Injections

Dermal fillers and Botox (short name for botulinum toxin) are a great way to improve wrinkles, decreased volume and other facial changes associated with aging, with minimal discomfort and no downtime. Despite getting their skincare just right, some people still feel the signs of ageing are catching up. Others are intrigued to know what else is on offer beyond simply using creams (which are often heavily oversold and promise results that are simply not possible).

In fact, due to the effects of facial aging, not only do we have a loss of collagen and elastin causing sagging of the skin and wrinkles, we also have reduction of the facial fat, muscle mass and demineralization of bone that actually causes a loss of volume of the face.

Botox and filler injections are among the most popular nonsurgical cosmetic procedures, meaning they do not involve surgery.

Botox is generally used to treat fine lines and wrinkles while fillers can be used to add volume to the lips and other areas on the face.

The two can work well together and are usually done in the doctor´s office.

The purpose of these treatments should always be to create natural results, not artificially enhanced or exaggerated features.

Botox only works on wrinkles that are caused by muscle movement. These are known as dynamic wrinkles and are often called “expression lines”.

The most common dynamic wrinkles that Botox can treat are the frown lines (between the eyebrows), horizontal lines on the forehead, and crow’s feet around the eyes. These lines are caused by smiling, frowning, squinting and other facial expressions.

Botox will therefore not work on fine lines and wrinkles caused by sagging and loss of volume in the face, resulting from a reduction of collagen and elasticity in the skin. These are known as static wrinkles and can be addressed with dermal fillers.

Dermal fillers, usually hyaluronic acid, are substances designed to be injected beneath the surface of the skin. They can add fullness to areas that have lost volume and smoothness.

This includes thin lips, nasolabial folds (the two skin folds that run from each side of the nose to the corner of the mouth), tear trough (under eye hollows) and cheeks that have lost fullness.

Botox and dermal fillers are not permanent treatments. Effects can last between 3-6 months, depending on the individual and repeated treatments are therefore necessary for continued effects.

Because Botox and dermal fillers are different substances designed for different uses, they can safely be combined in one treatment. For instance, someone may use Botox to correct lines between the eyes and a filler to correct nasolabial folds.

Overall, the side effects of injectables are relatively minor (one of the reasons why injectables have become so popular). Common effects from fillers include bruising, swelling, redness or tenderness around the injection site, all of which will resolve after a few days (it is recommended to allow a full week for recovery before attending any big event after fillers).

With Botox, the patient is typically fine to attend social engagements the same day since the side effects are usually limited to 30-60 minutes of temporary swelling at the sites of injection. Fillers injections produce virtually immediate results. Botox injections may start to show their results within 2-3 days but it normally takes up to 10-14 days to see the full effect of the treatment.

Hyaluronic acid is used in this case to rebalance the shape of the nose.

However, the non surgical rhinoplasty (also called rhinofiller or liquid nose job) has limited and specific indications. It can’t solve all the nose aesthetic issues but it can correct minor deformities such as saddle nose, prominent humps, drooping tip and depressions.

The procedure is not painful and it takes place in the doctor´s office, lasting only a few minutes. After the session, no local dressings or bandages are applied and one may only see a slight swelling, which disappears in a couple of days. There is no recovery period and the return to social life is immediate. Rest is required for a few days from sporting activities and it is advisable not to wear sunglasses or eyeglasses if the upper region of the back of the nose is treated.

The results of the treatment are immediate and in most patients the effects will persist for up to 6-12 months. Rhinofiller may sometimes represent a valid alternative to surgery, even if to be repeated over time. The final result is both natural and attractive and it is therefore an excellent opportunity for all those who do not feel ready for surgery but wish to improve the shape of their nose.