What is Botox and how injections restore youth and beauty

How does Botox work?

In pharmacology, Botox is a local muscle relaxant that temporarily blocks neuromuscular connections.
I will not go deep into the description of the biochemical processes during the administration of Botox, but I will try to explain it in understandable language.

Let me start with the fact that all facial muscles on the face are connected to the skin at both ends. These are the only muscles in the human body with this form of attachment, which provides us with mobility of the skin on our face. Each muscle has a parallel antagonist muscle, i.e. if one muscle raises the eyebrow, then the antagonist muscle lowers it. This means that the position of the eyebrows at rest depends on the opposition of these two muscles.

Let's look at an example: if you tie two rubber bands to a pencil and stretch them so that the pencil is in the middle. If you pull one rubber band, the pencil will move in its direction; if you pull the other, the pencil will naturally follow the second rubber band. The same thing happens with the eyebrow muscles.

Now imagine that we take one rubber band and cut it a little. This will weaken it, the antagonistic eraser will pull the pencil. This is how it works with Botox: when it hits one muscle, it relaxes it, and accordingly, the antagonist tightens and eliminates wrinkles.

After Botox injection

A question about sensations and visual changes.
During the procedure, most clients feel some movement or burning. That's all, nothing happens right away. Botox begins to act only after 1-2 days; doctors say it “gains strength.” On the second day after the injection, many clients feel as if a cake was “glued to their forehead.” But it goes away on the 3rd or 4th day; as a rule, you won’t feel anything else.

However, now, after the procedure, when it seems to you that you are wrinkling your forehead or squinting, in fact nothing will be reflected in your facial expressions.

Some patients don't like this for obvious reasons. “Doctor, I’m like a mummy, I want a living face!” - many say, but, dear clients, the choice is yours: either a live face with wrinkles, or slightly “frozen” facial expressions on the area of ​​the face where the injection was made.

I will say one thing that there are specialists who have long experience in Botox correction. They are able to calculate the dosage so accurately that, despite the elimination of wrinkles, facial expressions are preserved.

How to take care of your facial skin after surgery

Rehabilitation consists not only of restrictions, but also of mandatory care measures:

1. to distribute the drug, you need to perform facial exercises for the first two hours;
2. to heal punctures and as protection against infection, the skin should not be washed for a couple of days, but wiped with a chlorhexidine solution;
3. short-term use of cool compresses will help relieve swelling;
4. to speed up the recovery process, puncture sites can be lubricated with Bepanten and Panthenol creams;
5. you need to moisten and saturate the skin, but do not use warming masks.

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Alternative Methods

Not all women trust Botox procedures, so they strive to find other effective methods for facial rejuvenation. Oddly enough, it can be used instead of Botox. In addition, there are operations to restore the elasticity, freshness, and structure of facial skin. Let's look at the most famous of them:

• Thermage involves treating the deep layers of the skin to improve collagen production. The procedure fights wrinkles and is also used to tighten the skin;
• Mesotherapy, biorevitalization. Subcutaneous administration of vitamin cocktails and substances based on hyaluronic acid. Perfectly destroys facial wrinkles;
• Carboxytherapy consists of subcutaneous injection of CO2, which perfectly tightens the skin and significantly evens out the most serious wrinkles;
• Botulinum-containing creams are not so effective, but they help when the patient is afraid of injections.

It is worth noting that in order to achieve results, several techniques must be combined. For example, injections of botulinum toxins with biorevitalization and carboxytherapy provide a rejuvenating effect and protect against drooping eyelids.

Side effects of Botox

The procedure, done according to all the rules and observing all technologies, takes place without complications.
Considered: • Choice of injection site

• Depth of drug administration

• Accurate dosage calculation

But the patient is always warned that small hematomas may form at the injection site and slight swelling may occur. All side effects go away within a day (I was lying here, the swelling goes away, but if the doctor gets into the vessel, the bruise can last for a month, this is acceptable).

There is also such an effect as overhanging the brow ridge, i.e. ptosis (drooping). This effect is usually easy to eliminate.

