There are wrinkles, and then there are wrinkles!

Static wrinkles are those that occur as consequence of ageing of the skin.

Sleep wrinkles are caused by lying on the side of the face in bed. These form oblique lines across the cheeks.

Dynamic wrinkles are those caused by the repeated use of the muscles of facial expression.

Examples include; The horizontal forehead wrinkles, the vertical wrinkles above the nose between the eyebrows, the horizontal wrinkles across the bridge of the nose and down the sides of the upper part of the nose, the so-called ‘crows feet’ at the corners of the eye, the wrinkles of the lower eyelid.

It should be noted that these wrinkles occur in the upper face which is the most common area of complaint. One notable exception is the down-sloping grooves at each corner of the mouth. Which is due to over action or repeated action of muscles that depress the corners of the mouth in a downward direction.

Q. What are wrinkle removal injections?

A. In Australia we are not allowed to name the substance or brands of that substance that are used to reduce wrinkles. Although used world wide for this cosmetic purpose, the Therapeutic Drug Administration in Australia forbids their use in advertising for cosmetic purposes and will only sanctions there use for certain types of muscle spasm.

Q. What does the injection for wrinkles do?

A. It temporarily relaxes those facial muscles that cause dynamic wrinkles, thus producing a younger and less tense appearance.

Q. Is it safe?

A. It has been used in tens of thousands of patient’s world wide with no major or permanent complications reported to date to my knowledge.

Q. How long does it last?

A. Usually 3-4 months. In some people it lasts longer. I have known it to last as long as 8 months, but this is unusual. It is also unusual for a person not to obtain an adequate response.

Q. What are possible side effects?

A. Minor bruising is not uncommon, occurring about 1 in 10 patients. When the muscles causing the vertical lines between the eyebrows are injected, the patient is advised to not touch the area for 4 hours afterwards, since this can cause a temporary partial droopiness of the eyelid. Should this occur eye drops are used that will elevate the eyelid until the effect of the injection wears off naturally. (Usually within a matter of 3 weeks).

Q. What are other uses of this wrinkle injection?

• Masseter injection; the masseter muscles are on each side of the face in front of the ear and are used for chewing food. In some people, these are over developed often as a result of ‘bruxism’ (clenching of the jaws)… This is usually a sub conscious habit that especially occurs at night during sleep. The aesthetic result is a wide appearance of the face from the front view. This is a particular problem seen in some Asians and is a genetic trait.The result of injection in the massitors is a narrowing of the width of the face, often changing a squared appearance to an oval as seen from the front view.
• Depressor Anguli Oris; the muscles that depress the angles of the mouth in a downward direction can be injected to reduce their effects and produce an elevation at the corners of the mouth.
• It has been used successfully in the upper face to reduce headaches.
• It is used with remarkable effect in those with spastic muscle disorders.