By Dr. TRACY MOUNTFORD, MBBS MBCAM
For a considerable number of years, muscle relaxants have been used in cosmetic medicine to relax frown lines and crow’s feet. But in order to avoid accusations of having a ‘botox frozen face,’ it really does pay to seek out reputable clinicians who know how to deliver the treatment delicately and discreetly.
There are now a considerable number of muscle relaxants on the market, some more widely known than others – such as Botox (Vistabel), Dysport (Azzalure), Xeomin (Bocouture), Neurobloc etc. All of these anti-ageing wonder treatments have their own unique properties, but they inherently all do the same thing; smoothing upper facial lines (by relaxing the muscles causing them) and in some instances also generating a chemical ‘brow lift’.
The rise of Botox treatments
Botox got its official FDA approval for the treatment of glabellar frown lines in 2002. But the majority of experienced cosmetic practitioners, like myself, were using it way before then thanks to its safety, its effectiveness and its excellent patient satisfaction results. Since those early days, a ‘Botox revolution’ seems to have occurred with a huge number of patients reported to be using muscle relaxants to help prevent the signs of ageing, while empowering them to look fresher and less tired in an instant.
However, as with most ‘breakthrough’ cosmetic procedures, lessons have been learned along the way, with ‘the good, the bad and the ugly‘ being the name of the treatment game.
Avoiding the Botox ‘Frozen Face’
Simplistically, a bad Botox treatment is akin to having a bad haircut – unflattering, unattractive and often embarrassing, while taking its time to get you back to looking normal again. The odd looks of over-arched ‘surprised’ eyebrows, wonky eyebrows and/or a forehead as smooth as an ice rink with not a flicker of movement spring to mind in such instances. This has unfortunately led to a number of potential patients being dissuaded from relying on anti-wrinkle treatments because of oft-reported fears around looking unnatural or odd. And this is simply a tremendous shame.
Natural-Looking Botox Treatments
The mistake or misconception is that we have only one of two choices – grow old gracefully or look like a waxwork model. But the reality is that a third option also exists; the option to look naturally beautiful.
This third option is, in my opinion, the perfect example of a fabulous treatment. This is a treatment that relaxes the muscles in a natural way to give results that look like you’ve simply been ‘airbrushed’.
The fact is, it’s far more technically challenging and often takes years of experience treating with muscle relaxants to perfect this ‘natural airbrushed look’. You only have to look at high profile celebrities who have sometimes go it wrong to realise just how much of an artform it is to use anti-wrinkle injections successfully. But thankfully, a third way exists, and more and more people are starting to realise the benefits of it. So don’t be scared to take the plunge and explore anti-wrinkle treatments with practitioners who know what they are doing.
Next time you take a look at a fresh, attractive looking woman or man of a certain age and wonder what they do to look so good, the answer may well be good genes, good sleep and a healthy lifestyle. But it’s also possible that they might have a good cosmetic doctor behind them, who knows exactly how to treat with them with the ‘third way’ in mind.
For more information on our natural-looking anti-wrinkle treatments, email us at [email protected]. Call our clinics in London and Buckinghamshire on 0330 433 2175 or fill out of enquiry form to book an appointment!