In any case, before starting the procedure, you must sign a consent form, where everything is described in detail. Here is a standard consent form:

Now let's look at the places where Botox is injected and for what purpose

Botox eyelids (Botox injections into the eyelid area)

It happens that the anatomy of the eyelids and the shape of the eyes allows you to slightly raise the drooping upper eyelids.
But the mechanism itself is aimed directly at eyebrow lifting. When raised, the eyelids rise accordingly, but this is a very rare case. Want to check it out for yourself? Go to the mirror, place your index finger just above the center of your eyebrow and forcefully pull it up. Look, does your eyelid rise? If the eyelid is standing, then lifting the upper eyelid is impossible with Botox. If the eyelid opens, then you can try, but don’t forget about the eyebrow. It can be raised to an “indecent” height, so it’s up to you to decide: either the eyelid or the eyebrow.

Botox in nasolabial folds and lips

Botox is not done in nasolabial folds and lips - this is a myth!

Forehead Botox (Botox injections into the forehead area)

The main place on the face that can be corrected with Botox is horizontal forehead wrinkles.
In practice, this is the first signal of the presence of ptosis of the soft tissues of the face. But often, with active facial expressions, wrinkles appear at a fairly young age, which is why it is not uncommon for fairly young people to seek the procedure just to fix the immobility of the forehead. The injection line of the drug always passes between the wrinkles. At the same time, the doctor’s task is not only to eliminate wrinkles, but also to maintain facial expressions.

Brow Botox (Botox injection into the brow area)

Folds formed when frowning and vertical wrinkles when at rest are the main two problems in the eyebrow area. A Botox injection in this area either removes a wrinkle or fixes this area from frowning and gives some lifting to the eyebrows. Some patients experience a disappearance of spasmodic headaches.

Eyes (Botox injections against wrinkles under the eyes).

The anatomical structure in this area does not allow correction with Botulinum toxin. Such correction is carried out extremely rarely, only when correcting wrinkles at the corner of the eye (crow's feet), and this area is slightly corrected.

Proper preparation for injections

Before performing any cosmetic procedure, specific recommendations should be followed. Therefore, we highlight several important stages:

• The client must first go to a consultation and discuss together which places he wants to correct and whether it is worth having surgery at all. During the conversation with the doctor, you should talk about your state of health;
• Four days before surgery, it is forbidden to use medications, especially antibiotics, so as not to interfere with normal blood clotting. Also during this time you should temporarily give up sports activities, excessive exercise, and alcohol. All of the above can also lead to rapid blood flow and, as a result, after the injection, the liquid will not be able to flow evenly;
• To maintain facial skin tone, you need to repeat the procedure once every six months.

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The day before the scheduled operation it is prohibited:

• Drinking alcohol.
• Any exercises with bending.
• Massage is contraindicated.

Please note that Botox injections and antibiotics are combined but have a big impact. For example, one medicine can sharply reduce the results of injections, while others, on the contrary, increase them.

Optimal age

The question is at what age are cosmetic procedures for facial rejuvenation allowed? Four age categories can be distinguished:

• Up to 20 years old. Use of injections from 18 years of age. However, it is very rare that wrinkles or creases appear at this age;
• From 20 to 30 years. A chance to get rid of the harmful habit of squinting your eyes, and, therefore, delay the appearance of fresh wrinkles;
• From 30 to 55 years. Wrinkles and age-related changes are noticeable, and injection can eliminate and avoid the appearance of new wrinkles;
• From 55 and older. Surgery is not recommended. Women will not get the expected result, because at this age they need to seek the services of a surgeon.

Complications after the procedure

Negative results after injections appear due to the doctor’s unprofessionalism. In this regard, it is preferable to carry out the operation in a trusted hospital, with a renowned professional. Common mistakes made by medical workers:

Diluting a substance in the wrong ratio means blocking muscle activity or, on the contrary, a lack of results. In case of overdose, the excess amount of the drug should be eliminated. If, on the contrary, the dosage is less than the required dose, the drug can always be added.

Injecting medication into an area not intended for adjustment. As a result, asymmetry or drooping of the upper eyelids will appear. It is difficult to eliminate such phenomena, so you just need to wait a couple of months until the product is completely removed. You can reduce the effect of the element by massaging the injection area, as well as washing with warm water. When a client does not follow the doctor's advice during recovery, there is a possibility of complications or short-term exposure to the substance.

