ANTI-WRINKLE INJECTIONS
Fight frown lines and get a younger look
Anti-wrinkle injections step in where even top-quality skin creams can’t. It’s an unfortunate fact of aging that no matter how good your daily skincare regime is, or how much you avoid sun exposure, wrinkles will form on your face as time goes by. This is because as your facial muscles move, they cause permanent lines to form (especially around the mouth and eyes). These lines only get deeper as time goes by.
However, just because wrinkles and aging go hand in hand, it doesn’t mean you have to accept them. Fight back and banish those wrinkles – and stop them from forming in the first place – with our extremely effective anti-wrinkle (muscle-relaxant) injections. You won’t look ‘frozen’ – you’ll look fresh and smooth.
PURPOSE
REDUCE FINE FACIAL LINES & WRINKLES WITH ANTI-WRINKLE INJECTIONS
SUITABILITY
PAIN
TIME
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How can About Face Brisbane get rid of my wrinkles?
We can’t stop time, and you wouldn’t want to have an expressionless face. However, with a bit of help from medical science and a protein produced by a microorganism, About Face Brisbane can erase the evidence of time and muscle movements from your face.
About Face Brisbane has experienced doctors and a registered nurse who are experts in administering anti-wrinkle injections (muscle relaxants). These injections relax the muscles responsible for causing lines and wrinkles, and this causes the lines to decrease or completely disappear. Routine muscle relaxant injections will also help prevent wrinkles and lines from coming back.
How do anti-wrinkle injections work?
To explain it simply, anti-wrinkle injections are muscle relaxants which are injected under the skin to allow the skin to smooth out. These muscle relaxants are made from a chemical produced by a microorganism.
Clostridium botulinum is a bacterium which naturally produces a chemical called botulinum toxin. This chemical is purified to make muscle relaxants. Botulinum toxin type A is approved for medical and cosmetic uses in 85 countries around the world, including Australia.
Anti-wrinkle injections make wrinkle-causing muscles relax. By doing so, the lines (wrinkles) that have formed over these muscles will improve dramatically, or even disappear completely. Regular use of muscle relaxants will not only help treat existing wrinkles but will help prevent the wrinkles from coming back.
Apart from wrinkle reduction, what other benefits are there?
As well as their great aesthetic benefits, muscle relaxants have a range of medical benefits. Muscle relaxants are commonly used for reducing or eliminating headaches caused by muscle tension and migraines. Muscle relaxants can also help people who suffer from bruxism (teeth grinding during sleep). It’s important to seek treatment for bruxism as the grinding motion can damage the temporomandibular joint (where the lower jaw hinges). Muscle relaxants for bruxism stop the nocturnal grinding and also soften the shape of the face. If you’d like to have a chat with our cosmetic physicians and nurses about this, please call (07) 3482 2999.
Botulinum toxin type A (muscle relaxants) is also a very effective treatment for hyperhidrosis (excessive localised sweating), especially for people who experience severe sweating under their arms. For more information on this great treatment, visit our Hyperhidrosis treatment page.
What other conditions can muscle relaxants treat?
- spasms or twitching of the eyelid (blepharospasm)
- neck muscle spasms
- localised muscle spasms such as in the face
- misalignment of the eyes (Strabismus)
- some types of incontinence (if they are caused by an overactive bladder)
- dystonia, spasticity (lack of muscle control), and pain in adults and children with cerebral palsy as part of their overall treatment program for muscle stiffness and over-activity.
What should I expect before, during and after treatment?
Before treatment:
Before your first muscle relaxant treatment with About Face Brisbane, you’ll have a consultation with our experienced doctors or registered nurse, Marian Ferguson. Our team has a wealth of experience giving anti-wrinkle injections and achieve excellent results. During this initial consultation, you’ll discuss your goals and expectations thoroughly, and a treatment plan will be developed for you.
You can either book your treatment at a later date after the consultation has been completed, or you can go ahead with the treatment then and there – there is no obligation on you either way. The most important thing is that you’ll receive all the facts you need to make a decision regarding whether muscle relaxants are right for you.
