Cosmetic Surgery & Beauty #72
Cosmetic Surgery and Beauty is the definitive consumer guide to aesthetic enhancement in Australia. Written by medical journalists and industry experts CSBM covers everything you need to know and with hundreds of untouched before and after photos it is the authoritative information source.
Cosmetic Surgery and Beauty is the definitive consumer guide to aesthetic enhancement in Australia. Written by medical journalists and industry experts CSBM covers everything you need to know and with hundreds of untouched before and after photos it is the authoritative information source.
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feature<br />
how does it<br />
work?<br />
<strong>Cosmetic</strong>ally, injections of botulinum toxin work<br />
by relaxing wrinkle-causing muscles, softening<br />
existing facial lines and helping to prevent the<br />
formation of new ones.<br />
A few tiny injections are administered just<br />
under the skin, reducing nerve stimulation to the<br />
targeted muscles. The procedure usually takes<br />
about 10 minutes, but this can vary depending<br />
on the number of areas being treated. Because<br />
men tend to have larger and stronger muscles,<br />
they often require more injections to achieve the<br />
optimal results.<br />
Anaesthetic is generally not required for the<br />
treatment as the needles are very fine and only<br />
a small volume of the product is needed, making<br />
the treatment virtually painless. If the patient is<br />
particularly concerned, the practitioner can numb<br />
the area using ice or topical anaesthetic cream<br />
before administering the injection.<br />
The effects are not immediately visible. Over<br />
the next few days, the muscles gradually relax,<br />
and it often takes around three to four days for<br />
final results to become visible, normally reaching<br />
their full results by one week.<br />
It is important to note that botulinum toxin is<br />
gradually reabsorbed by the body over time, so<br />
repeat injections are necessary about every three<br />
to five months in order to maintain results. With<br />
continued use, the effects may start to last longer<br />
because the targeted muscles have ‘unlearned’<br />
the response that originally contributed to the<br />
development of the lines.<br />
In its 14 years of cosmetic use, there have<br />
been no reported long-term or permanent side<br />
effects from the use of botulinum toxin. Common<br />
side effects are generally restricted to minor<br />
temporary redness or bruising at the injection<br />
site, and some patients can experience slight<br />
headache or nausea post treatment.<br />
There is a very slight risk that botulinum toxin<br />
can cause a temporary weakness in nearby<br />
muscles that can result in a slight drooping of an<br />
eyelid or eyebrow, lasting anywhere from around<br />
one to six weeks. Treatment with botulinum<br />
toxin is not recommended for women who are<br />
pregnant or breastfeeding.<br />
Other uses<br />
for botulinum<br />
toxin<br />
Botulinum toxin can be used in many ways to not only<br />
minimise wrinkles and lines but also lift and sculpt the<br />
face. It’s able to:<br />
• Block the action of the nerves that control sweat<br />
glands, and in this way treat excessive localised<br />
sweating (hyperhidrosis), especially severe underarm<br />
sweating.<br />
• Create a subtle lift around the eye area via injections in<br />
the outer corners of the brows.<br />
• Soften and minimise the appearance of an overly<br />
square jaw (masseter hypertrophy) through<br />
intramuscular injections around the jaw area, resulting<br />
in a more oval-looking face shape.<br />
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