couple of days the patient notices that the face has smoothed out and wrinkles have disappeared. Subsequently, the effect of the injections increases.

If you read reviews that Botox did not help with wrinkles on the forehead, consider a number of factors:

· the specialist could work with an uncertified drug;

· the patient could violate the doctor’s instructions during the rehabilitation period;

· a small percentage of people are resistant to botulinum therapy.

We pay great attention to the quality of drugs and the experience of doctors. The Medial Clinic cooperates only with trusted Botox suppliers, and all of our cosmetologists have been trained in the correction of facial wrinkles.

Age-related changes in the lip area

Plump lips in a charming smile are one of the main features of a woman’s attractiveness. But with age it is lost. Already at 25 years old, the first age-related changes may appear in the form of drooping corners of the lips. Gradually, wrinkles will be added to them. And by the age of 35-40, age-related changes will already become noticeable.

What happens to the lip area over the years:

• Volume disappears.
  The lips “deflate” as the fat layer decreases. The visible red part of the lips becomes smaller.
• Wrinkles appear around the mouth.
  Basically, these are purse string wrinkles (smoker's lines, running up and down from the lips in a vertical direction) and marionette wrinkles (sorrow lines: from the corners of the mouth to the base of the chin). This is due to the fact that the skin becomes thinner, subcutaneous tissues change, and muscles become overstrained. Due to the constant load, the orbicularis muscle, which works during talking, eating and other actions, spasms. The peculiarity of its structure is that the bundles are woven into the skin, and not into the bones, which provokes the appearance of premature folds.
• The corners of the lips droop.
  This occurs due to structural changes in the skin of the lower face. In the epidermis, the content of collagen, elastin, some fats, and water - the main components of youth - is reduced. The skin loses elasticity, strength, and begins to sag. This gives the face a sad, tired look.
• The upper lip lengthens.
  Visually, the upper lip suffers more, as it no longer protrudes above the lower lip. There is a physiological explanation for this. Over the years, the skin of the upper lip stretches, becomes longer, and the distance between it and the nose increases. She closes her teeth tighter than before.

Photos before and after

Why is Botox done under the eyes?

Almost every woman, regardless of age, wants to remain beautiful and well-groomed. When she sees the first wrinkles in the mirror, she begins to panic, goes through options for rejuvenation and, in general, is ready to give everything she can just to somehow reverse the aging process.

And then cosmetologists appear with their “magic” procedure for instantly smoothing out wrinkles using Botox injections.

What age-related changes in the area around the eyes are proposed to be solved with Botox:

• wrinkles near the outer corners of the eyes (“crow’s feet”) and in the lower eyelid area,
• swelling and bags under the eyes,
• drooping (ptosis, drooping) of the upper eyelids,
• low location of eyebrow arches.

But what does the client get as a result, and at what cost?

How many units do you need?

The number of wrinkles and their severity determine the number of Botox units. For some, 5 units are enough, for others, 30 are needed.

On average, up to 25 units of the drug are needed to correct eyebrow wrinkles with Botox.

Recommendations after the procedure

1. First hours. You cannot lie down or bend over. It is prohibited to touch or knead injection sites with your hands.

2. The first days after injections. Active facial expressions are recommended for uniform distribution of the drug. You cannot use decorative cosmetics. Do not wash your face with cold water. During this period, skin redness, peeling, and discomfort are possible. All this will pass in a couple of days. On the fifth day, you can evaluate the result of the procedure.

3. 14 days after the procedure. During this period, it is better to refrain from drinking alcohol, spicy and salty foods. Facial massage is prohibited. It is better to postpone intense physical activity until later. After two weeks, you need to see a doctor, especially if not all the wrinkles have smoothed out.

No other cosmetic procedures are performed during the rehabilitation period. Your doctor may approve light face masks. Home care may also need to be adjusted. Do not hesitate to ask questions to a specialist. This is the key to the most effective transformation!

Targeted Botox injections in the lip area

There are other, more specific options for using Botox in the lip area:

• gummy smile correction,
• raising the corners of the lips,
• increase in lip volume.

Let's look at them in more detail.

Correction of a gummy smile with Botox

A gummy smile is a special form of smile in which not only the teeth are visible, but also the gums. It confuses some women, especially if their teeth are far from ideal. The goal of correcting a gummy smile is to reduce the visualization of the gum so that 2-3 mm of it remains visible. How does Botox play into this? The cosmetologist marks two points on the corners of the lips and injects them. The poison enters the muscle that lifts the upper lip and the wing of the nose, and paralyzes it. The lip drops. True, the shape of the nose may also change after it: the tip will begin to “peck”.

Lifting the corners of the lips with Botox

A person has a muscle that extends down from the corner of the mouth. When she is very tense, she pulls the corner of her mouth behind her, which gives her an exhausted appearance.

