Ever wonder why people in Hollywood stopped aging 15 years ago? Don’t listen to the interviews where J-Lo claims that it is clean living and papaya juice cleanses. The science of aesthetic medicine has made many major breakthroughs in the last 15 years that allows all of us to put off facial ageing. The Holy Trinity of facial esthetics is Injectables (Tox and fillers), Lasers and Regenerative treatments (more on that later) and Medical Grade Skin Care. Today, we are going to talk some about Tox – what it is, and what you can expect from the treatments.
Neuromodulators like Botox, Xeomin and Dysport (at RESTOR we use Tox for short) are medicines that stop your nerves from communicating with your muscles. When they are injected into a muscle they cut that muscle off from the nerves that normally keep the muscle tense, allowing it to relax. Wrinkles in the skin on top of that muscle decrease as a result. While many people love the idea of erasing years of wrinkles in one 15 minute treatment – they are put off by the fact that Tox can only be given via injections. So let’s talk about those injections!
Do Tox Injections Hurt?
Tox injections are done with a very fine needle, (most practitioners use a needle about three times as thick as a human hair). The injection itself is often compared to a small “pinch” or bug bite. However, if you are very sensitive to pain, you can use ice to make the injections totally painless.
Where are Tox Injections Placed?
All of the neuromodulators like Botox, Dysport and Zeomin are a very fine powder that is dissolved into sterile saline before being injected. Each injection affects an area of about 1cm around the site of the injection. Therefore, where the injections are placed depends on what muscles you are trying to relax. The wrinkles that typically respond best to Tox injections are in the upper face: the lines that form on your forehead when you raise your eyebrows, the lines that appear between your eyebrows when you frown, and the lines that form around your eyes when you smile. Tox can also be used to smooth fine lines in the upper lip, and in the “bunny” lines on the nose.
Will I have bruising after my Tox injections?
Most people do not bruise, but anytime that you put a needle in the skin there is a risk of a small amount of bruising. How extensive the bruising is depends on where the injections are placed and your skin type. The skin around the eyes is very thin and delicate, and will bruise more than the skin of the forehead. People with fair skin will have more bruising than those whose skin is a darker tone. Individuals who bruise easily can also expect more bruising, of course. Generally speaking, if you do bruise, the bruising will show up 1-2 days after the injections, and take 2-3 days to go away. It is generally minimal, about the size of a pinkie fingertip, and can be easily covered with makeup.
Are Tox injections plastic surgery?
No. Like fillers, regenerative treatments and lasers are not considered a form of plastic surgery Instead, Tox injections are considered a non-invasive procedure and there is no recovery period or “downtime” required after your treatment.
Is there anything to avoid before or after a Tox treatment?
There are a few things you can do to ensure optimal results from your Tox treatment. Taking aspirin, ibuprofen, or fish oils within a few days of your injections can increase your chances of bruising as well as drinking red wine the night before so it’s best to avoid all of these, if possible. After your treatment, we recommend refraining from any activity that raises your blood pressure for the rest of the day. This ensures that increased blood flow to the injection sites doesn’t move some of the Tox away from the target areas. Luckily, if this were to happen, it has absolutely no effect on other muscles of the body but you might not get the full benefit of the Tox at the sites injected.
Want to learn more about Tox, Dysport or Zeomin? Click the link below!
Neuromodulator Treatments (Botox, Xeomin or Dysport)
