As we age, our skin ages too. After the age of 30, the skin starts to gradually lose its elasticity; gravity starts to show its effects; the facial muscles start to cause imprints on the skin and gradually signs of ageing start to become more apparent.
The desire of looking younger and slowing down the speed of this ageing is on the increase. For centuries, women have been trying different methods to rejuvenate their skin, and prolong their youth. The use of herb extracts and natural products, chemical treatments and in some parts of the world, facial rejuvenation acupuncture are a few ways of achieving this.
However, the most recent addition to this arsenal of treatments is the use of muscle-relaxant treatment to treat lines on the skin created by facial muscles when forming expressive movements such as smiling and frowning.
Muscle-relaxant treatments using botulinum toxin
As we smile, frown, squint, lift our eyebrows or make faces, we are contracting different muscles or muscle groups in our face. As we grow older and the elasticity of the skin starts to reduce, these constant contractions which cause folds on the skin, start to become permanent and more visible on the skin. In the early fifties, scientists discovered a protein from a bacteria called clostridium botulinum. Once treatment into a muscle, this protein paralyses the muscle and stops it from contracting which in turn makes wrinkles disappear.
This product was initially used to treat medical conditions such as crossed eyes, eyelid spasm and neck pain and it wasn’t until 2002 that this protein was first approved for the use in cosmetic therapy. Today, anti-wrinkle treatment are used for treating a wider range of medical conditions and also has become a more popular treatment in facial cosmetics. In the facial area, muscle-Relaxant treatments are used to treat undesired wrinkles in the forehead and between the eyebrows, glabellar lines, and the lines at the corner of the eyes, crow’s feet. It can also be used to smooth the muscles in the neck area and around the mouth and nose. Using a very fine needle, the protein is carefully treated in a specific amount into specific muscles in the face to make them relax.
Topical numbing creme can be used prior to treatment although the procedure is not considered painful it takes a few days for the effects to become visible. The results are amazing. Without the need of plastic surgery or skin lift, the wrinkles in the treated area disappear, making the skin look smoother and appearing younger. The effects generally last 3-4 months but can last up to six months. This treatment is completely safe for as long as it is applied by an educated and experience dental or medical professional. A pretreatment consultation is a must to evaluate if this procedure is both ideal and suitable for your concerns.
Another facial rejuvenation treatment that is becoming more widely spread is the use of dermal fillers
Dermal fillers refer to products such as collagen and hyaluronic acid which are the natural ingredients in our skin. As we grow older, exposure to sun and years of muscle movement gradually causes the skin to dry out and causes skin volume loss by breaking down these natural ingredients. By treating dermal fillers under the skin, this will help to rejuvenate the skin and replace this skin volume loss. It is used to eliminate wrinkles in different parts of the face such as around the mouth and nose, raise scar depressions and to improve the lip shape and volume. After appropriate anesthesia, fillers are carefully treated by a very fine needle under the skin in the selected area and the effects are immediate. There are different types of fillers depending on the area being treated. Same as with anti-wrinkle treatments, this procedure should be provided by an experienced dental or medical clinician after an initial consultation and assessment. The effects lasts between 9-12 months.
At ego cosmetics we offer free consultations and assessments which will provide you with necessary information before you make any decisions. We assess your skin, listen to your concerns and tell you whether these treatments are suitable for you. You will be informed of all necessary aftercare and long term maintenance.
