July 03, 2017 | 3 minute read
It is interesting how times change – in the past, whether or not someone had had Botox was discussed in hushed tones between close friends. Nowadays, where you go for your Botox is openly talked about without any concern.
However, quite rightly, there remains a worry (particular for first timers), that muscle relaxing injections can change how you look, or even worse, can make you look strange. It is easy to spot the “mephisto brows” of those who have had Botox overdone in some facial areas and underdone in others. Therefore, the importance of getting treated by someone who knows and understands your face, and understands the delicate balance of the facial muscles is key. Following Botox injections, the key is that someone looks brighter and more refreshed, and not that they have had something “done”.
In my Botox practice, and that of the team at Purity Bridge, we certainly have a “less is more” approach. We aim to avoid the frozen appearance (unless someone specifically desires this) and would rather have slightly under-treated someone than over-treated them.
Furthermore, using advanced techniques for these wrinkle relaxing injections can make them widely applicable to other areas of the face and neck, and not just the areas around the eyes.
The way botulinum toxin works is by interfering with the impulses from the nerves to the target muscle. So whilst the effect can be wrinkle reduction, this is achieved through muscle relaxation. This means that Botox (as botulinum toxin is frequently referred to) can be used in other ways.
For example, if someone has a gummy smile, the position of the upper lip can be subtly altered to improve the appearance of the smile. This is done by injections into some of the muscles that lift the lip, meaning that it is not pulled up so much on smiling, hence reducing the gummy part of the smile.
Another use of Botox can be below the corners of the mouth, to subtly elevate the corners of the mouth/lip by reducing the pull down on the depressors, or the muscles that pull the mouth down. Botox given to tight neck bands can help them to relax and become softer and less obvious. Botox can even be used to help teeth grinding and to reduce the breadth of the jaw, at the angle of the jawline, by shrinking an overly large jaw muscle (the masseter) at this location. There are still more uses for Botox too.
I hope this brief overview demonstrates the versatility of using Botox injections, as well as reassures you that when carefully performed, a very natural and refreshed appearance can be achieved. The introduction of Botox 25-years ago truly was a game-changer