The basic purpose of this treatment is to reduce wrinkles and fine lines that show up when the face is at rest. It is not intended to prevent muscular contraction: thus its results are to be judged mainly on the basis of how wrinkles look when the face is still.
Botulinum toxin has a myorelaxant effect at neuromuscular level: the product reduces the contraction of the muscles. The United States’ Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of this substance.
It was originally used to correct wrinkles located between the eyebrows (lion wrinkles).
As things stand, Botulinum toxin is generally used for aesthetic purposes between the eyebrows, at the corner of the eyes and on the forehead.
This product is typified by its capacity to relax muscles.
The aim of using it is to smooth out the horizontal and vertical wrinkles on the forehead and between the eyebrows that are caused by repeated use of the muscles. Botulinum toxin allows the mobility of these muscles to be reduced.
The muscles are stretched, any depressions in the skin are smoothed out and the face looks younger.
It helps to know that the line of the eyebrows is balanced by two groups of opposing muscles:
the muscle in the forehead that serves to raise the eyebrows and the muscles around the eyebrows that allow them to be lowered.
The forehead muscle is responsible for horizontal wrinkles and the muscles around the eyebrows are responsible for the vertical wrinkles located between them.
The outcome sought through the injection of Botulinum toxin is to obtain wrinkles that are smooth when the face is at rest.
It is recommended that Botulinum toxin injections be applied in a moderate and progressive manner. It is therefore useless to inject too much during the early sessions.
It may sometimes be necessary to repeat the injections in order to identify the correct amount of product for each individual.
