Botulinum Toxin

Botulinum toxin, popularized by BOTOX®, has, since the late 90's, revolutionised the area of ​​facial rejuvenation in a non-surgical way. This is because it quickly and safely allows for the elimination or noticeable smoothing of facial wrinkles, giving us a less fatigued appearance.

Botulinum toxin is a neurotoxin, produced in the laboratory, which blocks the release of acetylcholine in the neuromotor plaques. This prevents or weakens the action of the muscles involved, which translates into attenuation or elimination of the wrinkles that result from its usual contraction.

There are some groups of muscles on the face, whose repeated and permanent contraction causes the appearance of wrinkles. These can occur: 

• on the forehead - frontal muscle, which causes horizontal forehead wrinkles
• on and between the eyebrows - corrugators and supraciliary and nasal depressants, which cause the vertical and oblique wrinkles between the eyes and those of the upper region of the nose
• around the eyes, the well-known crow's feet wrinkles - by contraction of the eye orbicularis muscle

The relatively fast procedure, with very favourable results, consists of the application of botulinum toxin, through an extremely fine needle, in points of blockage of the selected muscles. Its effects are noticeable after 3 days, with peak action between 7-10 days. The duration of the rejuvenation effect is variable, with an average of about 6 months.

Other aesthetic applications of botulinum toxin can also be carried out - provided they are carefully applied to avoid adverse aesthetic or functional complications. These could include: lifting of the tip of the nose (by weakening the septal depressor muscle); the treatment of the gingival smile (by weakening the lip lifter); the longitudinal folds of the neck (by weakening the platysma muscle, whose contraction causes the platysma bands).

In addition to its aesthetic application on the face, botulinum toxin is also used in therapeutic areas. These include: the treatment of excessive sweating of the armpits and hands (hyperhidrosis or hypersudoresis); the treatment of blepharospasm (excessive and repetitive contraction of the eyelids); migraine tension, resulting from the permanent contraction of the muscles of the face and temporofrontal region.