Reasons why there is no effect

Botox injections are considered a non-hazardous method of facial correction. After the procedure, allergies, necrosis and tissue suppuration do not appear. Botulinum toxin is a toxic substance, but in order for it to have a negative effect on the body, a huge amount of the drug must be administered, 30 times higher than the usual concentration.

Why is sometimes the client dissatisfied with the result after surgery? The prerequisites for dissatisfaction are different: no result, excessive action in the form of a “frozen face,” or pronounced negative changes. A mask on the face may appear due to too much Botox, or if the substance is injected deeply.

This effect is manifested by frequent repeated injections, as the muscles become exhausted over time. If the result is categorically unsatisfactory, the effect of the drug can be neutralized with the help of antibiotics, but only after consulting a doctor.

Eliminating wrinkles with Botox

Correction of a gummy smile with botulinum toxin

Dysport horizontal forehead wrinkles

Dysport glabellar area

Dysport horizontal forehead wrinkles

Dysport wrinkles around the eyes (crow's feet)

Botox wrinkles around the eyes Botox horizontal forehead wrinkles

Botox between the eyebrows

Drooping corners of the mouth.

It is recommended to carry out this procedure before contouring in this area to enhance and lengthen the effect.

Gummy smile.

A smile during which the upper gum is excessively exposed is very amenable to treatment with botulinum toxin. During this procedure, the depth of the nasolabial fold is reduced.

Neck wrinkles (needles and Botox injections in the neck area).

The large neck muscle, platysma, forms vertical cords that lead to sagging skin under the chin, on the cheeks, as well as the appearance of horizontal neck wrinkles. Blocking this muscle relieves tension and significantly improves appearance.

Hyperhidrosis

This is increased sweating. Treatment of this condition with Botox or Dysport is very effective. The result lasts about 1 year. Read more about hyperhidrosis in the section “Sweating Treatment.”

Botox in the corners of the lips

The effect of this procedure is very striking. But the difficulty is that the doctor must feel the depth of drug administration. Therefore, all doctors treat such correction with caution, therefore the minimum dose is administered and shallowly. It makes sense only as a preliminary procedure before contouring in order to increase the duration of the effect.

Carrying out the procedure

Preparation consists of examining the patient, studying his history (anamnesis) and features of the anatomical structure. To do this, the specialist needs to see the manifestation of various emotions and determine which muscles provoke facial movements.

Then the doctor marks the injection points. Their arrangement is purely individual and depends on many factors.

To determine the location of the muscles, they are felt with their fingers; only novice cosmetologists work according to standard instructions.

Having determined the dosage, the drug is reconstituted - diluted with a 0.9% sodium chloride solution. In this form, the product can be stored for a day in the refrigerator at a temperature of 2-8°C.

For injections, insulin syringes with a non-removable needle are used, so it does not hurt. If the pain threshold is low, anesthesia is given. The recommended volume per point is 0.1 ml.

There is a classic intramuscular injection technique and mesotherapy, in which the substance is injected under the skin. They differ in the severity of the result and contraindications. Mesobotox will not affect deep and old wrinkles, but is safer and rarely causes complications.

Usually the manipulation lasts from 30 to 60 minutes. 10-25 injections are performed and up to 200 units are administered. After work, the specialist writes down the name of the drug, the administration regimen, the quantity in the card and gives recommendations regarding further care.

Botox contraindications

• increased individual sensitivity to the toxin,
• some infectious and viral diseases (acute infectious diseases, exacerbation of herpes, etc.), inflammatory process at the site of the proposed Botox injection,

• myasthenia gravis (or similar syndromes)

• hemophilia

• during pregnancy and breastfeeding – the consequences can be very negative

• preparing for the birth of a baby - doctors do not recommend using Botox at this moment; the contraindications are quite serious.

• Botox can also have bad consequences when combining the procedure and taking antibiotics, anticoagulants, Relanium or NSAIDs.

Health and treatment

Botulax is a Korean drug that belongs to the group of muscle relaxants and has a peripheral effect. The medicine is intended for intramuscular administration; its use helps smooth out wrinkles and relax facial muscles.

The content of the article:

Composition of the drug and medicinal properties

Botulax contains the active component botulinum toxin type A and 2 excipients: saline solution and human serum albumin.

