The repetitive use of the muscles in our face can lead, over time, to facial wrinkles; sometimes referred to as frown lines, crow’s feet, the “RBF”, etc. There are static wrinkles (lines which are noticeable even if you are not moving the muscle) and dynamic wrinkles (lines you only see when you contract/move the muscle). These wrinkles can be treated in many different ways; the fastest of these treatments would be the use of a neurotoxin.
A neurotoxin temporarily relaxes the target muscles which can remove the wrinkle or can soften deep wrinkles. Once you stop the contraction of a few muscle groups, the result would be a smoothening out of fine lines and wrinkles giving your face a softer more youthful appearance.
Neurotoxins can also be used to remove “gummy smiles”, improve hyperhidrosis or too much sweating in your axilla, stop bruxism or grinding of your teeth, help smoker’s lines, improve “bunny lines” on the bridge of your nose, and migraines.
The endpoint is all the same : the temporary relaxation of certain muscle groups to smooth and diminish the appearance of wrinkles. In our experience, the onset of action is faster with Dysport and Jeuveau; though full paralysis is seen in 10-14 days with all three toxins. Dysport appears to last a bit longer than Botox. Jeuveau, being the newest toxin, is touted as having a longer duration of action. Additionally, Dysport tends to spread more than Botox which in some cases, may have a better outcome. Your options are all discussed at your complimentary consultation.
At Women’s Choice Aesthetics, our motto is “Everyone will notice…but only you will know”.
We want to achieve a more natural look so when we inject our neurotoxin, we always see our patients after two weeks to make sure you don’t need a touch up. We never over inject – we just want it to be perfect!
Your face will be thoroughly cleansed to remove all makeup and cosmeceuticals. A facial analysis is performed to determine the amount of product that is needed to achieve optimal results. The area to be injected will be cleaned again with 70% alcohol. There is minimal discomfort as you can be given a topical anesthetic or use of ice packs to keep you comfortable. You may feel a small pin prick just before the neurotoxin is injected. The procedure takes about 15 minutes. There is generally no recovery time; you may return to work immediately after the procedure. We recommend no exercising for 24 hours after treatment and no laying down for 1-2 hours after treatment.
Although the procedure itself takes only 15 minutes, the onset of action of the neurotoxin can be 3-4 days for Dysport/Jeuveau and several days more for Botox. Follow up is done after two weeks.
Generally, the effects of neurotoxins last about 3-4 months. In our experience, however, the effects can last longer after multiple injections. This is usually caused by the fact that the muscles are not used to contracting and become smaller over time, which adds to the longevity of the neurotoxin.
