Anti-wrinkle injection treatments are one of the world’s most popular aesthetic treatments. In the USA (in 2013) there were over 6 million treatments of anti-wrinkle injections. In Australia we can not name the brand of this treatment due to regulations, but we can discuss the use of this product. The product is a targeted muscle relaxer that is injected with tiny needles and lasts around 4 months.
1. NOT designed for your beauty – The muscle relaxer in the anti-wrinkle injections was first developed by Allergan to calm down overactive muscles in the face. The product was mainly used to correct patients with strabismus (crossed eyes) and blepharospasm (twitching eye). It was not until much later that it was realised that the muscle relaxer could be used to smooth away wrinkles such as Crow’s feet and frown lines.
2. No Sweat €” Anti-wrinkle injections can be used in the axilla (arm pit) to reduce excessive sweating. Excessive sweating affects around 4% of the population and can be devastating in terms of quality of life. Sufferers of hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating) may avoid certain careers, have problems with intimacy and avoid social situations. This treatment can last 6 to 9 months.
3. Safe for Use in Children €” both major brands of this muscle relaxer are approved for use by the Australian TGA for use in children as young as 2 years old with Cerebral Palsy. This treatment enables children to walk because it allows relaxation of the calf muscle in sufferers of Cerebral Palsy. The children have treatment regularly until their leg bones stop growing, they can then have surgery to permanently fix the problem.
4. Overactive bladder €” The injectable muscle relaxer is approved for use in overactive bladder. The tone of the bladder muscle can be weakened so as not to push out urine at the wrong time (sneezing or laughing).
5. Teeth Clenching and grinding €” The same muscle relaxer used for anti-wrinkle injections can be used to relax the chewing muscles in our face. Some people suffer from bruxism (grinding the teeth) and this can produce side effects such as broken teeth, headaches, neck ache and visual disturbance. This treatment is also popular in Asia to slim down the face and create a more oval shape in women. A square face in women is considered masculine, you can use these injectable muscle relaxers to minimize the size of the chewing muscle and create a more feminine appearance.
Facial Slimming Treatment by Mike Clague Aesthetic Nurse BSc
