So to start the discussion about injectables such as neuromodulators, Botox/Xeomin/Dysport, and Dermal Fillers we have to talk about treatment plans first! The consult is so important because each individual patient requires different types of products, different amounts (dose), and different placement. This is so important to keep in mind as injectors and as patients seeking these types of treatments. Some of the standards that are being set today are Not natural looking or not attainable without combination surgery. In a world where there has been so much pressure on women and men to look a certain way in order for them to be accepted or viewed as beautiful and successful, we as injectors have to maintain standards that are safe, and healthy for the whole of the patient….whole being your physical and mental health. So much overfilling and too much botox is a disservice to the patient and to the industry. No one should be distorted and facial proportions and balance should be maintained. That means everyone has different amounts and limits to what should be done because everyone is different. We can’t be injecting with techniques and doses that are putting facial features out of proportion or making everyone look the same. If you request a certain look and you have an injector who says no to a treatment for you, take that advice. It is a good injector, they are maintaining your natural beauty and giving you subtle enhancements to make you look refreshed, less tired and more radiant. A Neuromodulator such as Botox and Xeomin is Botulinum Toxin A, a purified protein that in small doses called units, is injected into specific facial muscles to temporarily relax them. This means the muscle will not contract as strong and when the muscle is more relaxed the skin on top of that muscle is not as deeply creased upon movement. Over time the relaxation of these muscles creates smoother more radiant skin with less fine lines. So less movement less wrinkles. You do not need to be “FROZEN” to achieve a brighter more rested appearance. These neuromodulators can be used around the eye for crow’s feet, or to create a brow lift more specifically if the upper eye lid is hooded, most often it is injected in the frown lines or “elevens”, the forehead for horizontal lines. Botox can also be used in the lower 1/3 of the face in conservative doses to soften smoker’s lines around the mouth, flip the lip to create more lip show, the depressor muscles that pull down the corner’s of the mouth, and to relax the masseter muscle for those that grind teeth and clench. Whatever the placement, the dose will be different depending on the individual and the strength of their muscles and the way they are used to animate. Softening creases and erasing fine lines is the goal to brighter smoother skin!
Krista Brunetti RN, BScN