Neuromodulators

Patas de gallo

Crow’s feet are the folds that form on the sides of the eyelids when the orbicularis oculi muscle contracts, which is the muscle used to close the eyes. Treatment with an adequate dose of botulinum toxin injected in 2, 3 or 4 points, depending on the patient, can improve them almost completely. Treatment is quick and virtually painless with the use of topical anesthesia. Its effects begin to be noticed 48 hours after treatment and can last between 3 and 6 months.

Entrecejo

The glabella is the limited area between the eyebrows, forehead and nose. This area is subjected to many movements because it is essential for expressing emotions such as anger or intrigue and this causes wrinkles to appear very early. The injection of botulinum toxin relaxes this area, giving the face a more relaxed and calm appearance, preventing the appearance of typical vertical linear wrinkles. It is injected into 5 points in the muscles that move the eyebrow, with the effect seen from the second day onwards.

Frente

Forehead wrinkles are produced by the contraction of the frontalis muscle that raises the eyebrows to express surprise or disbelief. This muscle may be stronger on one side of the forehead than the other or act more or less symmetrically. Small amounts of botulinum toxin will allow us to continue moving our eyebrows after 48 hours without marking the wrinkles that give our forehead an aged appearance.

AGING AND WRINKLES

One of the typical characteristics of skin aging is the appearance of wrinkles. As the skin loses collagen, hyaluronic acid and elastin, it loses volume and becomes thinner. This process is accelerated by the effect of the sun and tobacco. If we add to this that by gesturing we activate the muscles of mimicry, it is common that after the age of 30 we present wrinkles on our faces.

WHAT IS BOTULINUM TOXIN FOR?

The objective is for the muscles to move less to achieve a brighter face, a more relaxed appearance and a more pleasant expression, reducing wrinkles. In people around the age of 30, periodic injection of toxin helps delay the appearance of facial wrinkles.

WHAT IS TOXIN?

Botulinum toxin is a protein derived from bacteria ( Clostridium botulinum ). When injected into the muscles of the face in small quantities, it paralyzes them or softens their action temporarily for months.

IS IT SAFE?

Its use in Aesthetic Medicine was approved for the first time by the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products in 2004. When injected properly, it is very rare for it to cause problems in the rest of the body.

WHICH ZONES CAN BE TREATED?

Horizontal forehead wrinkles that appear when raising the eyebrows, wrinkles that appear between the two eyebrows that give the face a worried or angry expression, wrinkles known as “crow’s feet” or wrinkles that can appear over the nose when we laugh or smell something.

Additionally, in some people, we can raise the eyebrows to give a larger appearance to the eyes and a more awake image.

IS THE USE OF ANESTHESIA NECESSARY?

Usually not. For those who wish, local cold or topical anesthetic cream can be used before treatment, greatly reducing discomfort.

CAN I REINSTATE MY ACTIVITIES OR MY JOB?

After botulinum toxin injections, the injected area remains slightly swollen for half an hour or less, so most patients begin to lead their normal lives when they leave the office.

WHEN DOES THE EFFECT START TO BE NOTICED?

2 or 3 days after the injection, the effect being stable after 2 weeks.

WHAT CARE SHOULD I TAKE AFTER THE TREATMENT?

On the day you are treated with botulinum toxin, you should avoid lying face down in the first 4 hours, you should not massage the treated area and you should not do intense physical exercise, expose yourself to heat or drink alcohol as they can cause the medication to migrate and increase the chances of side effects.

If a bruise appears or the treated area becomes inflamed, you can apply local cold in the form of cold gel or ice for 10 or 15 minutes every 1 or 2 hours.

CAN THE TREATMENT BE REPEATED?

If the desired effect on muscle contraction is not achieved in the first treatment session, a touch-up can be done after 2 weeks of treatment.

DO I NEED TO PICK MYSELF FREQUENTLY?

Each human being has different muscles that require different amounts of botulinum toxin to achieve results. For some people, puncturing once a year will be enough.

WHAT ARE THE MOST FREQUENT COMPLICATIONS?

Some people are more sensitive than others so they may feel more pain with each injection, but it is not intense. If there is a tendency to bruise after trauma or people with very abundant blood vessels in the skin, some bruising may occur, which is usually easy to hide with makeup, if desired. The presence of a small lump at the injection site is very common and disappears depending on individual factors, within minutes or hours.

CAN ALL PEOPLE BE TREATED WITH BOTULINUM TOXIN?

Its use is not allowed in pregnant or nursing mothers, if there is a herpes virus infection on the face, if there is pustular acne, if there are coagulation problems, if there are dermatological problems in the area (such as skin atrophy, eczema, psoriasis), in those allergic to human albumin or lactose (including cow’s milk) or in neuromuscular diseases.