What are Anti-Wrinkle Injections?
Anti-Wrinkle Injections consist of a purified version of a naturally occurring protein. When injected into “wrinkle-causing” muscles, these proteins work by temporarily blocking nerve signals to the muscle. This controlled weakening reduces muscle movement, causing the wrinkles over the muscles to become smooth and disappear. They have been safely used for over 30 years on over 100 million patients.
What is the difference between male and female anti-wrinkle injections?
Males on average need 25-50% more anti wrinkle product when treating facial wrinkles, owing to increased muscle strength.
There are several differences depending on the area treated:
- Frown lines: Often males choose not to treat this area, as they feel a strong frown is a masculinising feature.
- Crows feet: The lines around the eyes can be an attractive feature on a male. We recommend doing small doses in this area to maintain some movement to ensure a masculine appearance persists after treatment.
- Forehead lines: Care needs to be taken to ensure the brow is not raised at its outer aspects. Strong masculine brows are flat, without an obvious outer brow flare. Males are often also heavier in their brows. Excessive treatment of the forehead in those with a heavy brow can worsen heaviness and lead to a sensation of facial fatigue. Care must be taken to avoid this complication by not injecting too close to the brow.
Why do wrinkles appear?
Wrinkles appear over time because of persistent tension in the small muscles of facial expression. Contraction of these muscles cause the skin to bunch up over the muscle, causing wrinkles.
- “Frown lines” (the lines between one’s eyes) are caused by tension in the procerus and corrugator supercillii muscles
- “Crow’s feet” (smile lines around outside of eyes) are caused by tension in the outer portion of the orbicularis oculi muscles
- “Forehead lines” are caused by tension in the frontalis muscle
Who can perform Anti-Wrinkle Injections?
In Australia, only a doctor or registered nurse under the supervision of a medical doctor may inject muscle relaxants and most dermal fillers. For a safe treatment and optimum results, only a fully trained, highly experienced practitioner should administer cosmetic injections. At Contour Clinics, all treatments are performed or supervised by an on-site doctor.
Our Medical Director Dr Josh Wall is the head trainer for the worlds largest dermal filler and Anti-Wrinkle training provider Dermamedical. He is one of Sydneys most experienced and expert injectors, graduating top of medical school, speaking at all major cosmetic conferences, commenting for leading womens magazines and publishing in multiple peer reviewed medical journals.
What is a good age to start anti-wrinkle injections?
Most patients start Anti-Wrinkle injections in their late 20s or early 30s. This ensures lines never form in the first place.
Some patients start earlier, but this is for aesthetic reasons rather than anti-ageing. Some of our patients feel that their frown lines make them look angry when they are not. Treating this area removes frown lines, giving a generally happier appearance. Treating the frown lines also stops squinting when in outdoor photos.
How much do anti-wrinkle treatments cost for men?
Males on average require slightly more anti-wrinkle product than females owing to their increased muscle strength.
Injections come in 3 brands.
Here at Contour Clinics we only use the most popular two brands, as we find these are by far the most effective. Beware clinics offering you cheap products. You may find you get what you paid for.
Anti-wrinkle A = $3.99
Anti-wrinkle B = $12.99
To take Anti-wrinkle A as an example, the rough average cost per area:
- Forehead = $99-159
- Frown lines = $159-199
- Crows feet = $159-199
This is an average cost based on usual dosing for the average female. It may be more or less expensive depending on your facial muscle strength.
You may also choose to purchase a package:
2 area package: $329
3 area package: $449
See our prices page for more information
How long do Anti-Wrinkle Injections last?
The results last between 3 and 4 months. Those who have treatments regularly may find they can go longer durations between treatments, often out to 6-12 months.
If you decide Anti-Wrinkle treatments don’t suit you, you can rest assured the treated area will gradually return to its pre-treatment appearance.
Will the treatments hurt?
Anti-Wrinkle Injections are one of the least uncomfortable medical procedures. Treatments themselves take a matter of minutes, and we practice all available injection techniques to reduce discomfort. Our clinics use ultra-thin needles to decrease any discomfort you may experience during treatments. If required, a topical anaesthetic can be used to numb the skin prior to the injection process. The numbing process takes 30 mins in total and will require you to attend your appointment 30 minutes early.
Will anyone know I've had Anti-Wrinkle Injections?
At Contour, we specialise in a natural looking result. We inject the minimum amount required to give a pleasantly aesthetic result without giving a frozen appearance. Anti-Wrinkle Injections work over 3-10 days and results and any changes will occur slowly and subtly. People may realise you look more refreshed or “less-tired” without knowing why.
How can I ensure the longest lasting result?
There are four important considerations:
- Expertise of injector
- Intimate knowledge of facial anatomy is essential. Expertly placed injections can ensure not one unit is wasted, and complications are kept to a minimum.
- Dose-age requirements
- Overdosing can cause heaviness and increased risk of complications
- Under-dosing can cause a poor cosmetic result and short-lived results
- Dosing depends on the strength of the muscle and should be individualised for each patient. The dose required for a 100kg man, will be very different to a 50kg female. There is no one size fits all.
- Brand of Anti-Wrinkle
- There are three brands in Australia approved by the TGA for Anti-Wrinkle treatments. They vary significantly in regards to cost price. Some clinics push inferior products to improve their profits. Ensure you are treated with only premium products.
- Freshness of the product
- Anti-Wrinkle vials contain no preservatives. Hence, once a vial is opened and reconstituted it must be used within 24 hours. The potency of the product decreases substantially after this time period. Ensure you are treated with fresh product at every visit.
When will I see results?
Depending on the product used it can take 2-5 days to see results from Anti-Wrinkle treatments. Full results are noticeable in 2 weeks.
What is the downtime of Anti-Wrinkle treatments?
This is a lunchtime no-downtime procedure. It is done in clinic taking 5 minutes. You are able to return to your daily routine immediately after treatments without anyone knowing you have had anything done.
Can you get Anti-Wrinkle treatments and fillers on the same day?
The short answer is yes. Although, there are certain areas of the face where caution needs to be exercised. Filler can cause swelling in the treated area. Swelling can increase the risk of the anti-wrinkle product travelling to an undesirable place. This can increase the risk of complications such as brow or eyelid drooping.
Provided the filler is not placed in the same area as the Anti-Wrinkle Injection, there should be no issue having them done on the same day.
There may be occasions when your injector may suggest waiting 2 weeks between anti-wrinkle and dermal filler treatments. This will be discussed with you on the day of consultation.
