Botox

Botox – wrinkle correction and hyperhidrosis

Wrinkles ‘of the wrinkle’ or ‘of worry’, ‘of old age’ or ‘of expression’, ‘crow’s feet’ and ‘bar code’: whether they are on the forehead, around the lips, at the sides of the eyes or in the area between the nose and eyebrows, the types of signs of time that hollow out the face are decidedly heterogeneous. The only common trait of these blemishes is the discomfort they cause and the concomitant desire to reduce them (or perhaps remove them altogether).
Among the most effective remedies against wrinkles, Botox is the best known. It is a myorelaxant drug (technically, botulinum toxin) that inhibits the action of the neuromuscular plate and reduces the activity of the mimic muscles, leading to their complete relaxation. The decrease in facial contractions diminishes wrinkles, which are thus less noticeable..

Aesthetic defects and solutions

It is the facial mimicry that is primarily responsible for the formation of wrinkles on the face, with its incessant and instinctive activity of contraction and relaxation of the muscles, generated by moods. Over time, the skin is marked by these continuous movements, while the muscles tend to stiffen, making it increasingly difficult for the face to return to its original relaxed state. And it is in these cases (rather than in situations of natural ageing) that it is possible to resort to the aesthetic medicine treatment of botox. It happens, in fact, that the botulinum toxin, inoculated into the target muscles, causes the arrest of the formation of acetylcholine, the substance that sends the nerve impulse that makes the muscles contract.

The therapy flattens and smoothes the skin by acting on

wrinkles around the eyes
interciliary wrinkles
frontal wrinkles
wrinkles around the lips

Not only wrinkles, however. Botox medication can also be used to solve problems of

drooping nasal tip (by increasing the projection of the tip and relaxing the muscle that lowers the septum)
drooping eyebrows (by raising the tail of the eyebrow),
excessive sweating (hands, armpits, feet).
Neck in the “Nefertiti Neck Lift” to reduce the overactivity of the platysma muscle and likewise relieve the downward thrust of this muscle in relation to the lower mandibular margin of the face (see botox for the neck)

Among the various cases, what is termed ‘hyperhidrosis’ is a problem that afflicts many people, severely undermining their self-esteem and propensity to be social. As with wrinkles, the treatment involves local infiltrations of a botulinum toxin solution that reduces glandular activity in sweat production. Solutions to the problem are tailored to the distinctive features of each patient. The effect of the therapy varies from 4 to 6 months, after which the session can be repeated. In the post-treatment period, the return to daily life takes place rapidly without any specific traumas and/or contraindications.

Preparation for treatment

During the specialist visit that precedes the aesthetic medicine treatment, the plastic surgeon will make a careful reconnaissance of the patient’s skin condition. And the patient, in turn, will present motives and expectations for choosing to undergo a Botox session. The doctor will also consider alternative or complementary solutions, depending on the type of blemish the patient has. Finally, all indications regarding the possible course of treatment and its duration will be set out.

The aesthetic medicine treatment

The Botox session lasts on average between 10 and 20 minutes, is performed on an outpatient basis and without anaesthesia. The best candidates for treatment are those with dynamic wrinkles due to excessive muscular activity in the face, which is a result of the high expressiveness of the face. The patient will be asked to contract the muscles in order to make the expression lines as visible as possible, and to proceed with Botox injections with the help of a very fine needle into the outlined areas. In this way the toxin, concentrated in a specific and circumscribed area, will limit excessive mobility. It is not excluded that the patient may feel a burning sensation during the injection. For the post-treatment there are no dressings or bandages or time spent in hospital. The infiltrations, by the way, leave no scar and it will be possible to resume normal daily activities almost immediately. As far as risks are concerned, accidental manipulation and vasodilation due to heat may result in the drug being displaced and acting in an area other than the natural site of the procedure.

Healing times

The effect of the Botox treatment starts to be seen between 48 hours and 2 weeks after the procedure (when the relaxation process of the corrugator muscle begins) and lasts approximately 4-6 months. After the treatment, the patient should observe a few simple precautions such as avoiding sun exposure, facial massages, steam baths and saunas for a week. Intense sports activity is not recommended in the 48 hours following the operation. To maintain the effects of the therapy, it is sufficient to repeat the sessions a couple of times a year.