During treatment:
For the treatment, you’ll sit comfortably in a private treatment room. There is no need for the numbing cream to be applied. A tiny needle is used to inject the muscle relaxants into the target areas that were discussed with Dr Campey or Marian during your pre-treatment consultation. These injections are placed precisely in the right spot to make the wrinkle-causing muscles to relax so that the lines disappear.
After treatment:
There is no downtime following treatment so you can go about your day as you normally would.
After your very first muscle relaxant treatment, it can take a week or two for the treated muscles to relax completely. The lines on the skin above these muscles then keep softening for another month or two. Repeat treatments are usually needed after 4 to 6 months initially but intervals between treatments tend to increase over the years.
Is there any downtime?
There is no downtime following muscle relaxant injections. You can go right back to work, look after the kids, drive, exercise, or go out for lunch as soon as the treatment is finished. On rare occasions, some patients experience redness, bumps, mild swelling, and bruising. However, these side-effects are always mild and temporary.
What is a ‘unit’ of muscle relaxant?
A unit is a measurement of the dose of muscle relaxant gel. The dose required depends on where the muscle is located that needs to be treated, how strong it is, and what type of result you’re looking for. A single injection may contain various different units of the anti-wrinkle treatment. A higher number of units may not mean a higher number of injections.
How often do I need to have anti-wrinkle injections?
At first, you’ll need to have the treatment repeated every four to six months. However, the longer you use muscle relaxants, the less frequently you’ll need to be treated to maintain your results.
Will Anti-wrinkle Injections Make My Face Look 'Frozen'?
No. Our anti-wrinkle injections won’t give you the ‘frozen look’ but will instead give you a naturally smoother face by treating muscles in only the areas that cause the wrinkles. Your facial expressions won’t change so you’ll still look like you – just smoother.
Do anti-wrinkle injections hurt?
Needles are disliked by everyone! However, the needles used for anti-wrinkle injections are so tiny that the most discomfort you may experience is a little sting for a few seconds. A lot of patients actually find they don’t feel much and are excited at how easy the procedure is.
What are the side effects from anti-wrinkle injections?
Muscle relaxants are a prescription medication, and like all medications, there is the chance some people will experience side effects along with the significant benefits. However, the side effects of muscle relaxants are rare and are almost always mild and temporary. These rare side effects can include:
- tenderness, pain, and bruising at the injection site
- a slight headache
- nausea and flu-like symptoms (very rare)
- a drooping eyelid lasting for a few days (very rare)
- Women who are breastfeeding or who are, or maybe, pregnant cannot be treated with muscle relaxants.
What is the science behind anti-wrinkle injections?
The substances that muscle relaxants (anti-wrinkle injections) are made from, Botulinum toxin type A, works by blocking the release of acetylcholine from nerve cells. Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter (a chemical messenger) which normally transmits (sends) nerve impulses to muscle cells. These impulses then make the muscles contract.
However, when acetylcholine is not released (due to anti-wrinkle injections), the affected nerve can’t send a message to the muscle it supplies. This means the muscle becomes weakened or paralysed (it can’t contract). If muscles can’t move properly, or can’t move at all, they can’t cause creases or lines in the skin on top.
After a couple of months, the nerve fibres that were affected by the muscle relaxants regenerate and start to send out muscle contraction signals again. This is why anti-wrinkle injections need to be performed in the same area after four to six months.
Anti-wrinkle injections target individual, specific muscles. This means most facial expressions won’t be affected, and your face won’t look ‘frozen.’
Can both women and men be treated with anti-wrinkle injections?
Yes, muscle relaxants are a great way for men and women to achieve a smoother face. About Face Brisbane regularly treats adults of all genders ranging in ages from the late 20s to 70s.
Are dermal fillers and anti-wrinkle injectables the same thing?
No, dermal fillers and muscle relaxants are made of different substances and have different purposes. Anti-wrinkle treatments relax the muscles and, therefore, soften movement. Dermal fillers are gel-like substances that are used to add facial volume or ‘plump’ and fill facial lines.
For information on how About Face Brisbane can help you replace the facial volume you’ve lost or enhance the facial volume you have now, visit our Dermal fillers page.