Anti-wrinkle injections Sydney |Plastic Surgeon Dr Simone

Anti-wrinkle injections in Sydney by a plastic surgeon

Although anti-wrinkle injections are now offered by every corner day spa and may seem trivial, poor injecting techniques can lead to strange appearances.

Dr Simone as a plastic surgeon has an extensive knowledge of facial anatomy and knows exactly which muscles to target, and potential side effects or compensatory muscle actions which inexperienced injectors are simply not aware of.

How do anti-wrinkle injections work?

Anti-wrinkle injections use a neurotoxic protein which is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum.

Cosmetic procedures use microscopic amounts of the heavily diluted protein that is not dangerous and is able to weaken muscles in a controlled manner by carefully injecting small doses known as “units”.

n large doses this is one of the most toxic substances to mankind, this is the same bacteria that can cause botulism, a rare illness leading to widespread paralysis.

What are the different types of muscle-relaxing injections?

There are two commonly used anti-wrinkle injection formulations of this protein. They are generally both equally effective, however, sometimes one works better in an individual.

If you have been having one brand for many years and effects seem not to last as long, sometimes changing to the other can help.

How many units of anti-wrinkle injections will I need?

As each brand is differently formulated, units of one brand are not equivalent in number to units of the other brand. This is where advertising can be misleading; if you see a very cheap unit cost it is probably the brand that requires two and a half to three times the number of units of the other. Often people are not told what they are getting.

It you have had previous injections, it is useful to know which brand you had and also how many units you needed to achieve your desired effect.

As people need vastly different numbers of units, you are only charged per unit you need, not per area.

Men often require more units of anti-wrinkle injections than women.

How long do anti-wrinkle injections take to work?

Anti-wrinkle injections work by relaxing the muscles in the are of injection by blocking nerve impulses. This means the muscle contraction weakens and as a result this softens the appearance of wrinkles.

It usually takes 48-72 hours to begin to see improvement but may take longer in some people.

How long do the effects of anti-wrinkle injections last?

Effects last around 3 months, however, can last up to 6 or even 12 months in some people.

With each repeated injection, most people find that when the wrinkles return they are less pronounced and also less frequent injections are needed. This is because repeated muscle contractions, which result in wrinkles developing and becoming deeper, have been prevented.

Do I need anti-wrinkle injections if I don’t have wrinkles yet?

In short the answer is no. The best time to start botulinum toxin injections is when faint lines start to appear at rest.

Even babies have lines with movement.

With repeated anti-wrinkle injections, the non-paralysed areas can compensate by being hyperactive. These then subsequently need to also be injected (eg the outer brow causing the “Dr Spock” appearance or the upper nose causing “bunny lines”).

The best way to do avoid this is by having as few units as possible and not using it as the only modality for wrinkle prevention.

It is best for wrinkles that are due to repeated muscle contraction eg the frown line or people that are excessively expressive with their forehead and raise their eyebrows repeatedly.

Most wrinkles develop due to a combination of loss of collagen and elastin (which is accelerated by sun damage), loss of underlying fat and repeated muscle contraction. In many, repeated muscle contraction only plays a small part.

Therefore total facial paralysis will not prevent wrinkles and may give you new ones in other new areas where you never had wrinkles if you overdo botulinum toxin injections.

How painful are anti-wrinkle injections?

Anti-wrinkle treatments are administered by using a series of accurately planned injections into the muscles with an extremely fine needle. Discomfort is minimal and no topical anaesthetic is required, however you can request some if needle phobic.

Ice is often applied briefly before each injection to reduce any pain and afterwards to minimise bruising. It is important to stop any drugs that may increase the risk of bruising such as aspirin, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and fish oil a week before the injections. The procedure does not take more than a few minutes and the redness around the areas that have been injected settles very quickly.

What are anti-wrinkle injections useful for:

-frown lines (glabellar lines)

-transverse forehead lines

-browlift

-crows feet

-nasal creases “bunny lines”

-creases around the mouth “marionette lines”

-drooping of the corners of the mouth

-excessive dental show during smiling “gummy smile”

-increasing upper lip volume (subtle)

-facial reshaping- masseter injection to reduce the width of the lower face and give a more oval shape

-neck bands “platysmal bands” (only if there is not established neck laxity)