Cosmetic injections can be used to alter and improve almost any part of your body. If there is something you are not happy with, then a cosmetic injection could be the answer. More than nine million procedures involving Botox and fillers are carried out every year.
Are you considering these cosmetic injections as part of your anti-ageing regime? Here are the top 10 things you need to know about opting for cosmetic injections to give yourself a bit of a beauty boost.
1. Choosing between Botox or dermal fillers.
They are both used to change our looks, but they are very different in they way they act in the body. Botox acts as a muscle relaxant and fillers are injected under the skin to literally fill space and plump areas to get rid of lines and wrinkles. It is important to talk to your doctor about the results you want, so you can choose the right cosmetic injection.
2. What are cosmetic injections made of?
Botox is a purified form of the toxin botulinum. In large amounts it can be deadly, but it has been used safely for years to help men and women fight ageing by filling out their wrinkles. Botox basically paralyzes or freezes muscle, so certain wrinkles are softened or reduced, or sometimes they disappear altogether.
Dermal fillers are made from various substances, including hyaluronic acid, which can be found in the body and helps to plump skin; calcium hydroxylapatite, which can be found in bones is thicker than many fillers and last longer; polyalkylimide, which is a transparent gel that is safe to use in the body; and polylactic acid, which helps the skin to make collagen and is biodegradable. They are all used for different locations in the body and for different reasons.
3. The different uses for Botox and fillers.
Fillers are often used for plumping up lips, reducing wrinkles and shading under the eyes, lines in the lower face and filling in or softening the look of scars.
Botox can only fix wrinkles that are impacted by muscle movement. The most common places to use Botox are between the brows, the lines on the forehead and crow’s feet around the eyes.
It might be that you are not choosing between the two. Some people might find that they use Botox between the brows and a filler to plump the lips in one treatment.
4. Safe or not?
Both Botox and derma fillers have been used for decades and are considered safe, but there can be side effects to using both. The most common side effects of using dermal fillers include skin rashes, redness, bruising, bleeding or swelling.
Botox can have some side effects and most of them are usually temporary. It can cause the eyelids to droop, muscles weakness or paralysis of muscles near the site of the procedure, hives or rashes, flu-like symptoms, headaches, nausea and blurred vision.
5. How long do they last?
Botox usually last around three to four months. Fillers can last between six months and two years.
6. Choose your supplier wisely.
It is important to choose a reputable, experienced and qualified practitioner to administer your Botox or fillers. A study carried out by a leading medical journal found that when Botox treatments were carried out by board certified dermatologists, side effects occurred in less than one per cent of cases. Make sure you discuss experience and qualifications with your doctor before you make the final decision to go ahead with the procedure.
7. The cost of fillers can vary widely.
The different types of fillers differ in cost, here are some examples:
* Calcium hydroxylapatite, such as Radiesse can cost around $687
* Hyaluronic acid is a very popular option and treatments suchJuvederm, Restylane, or Belotero are around $644
* Polylactic acid, like Sculptra is $773
* Polymethyl-methacrylate microspheres like Bellafill can be more than $850.
8. Will your doctor be using a genuine product?
Some unscrupulous clinics may use counterfeit product or they may ship in cheap product from unlicensed sources overseas. You could be risking your health if you are too shy to ask which products your doctor will be using. Check that the cosmetic injections that are going to be used in your treatment are licensed and safe to use for the procedure you require.
9. Not everyone can have cosmetic injections.
Women who are pregnant or breast feeding should not use Botox. Botox is also not recommended if you have weak facial muscles or skin problems or multiple sclerosis.
10. What to expect in your procedure?
Having Botox or derma fillers is largely a quick and painless process. No surgery is required and it is not invasive, so there is no downtime and it can be carried out in one visit to a clinic.
All procedures should start with a consultation with the doctor who is carrying out the procedure to agree the best course of action.
Just before the treatment, the area is cleaned and the doctor may give you a topical anesthetic to numb the area. It just helps to make it as comfortable as possible.
I found this information to be interesting. I would not want to have to go every few months to get a shot in the face.
I know a lot of people would love to have these injections in fact I know a few that get them. This is a lot of great information but not for me for several reasons. My budget could not afford them and I just don’t want a shot in my face.