What causes lines and wrinkles?

Facial movements and expressions such as frowning, smiling and raising of the eyebrows lead to the formation of fine lines and wrinkles. The wrinkles which appear when expressing these emotions are known as Dynamic wrinkles and they fade as quickly as they appear. 

As a person age their skin loses elasticity, and it becomes more difficult for the skin to spring back and so over time the lines and wrinkles become deeper, and this results in permanent or ‘static’ lines and wrinkles. For this reason, anti-wrinkle injections are increasingly being administer as a preventative measure and the age range of patients receiving this treatment is getting younger.

Anti-Wrinkle brands confusing you?

There are several brands of anti-wrinkle injections on the market but the laws here in Australia prevent us as injectors from using brand names in our marketing. Therefore, you will often hear the treatment being described as anti- wrinkle injections or even type A or type B anti- wrinkle injections.

What are anti-wrinkle injections, and how do they work?

No matter what brand name they come under anti- wrinkle injections are basically all the same thing, Botulinum Toxin, which is a neurotoxin protein. When small amounts of this toxin are injected into target muscles the signals from the nerve endings, which tell the muscle to contract, are blocked. This temporarily reduces muscle contractions, reducing the formation of wrinkles.

Administration of Botulinum toxin was first approved for cosmetic use in 1989 by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and has since become the most commonly performed minimally invasive cosmetic procedure around the world.

Anti-wrinkle injections are most commonly used for the reductions of wrinkles in the upper face, mainly wrinkles caused by frowning ‘frown lines’, forehead wrinkles and wrinkles around the eye area ‘crows’ feet’. 

So how can you, as a patient, be sure you are making the right choice?

1.      Is the practitioner you are seeing qualified in administering anti-wrinkle injections?

There are many injectors out there who claim to be qualified in administering anti-wrinkle injections, but please be sure you are treated by a medical practitioner. We are fortunate here in Australia to have somewhat strict policies around who can inject anti-wrinkle injections, this is not the case in some parts of the world. It is important that your practitioner has a strong knowledge of facial anatomy, ask questions, then ask some more!

2.      Is the product that’s being used genuine, and FDA approved?

The black market is real and full of dodgy products that claim to be safe anti-wrinkle products, ensure that you are familiar with the name of the brand being used/ research it before you go ahead with treatment.

There are 2 main anti-wrinkle products used in Nurse Vicki Aesthetics, one is an American brand, and one is a German brand.

3.      Do you understand all the risks of anti-wrinkle injections?

The most common risks of anti-wrinkle injections are bruising and swelling. I mean, there is a needle being punctured through your skin numerous times, and there are A LOT of vessels under the skin that are not visible to the naked eye, so its high probability that you could get yourself a small bruise.

Then we have the less common risks of anti-wrinkle injections, such as brow droop and eyelid ptosis (drooping eye). These two things can happen when there is too much anti-wrinkle injected into the forehead or frown area, or the anti-wrinkle injections are administered into the incorrect muscle.

Despite these low risks, if administered correctly, anti-wrinkle injections can give amazing results and you will feel a million dollars!

What other areas be treated with Anti-Wrinkle Injections?

Apart from the most common, frown lines, forehead lines and crows feet, anti-wrinkle injections can also treated a number of different areas of the face such as brow lift, bunny lines (the lines on your nose from scrunching), gummy smile, chin dimples and neck lines. Some other common treatments using anti-wrinkle injections are:

·        Reduce the size of the Masseter muscles

These are the muscles that raise and lower the jaw to assist with mastication (chewing). If a patient has an issue with teeth grinding these are the muscles that are used and therefore, the masseter muscles become larger over time. This gives the face a squarer look.

By administering anti-wrinkle injections into the masseter muscle, we can achieve two things, reduce teeth grinding (thus protecting the teeth) and slimming the lower face by reducing the size of the muscle. 

·        Turning up the corners of the mouth

We have small muscles in the lower face responsible for our smile and our sad face. As we age the corners of the mouth tend to droop down making us look sad. Using anti-wrinkle injections in this area can lift the corners of the mouth for a more youthful appearance.

·        Hyperhidrosis (excess sweating)

Excess sweating can be a very embarrassing problem for people to deal with and in severe cases can have a major effect on a person everyday life. 

Anti-wrinkle injections can be administered into the arm pits to reduce sweating in people who have excess swearing. It can also be used on the pals of the hand and feet for sweating. This treatment Is very effective and can be life changing for Patients. 

Anti-wrinkle injections… a treatment tailored to you!

In the medical field we begin by learning anatomy from textbooks, unfortunately not all patients have a ‘textbook” anatomy. It is important that a thorough consultation is complete before having any anti-wrinkle injections. Your face should be assessed in a relaxed state and an animated state so as the practitioner can decide on the best dose and placement of the anti-wrinkle injections for you.

