The CRC Soft Lift

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Frequently Asked Questions

What Causes Wrinkles?

Wrinkles occur as a result of skin ageing. When a child frowns the frown lines are there, but when he /she relaxes the lines disappear. This is because the skin is thick and elastic and bounces straight back into a smooth skin. I liken the skin to a pair of bathers that thin out and lose their elasticity with time. They start to get a bit saggy and baggy! Anti-wrinkle injections stop the muscle moving so that the skin over the top does not move and wrinkle up. They do not treat the underlying problem of the skin itself.

How do anti-wrinkle injections work?

Anti-wrinkle injections work by stopping the underlying muscle from working. The drug used is a microdose of a naturally occurring protein that is refined and purified in a laboratory. It is a very precise dose and actually only works on a tiny part of a muscle as it does not spread far from the point of injection. The drug temporarily affects a specific protein in the nerve ending that is part of the messaging system so that the message of ‘move’ does not get from the end of the nerve branch to the muscle part. The nerve and muscle recover as your body makes new messaging protein, which can take around 3 to 4 months.

Are there any side effects?

Because the drug is very accurate and targeted, the side effects are rare. In massive doses (used in babies with cerebral palsy) there have been a few cases documented where it has affected the breathing. However, in the doses we use to treat wrinkles, this is highly unlikely. What we see is occasionally a patient can become immune to the drug over time. Newer, more pure drugs reduce this risk.

Other side effects that are more common are related primarily to improper placement of the injections. If the drug is placed too close to another muscle it will affect that muscle, for example, the one that lifts the eyelid, then an eyelid droop may occur. Eye drops can help with this until the drug wears off at about 3 months. If someone treats forehead lines without analysing the consequences of weakening the forehead muscle for that patient, then the brow can become heavy and flatter. The outer eyebrows can become arched in a pointed way when the frown is incorrectly injected. These latter problems are easily corrected with complimentary top-up injections. Other common side effects are bruising (especially in the highly vascular crow’s feet area) and a temporary ‘gnat bite’ swelling at the site of injection for about 20 minutes.

How much do anti wrinkle injections cost?

We use 3 drugs in the clinic for anti-wrinkle treatment and all have a slightly different cost. The drugs are charged on a unit basis, however, you need, on average, two and a half times the dosage of the cheaper drugs to have the same effect as the more expensive ones, so they all work out about the same. A lot of clinics will advertise a unit price, but you need to be aware of how many units and of what drug you will need. It’s impossible to give an exact price of a treatment, as when I assess a patient I will judge the correct dosage for them to get the desired effect. However, as a rough guide for a frown, the commonest charge would be $245. However, some clients need less and some more.

How long do anti wrinkle treatments last?

The drug lasts around 3 to 4 months in the frown. In the forehead and crow’s feet, it can start to wear off earlier, as I often have to use lots of tiny doses to avoid other side effects like brow droop. In some muscles such as the masseter, it can last up to 9 months!

It also lasts nearly a year when used in the armpit for sweating.

What else can anti wrinkle injections be used for?

In this clinic, we also use tox (anti-wrinkle injections) to treat excessive sweating. Local anaesthetic cream is applied and then multiple injection points to each armpit to spread the drug over each affected area. The injections themselves are quick, the numbing takes about 30 mins.

It can also be used to treat jaw clenching. The chewing muscles can become overactive, especially over the corners of the jaw leading to jaw clenching. Tox treatment is very effective here to reduce jaw clenching. In these cases, I prefer to get the OK from your dentist before treating to check your bite and teeth before we start.

Who can perform anti wrinkle injections?

In this clinic, all tox injections are performed by myself, with a solid foundation in anatomy I understand what is going on under your skin and am able to individualise your treatment, but also able to offer you alternative options. It is by assessing your face personally and giving you the results we both want through individualised planning that I get great job satisfaction, and that is why I treat patients myself rather than just supervise a cosmetic nurse doing it. I am also an international trainer, lecturer, and researcher for one of the leading tox companies, so am able to offer you those skills and experience as part of your treatment.