Wrinkle Relaxing Injections.

1) What are anti wrinkle injections?

Wrinkles or expression lines occur when we smile, frown, squint etc. As we age the lines often increase in number, size and depth.

Wrinkle relaxers are a purified protein which, when injected into a muscle, block the message going from the nerve to the muscle. (It blocks the release of acetylcholine which is necessary for the muscle to contract) This results in reduced or no movement in the muscle preventing the muscle from wrinkling the skin.

 

2) Can anyone have wrinkle relaxing injections?

Pregnant and breast feeding women and people with some neurological conditions that affect the muscles need to avoid muscle relaxing injections.

 

3) Do I need to do anything before coming to the appointment?

a. Exercise. I recommend avoiding exercise on the day of the treatment. Exercise increases the blood flow through the muscles resulting in an increased risk of bruising. There is also an increase in your metabolic rate which may reduce the effectiveness of your treatment.

If you do not respond well to muscle relaxing injections or the effect does not last as long as expected it is worth avoiding exercise for a week before treatment and for 24 hours after treatment. If you get a much better and longer lasting response following this, make it your standard routine each treatment.

b. Zinc. All injectors are aware that on occasions a regular client does not get the expected response following treatment even though the dose and distribution of treatment is the same. Research has shown that zinc is present in the synaptic vesicles and is known to be required in order for the wrinkle relaxer to work. Zinc supplements may increase the effectiveness and duration of action of your treatment.

 

4) What can I expect during my consultation?

a. Firstly, after completing a medical questionnaire, any medical issues that are relevant to your treatment will be discussed.

b. The injecting specialist will then do a facial assessment and ascertain what you wish to achieve with the treatment.

c. A treatment plan will be completed and discussed. This will take into account your needs and desires regarding outcomes and budget.

d. Photographs to record your before treatment appearance will be taken as they are important to enable us to assess the success of your treatment and to see if a slight alteration in dose or distribution of the treatment would achieve a better outcome in the future. Everyone is different and responds differently, so this enables us to tailor the treatment to you specifically and monitor your progress.

e. The injections are performed using a very fine insulin needle after applying ice to the area. We have developed a low to no pain technique of injecting. I have been informed that it is much less painful than waxing!

 

5) Can I go out or back to work after the treatment?

Yes you can, as long as it does not involve exercise or result in pressure on the area injected.

Some people develop a few “bumps” or redness at the injection sites for around 10 to 20 minutes. The bumps look like mosquito bites but settle quickly. Very rarely you may get a small bruise. This can be covered by makeup.

 

6) Do I need to avoid anything after treatment?

a. Avoid exercise. It is important that you avoid exercise for at least 4 hours after treatment. The protein that has been injected into the muscle requires time to be taken up into the nerve endings where it has its effect. If you exercise you may reduce the amount that moves into the nerve endings thus reducing its effect.

b. Avoid pressure on the area injected for 4 hours after the treatment. The injection is placed very carefully into muscles that we wish to weaken. Initially there is a small drop of liquid in the muscle which can be pushed into a neighboring muscle we don’t want to weaken and cause an unwanted effect such as a drooping eyelid or eyebrow.

c. We Recommend that you do not lie down for 4 hours in case you fall asleep and roll onto the area injected.

 

7) Do wrinkle/muscle relaxing injections work immediately?

The treatment takes on average take 3 to 7 days to work. It can take up to 14 days in some people. Always give it 14 days before deciding if it has worked effectively.

 

8) How long do wrinkle/muscle relaxing injections work for?

The effect usually lasts 3 to 4 months but varies from person to person and can vary on different occasions for the same person.

The duration of action can be altered by a number of factors, including, the dose used, the metabolism of the person and the number of times a person has had injections of muscle relaxers in the past.

Studies have shown that after the first injection of a wrinkle relaxer 50% of people still had some improvement at 4 months. After the 6^th treatment of a wrinkle relaxer, over 80% of people reported still having some improvement at 4 months. We have many regular clients who come in every 5-6 months.

 

9) Are wrinkle/muscle relaxing injections safe?

Wrinkle relaxing injections have been used regularly since 1980 and have very few side effects. There have been over 20 million treatment episodes in over 20 countries for over 30 years. The recommended maximum dose in a three month period for the strongest anti wrinkle protein is 8 times your body weight in units. In treating wrinkles we may use as little as 1 unit and rarely exceed 100 units per treatment. This is a very small and safe dose.

The same protein is used medically for a number of conditions, including cerebral palsy. Children from the age of 2 years have regular injections to release muscle spasm allowing them to use the affected limb.

When used for cosmetic treatments the main risk is of a bruise or a small amount of the protein affecting a nearby muscle that you do not want paralyzed. It is for this reason that we request that you do not apply pressure to the injected area for 4 hours.