Botulinum toxin (botox) is used in local injection to cause targeted muscular paralysis to reduce expression lines, such as crow's feet wrinkles. This technique is particularly suitable for the treatment of wrinkles marked on the eye contour.
1. Principles of a crow's feet correction using Botox
Botulinum toxin injections have been used for more than 20 years, in particular to treat spasms in the eyelid or hands.
In the context of aesthetic medicine, botulinum toxin has been used to treat wrinkles for about ten years. It is also used in treatments for intense sweating, migraines and bulky calves. Botox is particularly effective for the treatment of crow's feet wrinkles.
Some alternative forms of treatment may be more appropriate than Botox injections to treat crow's feet: a chemical peel may be more ideal for the treatment of fine wrinkles in the lower eyelids, a blepharoplasty will be recommended to patients who have excess skin in the eyelids and a temporal lift will be more indicated in case of lateral skin release at this crow's foot and to raise the tail of the eyebrow.
Usually, an injection of Botulinum Toxin (Botox®, Vistabel®, Bocouture®, Dysport® Azzalure®) can be performed without anesthesia.
2. The result of the intervention
The result of the procedure is visible from the 3rd or the 4th day following the injection and settles completely in about fifteen days.
As with any aesthetic medicine procedure, the result is not definitive. It is necessary to precede other injections to maintain the result obtained by an injection of Botox:
- The first year, the result of an injection lasts between 4 and 5 months (3 injections in the year maximum)
- The second year, the result is maintained for about 6 months (2 injections in the year on average)
- From the third year, one to two annual maintenance injections can maintain the desired result depending on the case.
Following a botox injection at the eye contour:
A slight redness or edema may appear for a few hours in the treated areas.
The resumption of daily activities is possible immediately after the intervention outside an intense sports activity.
Contraindications:
- Hypersensitivity to botulinum toxin.
- Recent intake (in the 10 days preceding the intervention) of aspirin or corticosteroids is to be avoided.
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding
- Any inflammatory skin diseases, that should be treated prior to treatment.
3. Why going through a plastic surgeon for Botox injections?
An injection of botulinum toxin to treat crow's feet is an act of aesthetic medicine and not of cosmetic surgery, so it can be performed by other practitioners.
Plasma, cosmetic and reconstructive surgery is the only medical specialty in France that trains all possible aesthetic medical and surgical treatments. A plastic surgeon will then be better able to offer patients a comprehensive diagnostic and therapeutic approach.
The knowledge of the face anatomy that a surgeon acquired during his training as well as the experience acquired in the context of the procedures of facial surgery that they practiced allow a three-dimensional control of the face. Thus, they knows exactly in which part of the face injections must be performed according to the needs and anatomy of the patient.
A cosmetic surgeon will be able to explain and offer patients therapeutic alternatives to botulinum toxin injections. During the consultation, the surgeon can advise the treatment of wrinkles best suited to the anatomy of a patient:
- Different types of face lift, which consists of "going up" the wrinkles relaxed.
- Laser, peel or dermabrasion to "smoothen" wrinkles
- Lipostructure that consists in filling wrinkles with fat (the patient's own fat cells)
- Using a filling product such as hyaluronic acid or collagen
As each procedure has advantages and disadvantages, a cosmetic surgeon can propose a response to the patient's desire by optimizing the benefit / risk ratio.
