At San Diego Eyelid Specialists, we offer Botox anti-wrinkle injections. These are all Neurotoxins, which can be thought of as muscle relaxers, and act to stop the synapse which generates a muscle movement. Over time, the muscles become weaker as they are paralyzed, and don’t create wrinkles. Existing wrinkles have the ability to soften over time, and maintenance will prevent new wrinkles forming. This is not to be confused with dermal filler, which adds a thick substance to volumize and fill in areas.
If you are new to anti-wrinkle injections, we recommend you make an appointment for a consultation. During the consult, Tiffany Ross, PA-C will discuss your goals and build a customized treatment plan. At that point, you can have the treatment on the same day, or you can make another appointment for when you are ready. If you are experienced with anti-wrinkle injections, feel free to make an appointment for the treatment itself, and not the consult. The difference between a consult and the treatment option is the time allotted. A consultation is longer than a typical anti-wrinkle appointment, as we pride ourselves on being fully transparent and making sure you fully comprehend the process before making your decision.
How Long Does It Last And When Will I Be Able To See Results?
Most neurotoxins last ~3 months. You might continue to see the wrinkles remain softer beyond this, but without maintenance they will return eventually. Depending on the Neurotoxin, it can take anywhere from 2 -7 days to begin “kicking in”. Full results can take up to 2 weeks.
How Often Do I Have To Have It Done?
We recommend maintenance 3-4 times a year, or every 3-4 months.
What Are The Post-Care Instructions?
Keep you head upright for 4 hours after injections.
Avoid exercise, sweat, excessive bouncing/moving for the rest of the day.
Avoid massages, chiropractic visits, facials, hats, where your face experiences pressure for extended period of time as it could produce undesirable results. Neurotoxins cannot be taken out, so it’s very important to adhere to these rules.
What Do I Look Like After The Appointment?
Most people have small bumps where the injections were placed, this is due to the liquid taking up space between your skin and structures beneath the skin. After 10 minutes, these bumps are no longer visible. It important not to push or touch these areas immediately after to prevent spread to the wrong muscles and/or infection.
Where Can I Have It Injected?
Neurotoxins have a wide range of cosmetic applications.
Will I Make My Wrinkles Worse If I Decide To Stop?
Wrinkles will return to their original state eventually. As we naturally age, our skin will age with it, and wrinkles will continue to worsen over time without neurotoxins. The presence of neurotoxins and eventual breakdown will not contribute to worsening your wrinkles if you stop.
Can It Cause Permanent Damage If A Complication Occurs?
Neurotoxins are temporary, and therefore nothing permanent can occur.
Can Anything Bad Happen?
With any injection comes risks. If I were to inject saline, the risks are bruising, temporary swelling, mild pain at the injection site, redness, and rarely, infection. Neurotoxins will only add undesired results to this list, which include brow droop/ptosis, and if one side of your face reacts differently – asymmetric results – which can be fixed with more neurotoxin.
How Can I Time This For An Event? (Wedding, Conference, Travel, Etc.)
The best advice I can give you is: if you are getting married (for example) and you’ve never had Neurotoxins before, try them out 4 months before. The number 1 reason for that far ahead of the event is to give it time to metabolize if you don’t enjoy the results. That way, your injector can learn your anatomy, see how your muscles respond, figure out your “sweet spot” for amount/placement of units, and most importantly YOU can learn your face and figure out what YOU prefer! The best learning is through experience. By the end of 3 months, come back in for an evaluation and another session (~1 month before) to make it perfect.
Will I Bruise?
The risk of bruising is ALWAYS there. A black eye from Neurotoxins is extremely rare, but it can happen. Ways to mediate this risk includes:
Taking arnica a few days before and after your appointment. View here on Amazon.
Avoiding any blood thinning medications (advil, aspirin, vitamin E, fish oil, and other supplements) and alcohol (yes, even wine/beer) for 4-7 days before your appointment.
How Many Units Will I Need?
The FDA recommended units for the 3 most common areas are: 20 units eleven lines, 20 units forehead lines, and 24 units crows feet. However, everyone's anatomy is different, and your desired result will dictate how many units we will actually need to use.
What Does “Frozen” Mean In Terms Of Neurotoxins?
Frozen means you cannot move the muscle, not even a little bit. Some patients prefer this because result longevity is dose dependent, which means that the more units we inject – the longer your results will last. The caveat is if you do a high unit amount, you will end up frozen for the first month or two, but the anti-wrinkle results will likely last well over 3 months. A lot of patients don’t mind this though, and it’s not something that should scare you. It usually means that you get the most bang for your buck.