Botulinum Toxin Type A (BTX-A) treatment is one of the most popular anti-aging procedures worldwide. It has become increasingly popular for reducing the appearance of lines and wrinkles as well as rejuvenation of the aging face. In Canada, the 4 approved brands of this medication are Botox ® by Allergan, Dysport ® by Valiant and Xeomin ® by Merz and Nuceiva ® by Evolus. All four brands have the same mechanism of action - to block the nerve signals that tell your muscles to contract thus, relaxing the muscles.
The effects of BTX-A treatments are temporary and typically lasts 3-4 months. After that period of time, the muscles will regain movement. It has been shown that repeated injections may lead to longer duration of the results.
Consultation and treatment typically takes about 30 minutes. During the treatment, you will be asked to contract and relax your muscles several times. This allows your injector to determine the action made by your muscles and be able to inject the medication accurately.
Injections are done using very fine needles to ensure your comfort during the procedure. Most people feel a tiny little pinch or no pain at all.
Mild redness and slight swelling in the injections sites may be noticed. These usually resolve within 30 minutes and you will look like as if you didn’t have any procedure done.
You may experience some swelling, bruising or redness and these are temporary. Your injector will remind you that it is important to stay upright for the next 4 hours after the treatment. This is to prevent the medication to migrate onto other muscles.
Results can be seen in as early as 2 days, however, it may take up to 14 days to see your maximum results.