How does it work?
When a small amount of muscle relaxant is injected, it interferes with the connection between the nerve and the muscle and stops the muscle contracting. As the muscle is no longer able to move, it is not able to fold the skin into a wrinkle. The neuromuscular junction recovers over a few months and the muscle action returns to how it was before the treatment.
What results can I expect?
It often takes a few days after treatment to see results, with the maximal effect taking 1-2weeks. This is not a permanent treatment. Benefit lasts a few months and then needs to be redone.
However, over time with regular treatment, there is a further benefit. By preventing movement, the skin can recover and the underlying line can also improve or even disappear. At the very least, regular treatment will stop the progression and deepening of wrinkles and lines.
This is a treatment for dynamic wrinkles, not for wrinkles or lines visible at rest or depressions in the skin, which may need fillers.
What areas can be treated?
The most commonly treated areas are:
- Glabella (the area between your eyebrows) for frowning
- Crows feet for smile lines
- Forehead lines
- Brow lift
- Lower lid lines
- Perioral (smokers lines)
- Bunny lines
We also can treat the muscles (DAOs) that pull down the corners of the mouth as well as neck strap muscles and Masseters (to thin the face or reduce jaw pain/clenching/grinding).
Muscle relaxants have been successful in treating headaches as well as reducing sweating.
What are the risks?
Most patients have either no side effect at all or a few red dots, which settle quickly. Bruising, swelling and headache can occur. Lid lag and brow drop is mostly due to poor injecting technique, so is rare. If the result is uneven, a top up may be needed.
Patients should not have this treatment when pregnant or breastfeeding.