The peculiarity of the effect of a muscle relaxant is that botulinum toxin type A completely blocks the transmission of nerve impulses for a certain period of time due to a disruption in the process of acetylcholine synthesis. In turn, this causes temporary immobilization (in fact, paralysis) of the facial muscles, due to which wrinkles are smoothed out.

Botulax is available in the form of a white powder for the preparation of an injection solution. The volume of active substance in 1 ampoule can be 50, 100 or 200 units.

The medication is used strictly according to indications, and only for therapeutic/cosmetic purposes. It is not worth giving injections for prevention, since artificial (albeit temporary) paralysis of facial muscles is a very serious intervention that does not go away without leaving a trace. With uncontrolled use of muscle relaxants, it will be extremely difficult to avoid unpleasant consequences.

Despite the fact that the drug is widely used in cosmetology and shows quite good results, it should not be used without first consulting a doctor. Still, these are not conditionally safe fillers with hyaluronic acid, but a strong organic poison, albeit in microscopic doses.

Improper administration of a muscle relaxant can cause severe harm to health and serious damage to appearance.

Indications and contraindications for the use of botulinum toxin

Injections with Botulax are advisable when:

• blepharospasm;
• the presence of frontal wrinkles, “hare wrinkles on the nose”, nasolabial folds, in the area between the eyebrows (bridge of the nose);
• different types of wrinkles on the neck (horizontal and vertical);
• the need for lip correction (injections of this drug help make the lip contour smooth and neat).

Contraindications to the use of Botulax

Before deciding to use an injectable muscle relaxant, you must carefully study all contraindications to its use. If at least one of them is present, another remedy should be selected for the patient. Fortunately, there are quite a lot of analogues of the drug on the modern pharmaceutical market.

Contraindications to the use of Botulax include:

• individual intolerance to one of the components included in the drug;
• the presence of inflammatory processes in the part of the face where the injection will be given;
• taking antibiotics;

any infectious diseases occurring in the human body in the acute phase;

• gravitational ptosis of facial tissues;
• the presence of pronounced “hernias” in the eyelid area.

Botulax injections cannot be given to persons under 18 years of age, as well as to patients over 65 years of age. Administration of the drug is also contraindicated for people suffering from Liabert-Eaton syndrome or myasthenia gravis.

It is strictly forbidden to give injections of Botox and its analogues during pregnancy and lactation.

How to breed? Features of dilution and use of the drug

Botulax powder must be diluted before use. This should be done exclusively with saline solution. Neither boiled water, nor water for injection, much less soda solution should be used - this can have an extremely negative impact not only on the effectiveness of therapy, but also on the patient’s health!

0.9% sodium chloride in a volume of 1-4 ml (depending on the situation) must be added to the bottle with the powder, then shake it well until the mixture becomes homogeneous. To do this, only use an insulin syringe.

Here are the basic rules for preparing Botulax solution.

1. 1 Before preparing the solution, the work surface must be covered with film and a paper towel placed on top of it. This is necessary to quickly remove the drug in case it spills.
2. 2 It is better to carry out dilution and collection of the finished solution while wearing sterile rubber gloves.
3. 3 Take the required amount of sodium chloride into the syringe, pierce the rubber stopper with the powder with a needle and introduce the solvent into the bottle. If this cannot be done due to vacuum, the stopper is removed, the powder is diluted, and after it is drawn into the syringe, the drug bottle is disposed of.

Note. Before making a puncture in the rubber stopper of a bottle with Botulax, it must be treated with alcohol or an antiseptic solution. This is necessary to exclude the possibility of pathogenic microflora penetrating into the syringe with the solution.

It is very important to follow the rules for diluting powder for intramuscular injections. There is a special scheme for this, which is presented below in table form.

The drug must be introduced into the bottle with powder very carefully, gently rotating it so that the mixture dissolves and does not form lumps. However, you should avoid vigorous shaking of the liquid, as this can lead to denaturation.

If the manipulation is performed correctly, a transparent or slightly yellowish solution should be formed without any impurities.

Dilution of botulinum toxin: video on the topic

Shelf life

The ready-to-use solution can be stored in a cold place for no longer than a day. If it is not applied within this period, it will become unusable.

