Before we touch on the main topic of our article, let's find out what Botox is and why it is so important to do injections in specialized clinics such as ours, and be sure to seek the qualified help of a specialist who will not only competently carry out a series of injections, but also explain what You can do it before Botox, but you can’t. The amazing drug botulinum toxin is injected under the skin to immobilize the muscle, thereby allowing the skin to become smooth. Over the past decade, millions have resorted to anti-aging injections, and the number of fans is growing. Botox and other similar drugs smooth out wrinkles that inevitably appear with age. We smile, we are sad, we frown - any emotion that manifests itself in our facial expressions is an active action of the subcutaneous muscles. Few people manage to live from childhood with a face that resembles a frozen mask. Some of us constantly think about how to avoid the premature appearance of wrinkles, it comes to the point that recommendations appear from all sides on how to smile, how to sleep, how to sit and even how to lie down correctly. After Botox, these problems automatically disappear: and we enjoy our own transformation.
Despite the fact that botulinum toxin was discovered a long time ago, it was first used in medicine with a positive effect by the American ophthalmologist Alan Scott, and this was a purely medical study. People started talking about the side effect of smoothing out wrinkles in the 90s of the last century. And they began to actively use it in cosmetology only 10 years later. Now achievements in this area demonstrate that correctly performed manipulation is safe and harmless to humans. The result of Botox injections and other derivatives is individual and depends on the susceptibility of each individual organism, the intensity of muscle work, and even on external factors and the use of cosmetics. The effect lasts from 4 to 8 months, Botox is gradually removed from the muscle. Of course, there are certain restrictions after botulinum therapy.
Many aesthetic medicine clinics will provide you with wonderful rejuvenation injections using Botox. We will also be happy to offer you sessions of magical injections with this drug and will definitely tell you what not to do with Botox injections, what effect you will get, and how to take care of your skin before and after the procedure. But this article, first of all, will be devoted not only to the specifics of manipulations and the history of the drug, but also to recommendations after Botox injections.
If you are wondering what benefit or harm Botox injections can bring to you, don’t guess, contact a professional. They will explain the details to you in detail. Botulinum toxin is used in all aesthetic medicine clinics, most often to remove facial wrinkles and folds around the mouth, nose and eyes - that is, where they appear first and treacherously demonstrate our age and aging skin. Botox fixes the facial muscles for a while so that it “freezes” in the right areas and regains its smoothness and firmness. When the effect of the drug stops, the muscle remains fixed naturally, so the formation of new wrinkles does not occur for a long time.
How does Botox work after injection?
Botox is a cosmetic drug that contains weakened botulinum toxin. This substance is produced during the life of the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. Scientists have learned to use the special properties of botulinum toxin in cosmetology practice, with the goal of radical rejuvenation of the face and neck.
Botox is administered through subcutaneous injections into the area where expression lines are concentrated - the most unpleasant primary sign of aging. Penetrating into the fibers of the facial muscle, botulinum toxin blocks the mechanism of neuromuscular transmission, causing inhibition of a particular muscular structure of the face. Why is this necessary? Unlike other muscles, the facial muscles are in close contact with the skin, ensuring its tension. When a muscle is exposed to a toxin, it completely relaxes, which leads to the smoothing of the skin attached to it. Visually, this is manifested by the complete smoothing of facial wrinkles and skin creases of varying depths, which transforms and rejuvenates the patient’s face.
As a result of such a radical effect, a person loses the ability to control the muscle. However, contrary to popular belief, the face does not look like an artificial mask at all, which is due to the selective technique of administering the drug. Simply put, the static nature of one individual muscle is completely unnoticeable against the background of active facial movements of the surrounding facial muscles. This is why Botox injections can only be done in a good clinic. Only an experienced cosmetologist will accurately select the area of injection of the drug to achieve the desired result. The doctor performing botulinum therapy must undergo special training and have good experience, otherwise the result may be disastrous.
Speaking about the mechanism of action of Botox after administration, one cannot fail to note the fact that botulinum toxin has temporary activity. In the process of metabolism and enzymatic reactions, the toxin is gradually eliminated from the body, weakening the effect on the muscles and returning the former facial expressions. This can be considered both a positive feature, because the patient does not have to worry about the irreversibility of the effect, and a negative one, due to the need to re-administer the drug to maintain the anti-aging effect.
Other pharmaceuticals that can have undesirable effects during botulinum therapy
A similar effect, manifested in muscle relaxation and an unpredictable increase in the effect of botulinum toxin injections, is exerted by some medications whose active ingredients are derivatives of neurotoxins.
The most famous of them are curare-like muscle relaxants - derivatives of curare poison or those close to it in nature. This poison acts in a similar way to botulinum toxin, inhibiting the activity of neuromuscular synapses, although the effect of its entry into the body is not as strong as the effect of botulinum toxin poisoning.
On a note
However, curare is considered one of the most powerful poisons in the wild, second in toxicity only to botulinum toxin and batrachotoxin. In particular, curare poison, along with batrachotoxin, is used by South American Indians to lubricate arrowheads, with which they hunt wild animals.
