DEFINITION
The appearance of wrinkles on the top third of the face (the forehead, the space between the eyebrows and the periocular area) is associated with sleep lines and with having aged or less cared-for skin.
The botulinum toxin that we use in aesthetic medicine is produced in laboratories and hardly ever has any side effects. It is a substance that acts on the muscular end plate, causing it to semi-block and create a relaxing effect or muscular paralysis. This effect is completely reversible and only lasts for about 6 months. The dosage used in aesthetic medicine is completely safe and does not cause muscle system complications. It only acts on the musculature that the doctor wants to treat.
In aesthetic medicine, it is applied to the facial musculature of the top third of the face and produces the following effects:
- Frontalis muscle: By relaxing this, it softens the horizontal lines on the forehead, making the patient’s skin look smoother giving it a more relaxed and rested appearance.
- Muscles between the eyebrows: In this case, the relaxation of these muscles prevents the patient frowning. The wrinkles are reduced, but the person also looks happier and has less of an annoyed appearance.
- Periocular muscles: Directly affect the position of the external area of the eyebrow and the lines on the lower eyelid. The relaxation of the periorbital muscle relaxes these wrinkles but, even more importantly, by raising the external area of the eyebrows, it opens up the eyes.
INDICATIONS
The treatment can be provided to any person who wants to reduce wrinkles and expression lines on their face. The results achieved will depend on a person’s age and facial muscles. In some cases, if they are superficial, the lines will be removed completely. But, due to the length of time since their appearance, the treatment will only reduce deeper lines. For this type of wrinkle, we recommend filling with hyaluronic acid which will make the deepest lines completely disappear.
Therefore, botulinum toxin treatment will have two different effects:
- Soften existing lines or make them disappear altogether. This will depend on their depth and if the skin already has significant dermal damage.
- Prevent the appearance or deterioration of wrinkles. By starting to apply the treatment early, in order to maintain a younger skin throughout the years, thereby it will have an “anti-ageing” effect.
Moreover, depending on how the treatment is applied, there are two different types of results for the patient:
- Relaxation: Here, the patient maintains some ability to contract the muscle, which will enable them to make gestures, but without the wrinkles. This will achieve the desired aesthetic effect and will make the treatment unnoticeable as the patient is still able to move the muscle. The opposite of this sensation would mean having no muscle movement. In this case, the duration is shorter (approximately 4 months), but the result is much more natural.
- Muscle blocking: Here, the muscle is unable to contract, therefore the patient cannot make gestures. This is what is known as having a “poker face”, meaning an expressionless face. The duration is greater (approximately 6 months) but the result is much less natural.
Our philosophy and company hallmark is to provide our patients with natural and elegant results, so we always aim to make our patients to appear fresh-faced and relaxed, while maintaining their expressiveness.
Some people are unable to have this treatment, such as pregnant women, people with neuromuscular illnesses or those who are allergic to the toxin, to egg albumin, or those taking contraindicated medications.
PROCEDURE
The treatment is simple, pain-free and does not require anaesthesia. It can usually be done in 15 minutes and the patient can leave the clinic straight away without any inflammation or signs of having had the treatment done. It is a very respectful technique, but it may leave a small mark from the insertion of an extremely fine needle into the dermis. This will be very superficial and barely noticeable.
PROFESSIONALS
This type of treatment should be carried out by a doctor with training in aesthetics and aesthetic medicine. In Dr Ospina, we have a professional with double the training. As well as being a plastic surgeon with experience in aesthetic facial surgery, he has a Masters in aesthetic medicine and anti-ageing. Therefore, his training is exhaustive and his knowledge of anatomy and tissue is extensive, thereby providing additional safety and an extremely comprehensive understanding of aesthetics.
Dr Ospina has over 10 years’ experience in the field of aesthetic medicine.
FACILITIES
Although this is not a complex treatment, it requires exceptional measures to perform. Dr Ospina is always prudent, and for this reason, we have all the necessary measures available for treating any complication that may arise. We also work in a sterile and tranquil environment that will make you feel truly comfortable during the treatment.
CARE
You will be provided with a written care protocol so that you go home with your mind at ease and knowing what you need to do to ensure everything goes well. Additionally, you can contact us at any time if you need to ask us any questions.
RESULTS
The results take approximately 2-3 days to become visible, but this is progressive and they will not be fully appreciable until the tenth day. As each patient’s musculature is different, we always review our patients two weeks after treatment to evaluate the results and retouch any imperfect area.
In some cases, the patient may feel a passing headache which resolves immediately (remember that this treatment is also used for migraines). They may also feel an unusual sensation of being unable to move a muscle in the normal way. The patient will adapt to this quickly and will stop noticing this.
RECOVERY
Return to normal life is immediate, so no prior special preparation, or much organisation, is required to have this treatment.
COMPLICATIONS
The most frequent of these is some slight bruising that may appear due to the injections, but this is easy to disguise with make-up, and its duration will be much reduced if you follow our protocol. Other types of complications that are much less common may be due to the relaxation or paralysis of a muscle that did not require treatment. This may lead to a change in a facial expression (it is very important to choose an appropriate surgeon and to follow the protocol provided after treatment), but this is completely transitory and does not result in any kind of after-effect for the patient. It can be corrected by treating the contralateral muscle to create symmetry in the gesture, or with medication that shortens the effects of the treatment.
“The botulinum toxin treatment is a “must” within aesthetic medicine. Its bad reputation is due to being applied by people who don’t have any kind of aesthetic taste. But, when used appropriately, it creates spectacular results.”
