What are the type of Facial Wrinkles?

There are many types of facial wrinkles divided according to the areas in the face.

• Crow’s Feet : They are called so due to their similarities in appearance to a crow’s feet. They are wrinkles which form on the outer corners of the eye. They are part of the natural ageing process. Crow’s feet usually start to form in your 20’s but are not noticeable until much later. This condition is extremely common in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The best method for dealing with crow’s feet is prevention. Always use sunglasses when outdoors to protect your eyes.
• Forehead Wrinkles : Also called worry lines. They are creases and lines on the forehead. Habitual facial expressions are one of the most common causes for forehead wrinkles. Other causes are ageing, genetic, sun damage, and stress. Avoiding stress, staying hydrated, sun protection, avoiding smoking and facial exercises can avoid forehead wrinkles.
• Marionette Lines : They are long vertical lines which appear laterally to the chin. Deep marionette lines may give the person an appearance of being dissatisfied, grim or scornful. The best treatment for marionette lines are Botox with additional fillers. They are a sign of advancing age, and occur due to the laxity in the person’s facial muscles and ligaments around the mouth and chin. They are extremely difficult to get rid off.
• Frown Lines : They are progressive with age and are caused by sun damage together with natural aging. The skin loses its elasticity, which leads to frown lines, vertical wrinkles on the forehead in between the eyebrows. The genetic makeup and hormones are also causes for wrinkle development. They are also referred to as Glabellar lines. The frown lines deepen as the collagen beneath the skin break down.
• Nasolabial Folds : They are called smile lines or laugh lines, 2 skin folds running between the side of the nose to the corner of the mouth. The separate the cheeks from the lips. They deepen as you age. The common causes of it are excess skin, thinning of the skin, excess cheek fat and ptosis of cheek fat. Some people dislike it while others consider it a sign of maturity and age.
• Eye Wrinkles : They are the fine lines that surround the eyes. As the skin starts aging, they thin out and end up wrinkling. The muscles around the eyes weaken and the dark circles become more prominent and the eyes become more puffy. Topical eye creams are available to reduce the wrinkles.
• Tear Troughs : Also called the crescent deformity, they are thought to be the cause of dark circles. Even tear trough implants are unable to cure dark circles under the eye. They are seen more commonly in older generation. The herniation of the cheek pad of fat is one of the reasons for tear troughs.

Are you a candidate for Botox?

The most appropriate candidates for Botox are people who are physically healthy with no previous history of neuromuscular diseases. They should be older than 18 years of age in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The contraindications to Botox are :

• Pregnancy
• Lactating
• Facial scars which are deep
• Weakness in the muscles targeted
• Ptosis
• Thick facial skin
• Asymmetry of the face
• Skin infections or disorders

Any medication or supplementation taken should be informed to the doctor beforehand.

Is Botox painful?

Some people are able to tolerate the injection painlessly but for those with a low pain threshold, a numbing agent like a topical anaesthesia or ice is applied to the skin prior to the injection. Hence, the injection becomes painless. Post procedure there is slight pain and discomfort but that resolves within a few days.

How often can you get Botox injections?

Botox injections should not be taken less than 4 months apart in the same area. This can lead to permanent paralysis of the targeted muscles.

What are the areas that can be treated using Botox?

Botox can be used to treat different areas of the face like :

• Frown lines
• Marionette lines
• Forehead wrinkles
• Eye wrinkles
• Nasolabial folds
• Crow’s feet

The other uses of Botox are :

• Spasms of the eyelids
• Severe neck and shoulder muscle spasms
• Chronic migraine
• Excessive sweating
• Strabismus
• Detrusor overactivity
• Post stroke spasticity
• Overactive bladder
• Hemifacial spasms

What are the side effects of Botox?

They are generally relatively safe. The rare side effects are :

• Drooling or crooked smile
• Excessive tearing or dryness of tears
• Headache or flu symptoms
• Swelling, pain and bruising at the site of the injection

At times the the botulinum toxin travel to other parts of the body and cause its effects there. There may be symptoms like :

• Having trouble breathing
• Bladder incontinence
• Dysphagia or dysphonia
• Vision problems
• Weakness all over the body

Are there any long term effects of Botox?

There may be permanent prevention of wrinkles as the muscles train themselves not to form the causative facial expression. At times, there is thinning of the skin and weakening of the muscles due to disuse atrophy. There may be slight discoloration and alteration of the texture of the skin due to prolonged injection of the toxin into the skin.

How soon will you see the effects?

The effects of the Botox injection takes 48 to 72 hours to work, at times taking up to 5 days to work.

What are the alternate aesthetic treatments to Botox?

There are many alternate treatments to Botox for wrinkle removal available in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia such as :

• Dermabrasion
• Chemical peels
• Laser resurfacing therapy
• Wrinkle fillers

They have different methods of actions but the results are similar.