Paralyzing this muscle with botulinum toxin temporarily creates the effect of raised corners of the mouth. But this is only an appearance. Search the Internet for reviews of women who have tried to solve this problem with Botox. Many people write that they have only made the situation worse.

As you age, your facial skin begins to sag. This is a natural process. Poison can only harm the target muscle and provoke spasms of neighboring muscles, which will be forced to work for it while it is immobilized. All this will cause more sagging of the skin and the appearance of wrinkles.

Lip plumping with Botox

Fillers are mainly used to enhance lips. You cannot “pump up” your lips with Botox, since this drug creates an effect by changing muscle tone. You can correct the contours of your lips and give them a fuller appearance, but this is not the main application of Botox. Typically, botulinum toxin is used in combination with hyaluronic acid fillers to enlarge lips.

There is an easy way to find out whether a person has had lip botox or not. If there was no intervention with poison, then he will easily curl his lips into a “tube”.

Cost of the procedure

One unit of Botox at the Medial clinic costs 380 rubles. We do not increase prices for botulinum therapy so that our patients can take care of their appearance on the most favorable terms. Below are approximate prices for Botox for forehead wrinkles:

An analogue of Botox is Dysport. A unit of Dysport costs 95 rubles. Cost of correction with Dysport

Call to make an appointment for the procedure

Botulinum toxin preparations for rejuvenation of the frontal zone

To improve the aesthetics of the frontal zone, various botulinum toxin preparations are used. The most reliable and safe ones include the original Botox (Botox, USA), Xeomin (Xeomin, Germany) and Dysport (France). In some Moscow clinics, patients are offered an analogue of Lantox (China), which has been on the pharmaceutical market for a long time. Other drugs do not have a sufficient evidence base, that is, studies of their safety and effectiveness have either not been conducted at all or there are very few of them.

Any of the three branded botulinum toxin preparations can be used for the frontal area, but there are minor differences between them. The original Botox from the American pharmaceutical concern Allergan is less susceptible to diffusion. A comparable ability to migrate in tissues is characteristic of Xeomin, but Dysport spreads most actively to neighboring areas.

When introduced into the skin of the frontal zone, active diffusion of botulinum toxin is considered an advantage, since it allows for a more uniform distribution of the substance in the correction area. For this reason, some cosmetologists believe that Dysport is better suited for this procedure than Botox.

On the other hand, Botox injections into the forehead provide a more lasting effect. The result after injections of the American drug lasts from 6 to 8 months, while after the introduction of Dysport - from 4 to 6 months. Taking into account a combination of factors, the cosmetologist will recommend you the drug that will allow you to get an ideal and lasting effect.

You can learn more about the use of botulinum therapy in rejuvenation programs and for the correction of hyperkinetic wrinkles at a consultation with a cosmetologist at the Soho Clinic (Moscow).

Consequences and complications

The administration of botulinum toxin does not have a negative effect on the functioning of the nodes of the sympathetic nervous system. Xeomin has a soft, purified formula without any impurities or proteins, so the risk of side effects is reduced to zero .
However, in rare cases the following complications may occur:

• headache, dizziness;
• increased body temperature;
• symptoms similar to ARVI;
• tearfulness;
• swelling;
• hematomas at the injection site;
• painful sensations;
• redness, feeling of skin tightness, numbness;
• itching and burning;
• facial asymmetry.

The success of the procedure largely depends on the qualifications of the specialist. It must be remembered that the administration of botulinum-containing drugs is possible only by a cosmetologist who has undergone special training and has the appropriate certificate (or better yet, practical skills). If the dose is incorrectly selected or if the drug is administered ineptly, the most unfavorable consequences may occur in the form of swelling, bruising, facial asymmetry, etc.

Bumps on the forehead after Xeomin injections

Small “bumps” may appear at the injection site. This is quite rare (about 5% of cases). The occurrence is due to the fact that the patient currently has poorly developed target muscles located on the face. One of the contraindications for the administration of botulinum toxic drugs is diseases with impaired neuromuscular impulse transmission.

The appearance of bumps at the injection site is also possible (but not always) after drinking alcohol , since the drug affects the transmission of neuromuscular impulses. Therefore, when planning the introduction of Xeomin, in the future it is necessary to refrain from activities related to drinking alcohol for 7-10 days.

If swelling similar to a lump appears, apply ice to the injection site for 10–15 minutes.

“Xeomin is not friendly with alcohol ,” so for injection therapy you need to choose an appropriate period of time when you do not have to worry about the development of side effects from the administration of the drug. After all, no one wants to see “bumps”, puffiness and muscle twitching on their face.

In addition, the administration of a muscle relaxant (Xeomin) should not be combined with the simultaneous administration or use of antibiotics or aminoglycosides.