Wrinkle Wars – Are You Ready To Inject?

Wrinkle Wars: Head Pixie vs First Lady

Article by BR Amelia

We were chatting at BRHQ the other day, as we do… seriously, we gas that much about beauty I’m often amazed there’s anything for you to read on the website, but anyway … we were chatting about wrinkles, because we’re starting to see them. Some of us more than others. The Head Pixie was bemoaning the wrinkle running between her eyebrows, I pointed out my eye wrinkles, Nat demonstrated just how deep the lines were running across her forehead and Queenie rolled her eyes at all of us. As so often happens in these conversations the idea of freezing your facial muscles came up and as so often happened we all shook our heads, then began to warm to the idea – as long as it meant we didn’t end up looking like a certain Oscar winner who looks permanently surprised. Then someone mentioned ‘fillers’. Then we got wondering, what’s the difference? Do you just get one or the other? Can you get both? Are they scary? Then Queenie said ‘there’s an article in that’ and raised her royal-eyebrow in my direction. Yes, Ma’am!

So say you want to freeze your face? Just what is this magical muscle un-mover that is botulinum toxin? In a nutshell it’s a toxin produced from a bacterium called Clostridium botulinum (try saying that fast five times…). Fun fact! It’s the same toxin that can cause everyone’s favourite life endangering food poisoning, botulism – luckily for users, the toxin is purified and only a tiny amount is injected into your face, making it relatively safe. I say ‘relatively’ because there are potential side effects, which range from redness and swelling, drooping upper eyelids and uneven features (think one eyebrow higher than the other), to nausea and headaches. 

So how does it work? Once botulinum toxin is injected into a muscle it basically stops the signals from the nerves that tell the muscle to squinch up, which means wrinkles have no choice but to relax. Then, because the muscle is paralysed it assists in preventing the deepening of wrinkles. What’s great about this procedure is that it’s quick, in fact it can be done in your lunch hour, however you will have to wait a few days before you see the full effect. Another bonus of botulinum toxin is that it’s temporary, so if you loathe the look it will wear off, and if you love it you can continue to receive a new dose every three or so months.

Botulinum toxin is not suitable for those with neurological diseases, those who are pregnant or breastfeeding, and it should only be administered by a trained medical professional. 

So if botulinum toxin freezes muscles, what do fillers do?

Dermal fillers can be injected to help hydrate and plump skin and wrinkles, including those around the lips, the eyes, forehead, even the marionette lines that run between the outside of your lips down to your chin. (Bonus, it can even enhance thin lips and improve the look of scarring!) There are a few kinds of fillers available, but most cosmetic appearance professionals use hyaluranon – better known to you and I as hyaluronic acid, the current skincare superstar.

Dermal fillers can last from anywhere between six months up to two years, with some people even seeing results for up to three years. This makes dermals fillers a great option for someone who is time poor or not the fondest of needles. The procedure generally takes between half an hour to an hour.

As for side effects? Swelling and bruising may be experienced. There is a chance of an allergic reaction, although this is rare. Another side effect is lumps forming under the skin, but this can usually be corrected. Many medical professionals recommend that the more permanent fillers are to be avoided due to the higher risks of side effects and the complications that can come from them.

As with botulinum toxin, dermal fillers are not suitable for those who are pregnant and breastfeeding and they should be injected by a trained medical professional.

The big question is... can you do a two-pronged attack on the war against wrinkles, using both dermal fillers and botulinum toxin? Yes, you can plump and paralyse at the same time. However, how you choose to do so should be in consultation with your appearance medicine specialist. Some suggest a few weeks wait between injections, others will work it in altogether. 

So do tell… have you ever had botulinum toxin or a dermal filler injected into your face? What were the results? Is it something you’d consider doing? Or are you planning to age in the way nature intended? Chat away…