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Contents
What is botulinum therapy?
Botulinum therapy is a direction in medicine and cosmetology, which is based on the injection into muscle tissue of preparations containing botulinum toxin type A. In turn, botulinum toxin is a neurotoxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium Botulinum. The substance blocks the transmission of a nerve impulse to the muscle that the brain sends, after which the muscles stop contracting, and wrinkles are smoothed out.
What effect can be achieved after botulinum therapy?
Why are botulinum toxin-based drugs used in cosmetology? Botulinum toxin works on deep expression lines that result from natural muscle contraction. Currently, botulinum therapy is the most effective way to prevent the formation of:
- horizontal wrinkles of the forehead, lower eyelid and décolleté;
- deep interbrow wrinkles;
- vertical wrinkles on the face and neck;
- “crow’s feet” in the eye area;
- purse-string wrinkles in the lips;
Injections are also used to improve facial features and treat conditions that affect bodily functions. Examples include:
- Hypertrophy of masticatory muscles (bruxism). Relaxation of the muscles through the introduction of botulinum toxin in the area of the angles of the lower jaw can reduce the hypertonicity of the cheekbones and correct the problem of the so-called “square face”, as well as reduce the volume of the lower third of the face.
- Drooping of the corners of the lips. Botulinum toxin, working with the muscles of the mouth area, weakens cravings and lifts the corners of the lips.
- Lazy eye (strabismus). The most common cause of a lazy eye is an imbalance in the muscles responsible for the position of the eye. Botulinum toxin helps to relax the muscles of the eyes and visually align their position.
- Eye twitching. The injections can help relieve contracture or twitching of the muscles around the eyes.
- Hyperhidrosis. This condition is accompanied by excessive sweating even when the person is in a calm state. In this case, botulinum toxin injections are injected into the skin, which allows you to block the neural signals that lead to the active work of the sweat glands.
How is the botulinum toxin procedure performed?
The procedure is carried out in several stages, which include:
- Determining the areas where the drug will be injected;
- Preparation and cleansing of the skin;
- Anesthesia of the injection site;
- Injection of botulinum toxin with an insulin syringe into muscle tissues;
- Skin post-processing.
The effect of injections usually appears 1-3 days after the procedure. Depending on the individual characteristics of the patient’s body, the result lasts from 3 to 6 months.
Important! For the procedure to be most effective, preparation is necessary for it. On the eve it is recommended to exclude the use of alcohol, stop smoking, visit the bath, sauna and solarium.
What are the types of botulinum toxin preparations?
The term “Botox” (botox) has recently become a household name. Under it, people most often understand injections that help fight wrinkles. But Botox is just one type of botulinum toxin-based drug. While Russian cosmetologists use many drugs, of which the 5 most popular can be distinguished:
- “Botox”;
- “Dysport”;
- “Relatox”;
- “Xeomin”;
- “Botulax”.
Preparations differ in the number of molecules in the composition, various additives and cost. Let’s analyze each in more detail.
“Botox”
The most common drug for botulinum therapy – “Botox” was created by the American manufacturer Allergan at the end of the 20th century. It was Botox that made the properties of botulinum toxin popular, thanks to which the procedure based on it became widespread.
One bottle of “Botox” contains 100 IU of the botulinum toxin complex, albumin and sodium chloride act as excipients.
“Dysport”
Dysport appeared a little later than Botox. It was released by the French company Ipsen. In its action, the drug is almost identical to Botox, however, among the excipients, Dysport contains lactose and hemagglutinin.
Also, the drugs have different dosages of the active substance. In Dysport, the concentration of botulinum toxin is lower (50 units), therefore, for the same procedure, its dosage should be higher than in the case of Botox, which compensates for the lower cost of the drug.
“Relatox”
The Russian analogue of “Botox” from the pharmaceutical company “Microgen”. In addition to botulinum toxin, the composition of the drug includes gelatin and maltose, which provide mild stabilization of the active ingredient. Unlike Botox, the drug does not contain albumin, which minimizes the antigenic load.
“Xeomin”
Xeomin was invented by the German company Merz. Unlike other drugs, it has a lower molecular weight, which allows it to work even with small facial muscles.
Moreover, “Xeomin” practically does not contain complexing proteins, which reduces the risk of allergic reactions.
“Botulax”
Korean botulinum toxin is identical in composition to Botox, so opinions on the benefits of Botulax vary. Some cosmetologists note that the drug has a painless and mild effect, and the effect of it appears within a few hours.