Anti wrinkle treatments involve injecting a substance (approved for use in Australia by the TGA) that helps to reduce the appearance of fine lines and dynamic wrinkles by causing them to relax and soften.
Its mechanism of action is to block or reduce the release of acetycholine transmitter at the neuromuscular endplate resulting in temporary paralysis of the affected muscle. What did you just say, you ask?
Okay, in everyday terms it basically blocks the signals from the nerves to the muscles. Therefore the injected muscle, for a period of time usually 4-5 months, can no longer contract at all, or as strongly. If you can’t move the muscle you can’t make the lines that the muscle contraction was causing, to become deeper. In many cases finer lines can completely smooth out.
Most commonly, it is used on forehead lines, frown lines and crows feet. There are also some other treatment areas such as bunny lines (nose wrinkling), downturned mouth correction and chin dimpling. Some people have very strong vertical neck muscles (platysmal bands) that because of their strength pull down the jaw line. These can also be treated and softened and in turn help to lift the lower face.
For people who clench their jaw (bruxism) anti wrinkle can be injected to relax the masseter muscle. It can also be used to treat underarm excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis).
Anti wrinkle medication was first used in the late 80’s to treat eye muscle disorders such as uncontrollable blinking (blepharospasm) and misaligned eyes (strabismus). It was then approved a few years later to treat cervical dystonia which is a movement disorder that causes severe neck and should contractions. They found during particularly the eye muscle disorder treatments that frown lines were softening or completely disappearing.
From there the companies that produce the anti wrinkle medications began to research the aesthetic effects of treatments and anti wrinkle for fine and dynamic lines began (early 2000’s).
Remember, it is a temporary relaxing of the muscle that anti wrinkle treatments causes. Generally it lasts around 4 months. If you decide not to have any further treatments, the muscles that were injected return to normal and the lines will gradually go back to how they looked before treatment. In no way does it cause any permanent change. To keep your muscles relaxed, and to maintain your great results you will need to keep up your treatments.
In Australia there are 3 brands of anti wrinkle medications that are approved for use by the TGA. All three are prescription-only and therefore are only available from qualified medical professionals. During your consult at Enhance Cosmetic Injectables, you will have a full medical consultation with one of our highly skilled Doctors or Nurse Practitioners. The treatments are then carried out by me, a Registered Nurse for over 20 years.
