Medicine and also the cosmetics industry have never been as far as they are today to enable us to maintain a healthy and youthful appearance for as long as possible. While in the past people resorted to extensive, not harmless methods, such as facelifts, in order to maintain a firm face, today small, minimally invasive procedures in particular are enjoying steadily increasing popularity. Wrinkle injections with hyaluronic acid or botulinum toxin (Botox) are comparatively inexpensive, low-risk and are no longer reserved for Hollywood stars.
What is wrinkle injection?
With the help of wrinkle injections, wrinkles are reduced and the skin is visually rejuvenated. In most cases, Botox (abbreviation for botulinum toxin A) is the drug of choice here. Wrinkle injections are injections with wrinkle-smoothing or filling agents, which are usually injected into the face of the customer or patient. The aim of these injections is to reduce expression lines by specifically paralyzing the muscle (botulinum toxin) or to fill in parts of the face such as the lips, nasolabial fold, cheekbones, etc. with the help of autologous fat injections, hyaluronic acid or other agents in order to restore a youthful, firm appearance. Primarily, doctors perform these measures as a paid cosmetic treatment. Only a trained practitioner can guarantee an aesthetic result with as few side effects as possible.
Function, effect and goals
The neurotoxin botulinum toxin, which is probably known to most under its trade name Botox(R), has been used for therapeutic purposes for several decades, for example to relieve spasticity or to control excessive sweating. For cosmetic treatments, this agent has only been used for about 25 years; for about ten years, it has been known to the masses and is offered almost worldwide for wrinkle injections. Filling agents for wrinkle injections have been used for about the same time, and over the years the range of corresponding active ingredients and preparations has grown steadily. Botulinum toxin paralyzes the muscle into which it is injected for several months. In this way, it is no longer possible to frown, for example. The face takes on a smoother, wrinkle-free appearance. However, botulinum toxin only works on expression lines; it does not work on lips or cheekbones. Here, so-called “fillers” can be used. The patient’s own fat, which is extracted from the customer or patient, can plump up such areas of the body. Hyaluronic acid is also used in this way. In the meantime, there are also other preparations that can reconstruct cheekbones, for example (Radiesse), which are placed on the respective bone and also harden accordingly. This agent can work for a few years and then degrades. Fillers of all kinds, as well as botulinum toxin, usually only work for a few months. The goal of such applications is usually a wrinkle-free, youthful, flawless appearance to look a few years younger. Therefore, health insurance companies do not cover the cost of such a procedure.
Risks, side effects and dangers
Schematic diagram comparing young skin and old skin with wrinkles. Click to enlarge. The risks and side effects of wrinkle injections are manageable, but still should not be underestimated. Since botulinum toxin is a nerve toxin that paralyzes the muscle over a period of several months, it can cause unwanted paralysis symptoms that no longer represent an aesthetic appearance. There may also be overdoses, usually at the patient’s request, in follow-up sessions because they feel the effect is too small, even though there has already been a visible reduction in wrinkles. Swelling, bruising, inflammation can occur with any injection. There are also so-called therapy failures in which botulinum toxin does not work at all. Hyaluronic acid, autologous fat and other fillers can also be used too excessively. Both “tube lips” and the mask-like faces of some celebrities certainly serve as cautionary examples here. Although the prices are relatively low compared to previous, more extensive treatments, at several hundred euros they are by no means affordable for everyone, especially since the treatment must be repeated every few months or every six months in order to achieve a lasting effect.Basically, wrinkle injections are a low-risk and effective method of treating wrinkles, especially since they achieve results that no anti-wrinkle cream, facial gymnastics or facial massage can ever match. Whether and for whom these methods are suitable and for which the individual is suitable, will always be decided in a personal consultation.