Shelf life in sealed form is 3 years.

special instructions

Injections should only be carried out by a qualified specialist. A cosmetologist performing manipulation must have a license and a certificate of completion of special preparatory courses. In addition, he must provide the patient with permission to carry out procedures for the administration of Botox and its analogues, obtained from the company involved in the production of the drug. The medicine can be used both at home (if the cosmetologist is a private practitioner) and in a specially equipped office. The dosage of the drug and the points of its administration are determined by the doctor individually for each client. This depends on the areas where muscle hyperactivity is most severe. If it is not possible to independently determine these zones, the patient is prescribed a special instrumental study - electromyography (EMG).

Correction zones and approximate dosages

Features of using Botulax

The drug is administered using an insulin syringe (needle size - 30G). The total dose of the drug intended for administration to all points of the face is 20 units (4 units of the substance at 5 points).

In order to prevent ptosis and the development of paresis, it is necessary to avoid introducing muscle relaxant into the part of the orbicularis oculi muscle that involves the upper eyelid.

It is not recommended to touch the lower eyelid area due to the risk of ectropion (eversion of the eyelid).

If the medication is supposed to be injected into the corrugator muscle, which wrinkles the eyebrow, it is necessary to pierce its central part with a needle, stepping back at least 1 cm from the eyebrow arch.

When will it take effect?

Botulinum toxin causes a temporary blocking of muscles, which is gradually weakened due to the regeneration of “paralyzed” nerve endings in the part of the face where the substance was injected. The drug is not immediate, it begins to work from 3-5 days to 2 weeks.

How long will the effect last?

It is impossible to say exactly how long the effect of Botulax injections will last, since it depends on the individual characteristics of the patient’s body. On average, it can last from 3 months to six months, but it happens that the effect of the drug is longer.

In the presence of deep wrinkles and creases, for greater effect, it is recommended to combine muscle relaxant injections with fillers based on hyaluronic acid.

Side effects after using Botulax

Side effects that occur during the administration of botulinum toxin manifest themselves within 1-3 days after the procedure. As a rule, they quickly go away on their own and do not require medical intervention, but it happens that the patient continues to have unpleasant symptoms for several months.

The most common side effects from Botulax use include:

• pain at the injection site;
• the onset of the inflammatory process in the treated area;
• development of paresthesia;
• hypoesthesia;
• swelling formation;
• hypersensitivity of the skin area subjected to injection;
• development of erythema;
• formation of hematomas;
• local bleeding;
• infection due to violation of the drug dilution technique, etc.

Most often, the occurrence of unpleasant symptoms is associated with home use of the drug. In order not to cause harm to your health, it is better to contact a specialized clinic. You should not skimp on the services of a competent doctor, so as not to regret your lost health in the future.

Botulax or Botox?

Many patients are interested in what is better to choose for wrinkle correction – Botulax or Botox? In fact, these drugs are almost identical to each other, only prices, manufacturing countries, the amount of the drug administered and the duration of the effect differ.

However, even in this case, unambiguous conclusions cannot be drawn, since the duration of action of a particular drug directly depends on the individual characteristics of the human body.

Which drug is appropriate to use in each specific case is a question that should be dealt with exclusively by a specialist.

Source: gialuronovaya.ru

Recommendations after Botox

After a Botox injection, it is recommended not to undergo any thermal procedures.
I’ll answer why: when exposed to high temperature, the effect of Botox is neutralized, i.e. a “sterilization” effect occurs. Therefore, you don’t have to wait for the effect of its use! You should also not drink alcohol, since alcohol, roughly speaking, “washes off” Botox.

Now about the myths. Many doctors recommend not eating chicken meat and eggs, explaining that the bird is stuffed with antibiotics, and the antibiotic also neutralizes Botox. There probably is some meaning to this.

Botox - consequences

In the short term, no consequences were observed.
And in the long term, there is an opinion that after using Botox for 10-15 years, the muscles sag and form “pockets”, but this is still an unproven opinion. - swelling after Botox, Botox swelling

This happens sometimes, and it is written in the consent you sign. But there is no need to worry. Firstly, the swelling is not very noticeable, and secondly, it goes away within 1-2 days.

- how to remove Botox, how to get rid of Botox

As a rule, Botox is neutralized quite quickly and effectively. 1-2 tablets of a broad-spectrum antibiotic are enough. Therefore, for those who do not like the effect of Botox, I would advise not to panic, but to contact your doctor.