Facial Aesthetics
How would it feel to smile wrinkle free?
People who talk about Botox® ae normally referring to treatment derived from the use Botulinum Toxin A. Botulinum Toxin A is taken from a toxin produced by the same bacteria responsible for botulism in food poisoning. In facial aesthetic treatments, minimal amounts of Botulinum Toxin A are used to reduce and/or prevent facial expression lines from forming. It is licensed for the temporary improvement of moderate - severe vertical lines and is injected into the skin to reduce these lines.
In small quantities, Botulinum Toxin A temporarily weakens the muscles responsible for producing facial expression lines by their activity by preventing the nerves that cause the contraction from firing. This effect does wear off over time.
Absolutely everyone has natural lines on their faces. They are a result of our laughter, our frowning, our crying and virtually any emotion we experience and show on our face. For many people, their lines tell their story. For some people the lines on their face negatively impact how they see and feel about themselves. If this describes you, a treatment like this could have a great psychological benefit by reducing static lines and removing/reducing dynamic lines.
Static lines (ones which are present when you are not smiling or frowning), are usually due to sun damage and are not improved hugely with this treatment. Dynamic lines (ones which appear when you smile or frown) respond very well to this type of treatment as they only appear as the result of muscle activity.
There is no difference. Botulinum Toxin A is made by a number of companies, including BoCouture®, Azzalure ® & Botox®. All of these 'brands' produce the same Toxin. Clinically there is no difference between each one. Dr Ahiaku uses BoCouture ® in her patients.
The most common side effects of this type of treatment are headache and injection reactions e.g. redness, swelling, irritation, rash, itching, numbness, pain, discomfort, stinging, bruising and bleeding. Normally these reactions are mild to moderate, reversible and occur in the first week after treatment.
As the effects of this treatment wear off over 3 months, any undesirable outcomes are generally short-lived.