Patients also have different aesthetic needs, high eyebrows don’t suit everybody, and smile lines look normal, we don’t want to leave you looking like you have no expression whatsoever.

A tailored plan can help reduce the risk any unwanted  complications and give the best results for each individual patient. 

Anti-Wrinkle vs. Dermal Fillers 

With so many treatments out there, it can get confusing. One of the most common questions we get asked is What is the difference between anti-wrinkle injections and Dermal fillers?

As discussed earlier, anti- wrinkle injections work by temporarily reducing muscle action thus reducing the formation of lines and wrinkles.

Dermal fillers are a gel like substance which is injected into the face to replace lost volume. As we age, we lose volume in our face due to a number or factors such as resorption of facial bones, loss of subcutaneous tissue, and the decent of fat pads. Dermal Filler also comes with its risks, we will discuss this further in a future Blog. 

Wrinkles are a part of getting older, but they don’t have to be permanent. 

More and more, Anti-wrinkle injections are being used as a preventative measure, prevention is better than cure! This means that the patients being seen in our practice are getting younger. Please note that we do not treat anyone under the age of 18 and we will assess holistically to ensure treatment is in the best interest of our patients.

For our patients who are more mature and have lines and wrinkles form facial expressions, the use of anti-wrinkle injections will reduce the appearance of these lines and wrinkles and give a more youthful appearance. 

What can you expect during your Anti-Wrinkle Treatment?

From start to finish the whole process takes around 30-45 mins. This includes a thorough consultation where our Nurse will assess you face and make a tailored plan to achieve your desired outcome. There will then be a consultation with one of our doctors who will ask you questions regarding medical history, current medications and discuss possible complications. Then you will be given the opportunity to ask the Doctor and Nurse any questions you may have.

After you have been fully informed you will be asked to sign a consent form and have some pictures taken of the area being treated.

Then the fun begins…. The anti-wrinkle injections will be administered into your target area using tiny needles. The process is quick and relatively painless. 

What to expect after treatment?

Immediately after treatment, you may see some slight bumps and red marks at the injection sites. These will disappear within a few hours.

It is not uncommon to have some flu like symptoms for the first 24hrs after treatment. Panadol can be taken to reduce these symptoms.

A slight headache isn’t uncommon after anti-wrinkle injections to the forehead, frown lines and crow’s feet , especially the first time being treated. 

What aftercare should you follow?

It is important not to touch the area for 4-6 hours after treatment as we don’t want the product to move.

If you have had anti-wrinkle injections administered into your face you must stay upright for 4 hours.

Avoid applying makeup for 4 hours post treatment to reduce the risk of infection.

No alcohol or exercise for 24hrs.

When will you start to see the results of the Anti-Wrinkle Injections?

Anti-wrinkle injections can begin to take effect in as little as 3-5 days, but treatment can take up to 14 days to take full effect. We like to see you again in clinic after 14 days to check the results and administer any ‘top up’ treatment if needed. 

How long do Anti-Wrinkle Injections last? 

Results can vary depending on the individual but Anti-Wrinkle injections will last between 3 and 4 months on average.

For treatments to the Masseter muscle and for excess sweating results will generally last longer, approximately 5-6 months, this is due to larger amounts of anti-wrinkle injections being used in these areas. 

Are anti-wrinkle injections safe?

Anti-wrinkle injections are one of the safest non-surgical cosmetic procedures performed today but they are not without their risks.

Always be sure to do your own research and ensure you are treated by a medical practitioner. Our Nurse injector is registered with AHPRA and is very passionate about continued education to stay up to date with the latest developments and techniques. We always follow best practice guidelines at Nurse Vicki Aesthetics.

Is it possible to become resistant to anti-wrinkle injections?

In my professional experience as a Cosmetic Nurse Injector, I have come across 2 patients who were resistant to one brand of anti-wrinkle injections but then got results from treatment with a different brand. I have had 1 patient who was resistant to all brands of anti-wrinkle injections.

The reasons for this are not fully understood and there are studies being conducted to investigate this further. 

What is patient satisfaction rate like from anti-wrinkle injections? 

A recent study conducted by Galderma, they found that 98% of patients would like to receive anti-wrinkle injections again, 97% 0f patients would recommend anti-wrinkle injections, 97% of patients thought the treatment results appeared natural and 8/10 patients reported feeling more attractive after anti-wrinkle injections. 

To sum up………..

The decision to have Anti-wrinkle injections, like the decision to have any cosmetic injectable procedure, is a big one and should not be taken lightly.

To make sure you are fully informed on your treatment options and the risks involved Nurse Vicki Aesthetics gives each patient a free consultation. At Nurse Vicki Aesthetics we pride ourselves on delivering an exceptional service. Along with great results, we believe that your care, comfort and safety are of the upmost importance. To book an appointment for your free consultation, click the link in our website. You can also visit our socials to look at some of our incredible results.