The plant Chondrodendron tomentosum is ubiquitous in South America and is the raw material for the production of curare poison.
Curare-like drugs include:
- Tubocurarine chloride;
- Pipecuronium bromide;
- Pancuronium bromide;
- Ditylin;
- Prozerin;
- Metacin;
…and some others. When using them, botulinum therapy cannot be performed.
Likewise, the effectiveness of botulinum toxin in cosmetic procedures may also be affected by products specifically designed to reduce neuromuscular transmission. They are used for various purposes - relieving muscle spasms, treating lumbar radiculitis and some rheumatic diseases, relieving muscle tension during abdominal operations.
These include:
- Baclofen;
- Bendazole;
- Tizanidine;
- Tolperisone.
Some anxiolytics (drugs intended to eliminate feelings of anxiety and general relaxation) - Diazepam and Tetrazepam, Atarax - can have a similar effect. It is also assumed that combined sedatives (for example, Corvalol), blood anticoagulants and drugs that increase the concentration of calcium inside cells can enhance the effect of botulinum toxin. Of these, blood anticoagulants are contraindicated, including due to the fact that Botox injections themselves can lead to edema and hematomas, and anticoagulants can provoke or intensify these undesirable effects.
Where is Botox injected?
Botox injections are performed using ultra-thin needles, which avoids trauma to the skin and unsightly specific marks. The drug, as already mentioned, is injected into the area of localization of pronounced facial wrinkles.
- Forehead. Most often, injections are made in the frontal area, since Botox is effective in combating vertical wrinkles between the eyebrows, as well as smoothing deep horizontal frontal furrows;
- Eyes and lips. The introduction of Botox into the periorbital and perioral plane of the face will eliminate small expression wrinkles in the corners of the eyes and lips, which are popularly called “crow’s feet”;
- Neck area. Botulinum toxin therapy for the neck is rarely used, but with sufficient qualifications of the doctor, it can maximally correct age-related changes in the neck muscles;
- Nose. So-called “anger lines” on the bridge of the nose can also be corrected with botulinum injections.
Much less often, beauty injections are used to correct facial wrinkles in the lower third of the face, since in this case there is a risk of drooping (sagging) of the muscles that hold the facial contour. That is why the qualifications of the specialist who carries out this procedure are very important here.
Such injections do not cause discomfort to the patient himself, due to the fact that the skin is pre-treated with a local anesthetic solution. In the technique of botulinum injections, it is very important that the specialist correctly determines the area of injection of the drug, since the effectiveness of the procedure will ultimately depend on this factor. In order to eliminate the possibility of error, the doctor may ask the patient to grimace and twist during the procedure in order to determine the area where the largest number of facial folds of skin accumulate.
Why do wrinkles appear on the forehead?
Wrinkles on the forehead first appear as facial wrinkles and can appear even in very young people if they have active facial expressions. They frowned - and there they were, the creases between the eyebrows, and were surprised - the longitudinal furrows on the forehead. With age, expression lines become deeper and become static.
On average, age-related changes on the face occur from the age of 25. It is believed that before this, blood, and with it oxygen and nutrients, flow to the skin of the face in a normal manner, and then their deficiency occurs, as blood circulation is reoriented to internal systems. Because of this, changes occur in both the skin and muscles.
The skin on the forehead loses its firmness and elasticity, and the muscles spasm from overexertion. It turns out that the muscles shorten and the skin gathers into folds.
And don’t think that the formation of wrinkles on the forehead is caused by a spasm of the frontalis muscle only. The process also involves the masticatory and temporal muscles, the occipital muscle (works in tandem with the frontal muscle), the aponeurosis of the head (the tendon structure covering the upper part of the skull) and even the feet.
When does Botox start to work after injections?
Many patients, before this cosmetic procedure, are concerned about the question of how long it takes for Botox to work after introducing the drug under the skin. This topic is relevant for those clients of a cosmetologist who are sure that they can leave the clinic only when the effect of Botox appears. In fact, there is no immediate blockade of the neuromuscular motor impulse after administration of the drug. Typically, noticeable results gradually increase over 3-5 days after injections.
Today, the cosmetology market also offers a popular analogue of Botox – the French drug Dysport, which exhibits a pronounced effect already on the first day after the procedure.
At the same time, when Botox begins to act, it is not at all necessary to remain under the supervision of a doctor, since the effect can be gradually adjusted over three months, after the first use of botulinum therapy, and the most expressive final result can be achieved only after 2 weeks. After this period, it is recommended to undergo an examination with your cosmetologist. The doctor will evaluate the result and, if necessary, “fill in” the missing dose of the drug. Thus, your cosmetologist accurately selects your dose of Botox. It depends how long it takes for Botox to start working, primarily on the individual characteristics of the patient’s metabolism.
How long does the effect of Botox last?
How effective Botox is is perhaps one of the most frequently asked questions. Here it should be understood that there simply cannot be an unambiguous answer to this question, since the duration of local muscle relaxation will, like the speed of achieving the effect, directly depend on the metabolic functions of the body, more simply, on the metabolic rate. However, experts say that after the first administration of the drug, the average duration of action of Botox will be from 4 to 6 months.
