All you need to know about Botulinum toxin

Epilium & Skin Medical Center introduces you to botulinum toxin, more commonly known as botox, used to combat skin aging. It is used to reduce wrinkles or prevent their appearance. How do the injections work? What results can we expect? Find out in this video and the following article.

Botox is the brand name for botulinum toxin, so it’s better to speak of botulinum toxin.

ARE THERE ANY RISKS INVOLVED IN HAVING BOTULINUM TOXIN INJECTIONS?

Botulinum toxin has no side effects. The only minor complications reported to date are related to the injection technique, but not to the botulinum toxin. Over the past 25 years, botox has evolved enormously, and is now used more subtly and lightly. The aim is no longer to paralyze muscles and freeze faces, but to relax and put facial muscles back to rest.

Botulinum toxin only treats wrinkles of muscular origin. It treats skin breaks caused by muscle hyper-action.

WHEN CAN BOTULINUM TOXIN BE USED?

Wrinkles treated with botox most often concern the upper third of the face, i.e. :

Forehead wrinkles
Frown lines (also known as frown lines)
Smile lines (also known as crow’s-feet lines)

It can also be used to reduce the masseter muscle, which, if too voluminous, gives a “square” appearance to the lower face.

It can also be used in the treatment of hyperhidrosis, to reduce the action of the sweat glands responsible for excessive sweating.

WHAT CAUSES WRINKLES TO APPEAR?

These wrinkles and skin breaks are due to muscle hyper-action. On a young face, there is a perfect balance between the muscles that raise the eyebrows and those that lower them. But with age, this balance is lost. The result is these famous muscular hyper-actions, which then cause wrinkles. As we said in the introduction, botox has come a long way in 25 years. Today, it is used in a more subtle way, aiming above all to relax and rest the muscles of the face, in order to restore the balance between the lifting and lowering muscles that we all naturally have when we’re young.

WHAT ARE THE CONTRAINDICATIONS?

The only contraindications to botox are pregnancy and breastfeeding. Above all, it’s a precautionary principle, because we don’t know what the consequences might be. We can also add all neuromuscular pathologies.

PRIOR CONSULTATION

Before any botox injection, an examination is essential. This first session is used to determine which wrinkles need to be treated and what results are expected. During this first session, the doctor will examine the muscular balance, enabling him or her to avoid the pitfalls of botulinum toxin injections and establish a program of injections adapted to the patient, since every face is different.

THE INJECTION SESSION

Botulinum toxin injections at Epilium&Skin are performed using 32-gauge needles, ultra-fine needles that are barely visible. The finer the needle, the more painless the treatment. That’s why we don’t use anaesthetic creams or local anaesthetics at Epilium&Skin, because the treatment is so painless.

DURATION OF A BOTOX SESSION AND TREATMENT

Treatment and botulinum toxin injections are extremely rapid. It takes three days after a session to see the first results. Optimum results are achieved after ⁷ to ¹⁵ days.

AFTER BOTULINUM TOXIN INJECTIONS

At the Epilium&Skin aesthetic center, after botulinum toxin injections, we recommend :

Do not massage the face
do not use a sauna or steam bath for 5 days after botulinum toxin injections

HOW LONG DO THE EFFECTS OF BOTULINUM TOXIN LAST?

The effects of botulinum toxin last an average of 4 months, so it is necessary to return within this interval to renew the injections.

HOW MUCH DOES A BOTOX INJECTION COST IN PARIS?

Vistabel Allergan or Azzalure Galderma ampoules are available for €300. It generally treats the 3 zones of the upper face (forehead, frown lines, crow’s feet).

Treatment ofunderarm hyperhidrosis and masseter hyperhidrosis generally requires 2 ampoules, at a cost of €600.