Also, speaking about the duration of action of Botox, it is simply impossible not to mention the increased effectiveness of the drug with repeated administration. Repeated injections show a significantly longer lasting effect, which can range from 8 to 12 months. In addition, regular use of botulinum therapy often gives the cosmetologist the opportunity to reduce the dosage. This is largely explained by the fact that being stationary for a long time, the facial muscle loses the “habit” of actively moving, and a person loses the habit of “frowning,” which reduces the load on the facial muscles and the severity of wrinkles.
Is Botox harmful to health?
The question regarding the harms and benefits of Botox remains one of the most pressing for patients who have decided to undergo botulinum rejuvenation. The mechanism of action of the drug frankly frightens the majority of patients, who most often, as practice shows, fear paralytic effects on the surrounding muscles, distortions and drooping of facial muscles and other aesthetic problems. There is absolutely no need to worry about this, since the composition of botulinum preparations is absolutely safe and does not cause complications or side effects.
Such fears fuel unreliable Internet stories and myths about Botox, which, despite the drug being studied, continue to be passed on, as they say, “from generation to generation.” In fact, according to statistics, aesthetic harm from Botox occurs in only 0.14% of patients and is caused only by violations of the drug administration technique. Possible complications also include the following conditions:
- pain in the injection area occurs in 1.3% of patients;
- no more than 2% of people experience mild headaches;
- small hematomas at the injection site occur in 6% of patients only due to the fault of the specialist;
- temporary loss of sensitivity in the injection area is observed in less than 1% of cosmetologist’s clients;
- About 1% of the population is allergic to the drug;
- Infectious contamination of the injection site is extremely rare and is a consequence of non-compliance with the requirements of asepsis and antisepsis during the procedure.
All complications are exclusively temporary and disappear as botulinum toxin is removed from the patient’s body. When discussing unsuccessful botulinum therapy procedures, one cannot help but note that there is a small percentage of people (1-2%) who are resistant to the effects of this toxin and the procedure in this case does not allow achieving a rejuvenating effect.
Unpleasant consequences due to patient mistakes
Sometimes patients themselves are the cause of complications. They do not follow the doctor’s recommendations and neglect the rules of rehabilitation.
It is necessary to take into account the prohibitions on:
- Face massage;
- Heating the injection site;
- Alcohol consumption;
- Visiting a solarium, bathhouse, sauna;
- Active sports;
- Incorrect head position (you cannot sleep with your face on the pillow).
To minimize the risk of consequences, you need to take precautions and be honest with your cosmetologist. The client must disclose any drug use or allergic reactions.
Which Botox is better to inject?
The modern cosmetology market offers several drugs that contain botulinum toxin type A. The most popular, in addition to the world-famous American Botox, can also be considered the French drug Dysport. The main differences between these products are the dosage of botulinum toxin, as well as the speed of formation and duration of the final effect. An experienced cosmetologist will help you choose the most suitable drug for yourself, but most experts recommend giving preference to the classic American Botox from the Allergen company, due to the greater knowledge of this product.
At what age can Botox be injected?
Manufacturers do not indicate clear restrictions on the age group, however, most specialists do not work with patients under 18 years of age. Moreover, at such a young age, there are most often no clear indications for such radical anti-aging therapy. The only exceptions are individuals who have a genetic predisposition to the formation of facial wrinkles. Many people mistakenly believe that this phenomenon is associated with overly active facial expressions, but in fact this factor is of secondary importance, after heredity.
When answering the classic question, at what age can Botox be injected, most experts still determine the age group from 30 to 45 years, when the drug will demonstrate the most pronounced effectiveness. At the same time, for elderly patients over 60 years of age, the relevance of Botox is lost every year, due to the manifestations of age-related tissue ptosis, which is noticeable even when the muscle is in a relaxed state.
Treatment of local hyperhidrosis
Hyperhidrosis of the palms, armpits, feet or face is often associated with endocrine disorders, neurological disorders, and hormonal changes in women. In some cases, excessive sweating can occur for no apparent reason, based on a genetic predisposition.
The most popular way to treat excessive sweating is Botox injections. The drug injected into the problem area blocks the transmission of nerve impulses and the functioning of the sweat glands. In conditions of lack of response to external stimuli, the amount of sweat produced is significantly reduced.
Therapy is local in nature. It does not disrupt the sweating process of the entire body, but acts in specific problem areas. Injections are made with thin needles, do not cause complications and have a narrow range of contraindications. The effect of the procedure becomes noticeable on days 2-4 and lasts stably from six months to one and a half years.
Can Botox be done during pregnancy?
The use of Botox during pregnancy has not been sufficiently studied to date, so it is better to avoid this procedure while pregnant. At the same time, Botox is not contraindicated when planning pregnancy, since this procedure does not have a systemic effect on the woman’s body.
If, however, beauty injections were given at a time when the woman was not yet aware of her interesting situation, there is no reason to panic. The vast majority of the fair sex, who decided to take care of their beauty during this difficult period, did not notice any side effects or complications during pregnancy. As for the question of whether Botox can be injected while breastfeeding, there can be no restrictions here, since the drug does not pass into the milk of a nursing woman.
