Julia, Karina and Christina - about their first experience of using Botox, an independent review of the procedure.
Six months ago, three beauty insiders aged 30+ - Yulia, Karina Tumanskaya and Kristina Spivak - decided to undergo their first Botox procedure, reviews of which will be below. All three had it done at the Sharm plastic surgery clinic with doctor Gaik Babayan. Why did they come to this idea, did they like the effect, what surprises did they encounter - and will they repeat it?
Karina Tumanskaya, 30 years old:
I had no doubt that it was time for me to get Botox injections for my face. I have active facial expressions. In addition, due to frequent headaches, a strange habit appeared - raising my eyebrows with force. It seemed to me that this way the pain and feeling of numbness in my forehead would recede a little. As a result, two creases and a network of fine wrinkles formed on the forehead. Having measured the wrinkles with Yulia (who, in my opinion, had none at all) and Christina (barely noticeable small perpendicular ones on the bridge of her nose), I decided that with them it might be a whim, but I simply need Botox :)
The doctor, Hayk Babayan, whom I knew before and trusted him completely, immediately warned me: the creases will not go away completely, they can only be removed with a combination of Botox + fillers. But Botox will save me from the habit of raising my eyebrows: “During the time that the muscles are frozen, they will simply forget about this tic.”
As a result, we decided that we should do 30 units for horizontal wrinkles, 20 for eyebrow wrinkles, and 10 units for crow’s feet.
I have a high pain threshold. That's why I lay on the couch with a smile. In my opinion, Botox doesn't hurt at all. There are minimal unpleasant sensations when the needle enters with some kind of incomprehensible crunch, but they are not painful, but rather irritating.
The whole procedure lasted about 5 minutes. After it, small bumps and redness formed at the injection site, which lasted about 20 minutes. Well, due to thin skin and closely spaced capillaries, I still “grabbed” two small bruises - on the bridge of the nose and on the forehead, which lasted for a week and a half (camouflaged with any foundation at a time).
There are no sensations immediately after Botox. The first two days too. The first signs of freezing had already appeared in Christina and Yulia, and I still sat and waited - at first I even thought that I was among the minimum number of people on whom Botox does not work. But no. After 4 days the forehead “stood up”. This happened gradually and somehow completely naturally - it seemed to me that I would definitely feel the Botox, and the frozen facial expressions would greatly change my appearance. (Yulia also added fuel to the fire with her comments “it seems that I needed a forehead to smile” and “for some reason my eyes are swelling”:)
here you can see that longitudinal wrinkles have become much less noticeable
I frown angrily
In fact, I felt my Botox as if it were my own. I still have minimal facial expressions. Yes, I could no longer frown or raise my eyebrows much, but the emotions on my face were clearly visible. Longitudinal wrinkles, as warned, did not completely disappear, but they smoothed out quite significantly. So next time I'll probably add fillers to get rid of them completely. Well, yes, I plan to repeat the Botox itself as the previous one dissolves. I confirm that it’s not scary, and if you’ve been planning for a long time and can’t decide, try it.
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Kristina Spivak, 32 years old:
But I’m afraid of needles, injections and doctors. That’s why I was most worried that it would hurt. And lastly, oddly enough, for the result.
Why did you decide to inject? I am 33 years old, my skin is dry, my facial expressions are quite active, transverse wrinkles have formed on the bridge of my nose and longitudinal wrinkles have appeared on my forehead, and I was afraid that they would turn into real creases.
Gayk recommended injecting them with 20 and 25 units of Botox, respectively. They laid me on the couch, asked me to frown, put dots (marking the places for injections) and began the procedure. The injection itself lasts seconds, the only negative is that there are a lot of them. Of course, I squeaked and even shed a tear, but, I admit, it was really only out of fear of everything new, but in general, injecting Botox turned out to be more than tolerable. Consequences of using Botox After the procedure, my entire forehead looked like there were ant bites - small red bumps. They passed quite quickly: while Karina was being injected, everything disappeared for me. There were no bruises after the procedure.Already on the second day I began to feel the result. The forehead froze gradually and imperceptibly - no feeling of tightness, no “corset on the face.” I simply noticed in the mirror that the emotions of surprise, irritation and anger were now barely detectable. This is not to say that facial expressions disappeared completely, no, they simply became softer and more veiled.
I raise my eyebrows
Now 5 months have passed. Botox is gradually dissolving, and I am going for the next procedure - I am no longer afraid of it and I really liked the result.
Yulia Grebenkina, 32 years old:
I started thinking about Botox around the age of 30. Then I began to notice for the first time that longitudinal wrinkles on the forehead were more noticeable than before, and did not always smooth out after an intensive course of moisturizing.
But I finally decided after noticing two things on my face: firstly, wrinkles folded on top of each other in the area above the outer part of the eyebrow, closer to the temples. Secondly, there is a clear drooping of the outer corners of the eyes. That is, of course, to someone from the outside it didn’t seem so obvious, but after 30 years the situation clearly changed by a millimeter or two, and for me it was obvious that the face was “sagging” on the outer sides - a type of aging, like my dad’s .
Gayk assured me of the main thing: if the drug is administered correctly, then the eyebrows can rise again by these couple of millimeters. He didn’t see any serious static wrinkles on my forehead, but he advised me not to drag them out, since they are already visible in facial expressions - and Botox can prevent them, and not save them when a crease has already formed. Plus, I saw in the photo for the blog that I often wrinkled my forehead - and I didn’t like the result, I wanted to remove this movement from everyday life.
The procedure itself is unpleasant, but tolerable. I seem to be the only one who cried - but in general I always cry when they do something on my forehead. The forehead “frozen” gradually - it was a surprise for me that it “rose” for two weeks, I thought immediately. The first interesting observation was that I now cannot smile as usual. Apparently, half of my smile came from the movement of the forehead muscles - but now the smile required effort and activation of some other muscles. It took two or three weeks to get used to it. And then I just stopped noticing anything! My forehead smoothed out and became perfect, well, it’s just everything I need. I walked and thought - well, why were you afraid for so long?
An unpleasant surprise was slight swelling of the lower eyelids after the procedure. The reason is not clear, but the experts I interviewed agreed that Botox slightly disrupted the lymph flow through small vessels. On the other hand, they predicted that the swelling would last as long as the effect of Botox - that is, 4-5 months. And they passed within a month, I didn’t even have time to test all the eyelid creams -)) But I managed to read a lot of reviews on forums about complications from the procedure that can happen even to the most experienced doctor, because no one can cancel the individual reaction.
But nevertheless, my intention to continue doing Botox has not changed - the result is worth it!
Botox began to “unfreeze” for me in December, after 4.5 months. Now it’s January, my forehead mobility has returned by half. When I return to Moscow after vacation, I’ll go for more!
And some facts. We have already written about Botox here and a little here, so we went to the doctor mentally prepared. But some fairly standard questions continued to worry us. If you are also interested in them, the answers are below. If you have already learned everything from your own experience, feel free to skip it.
What is Botox and is it dangerous to inject it?
Botox is a neurotoxin of botulism type A. In fact, it is a very terrible poison. However, the one used in cosmetology is diluted 40,000 times. It will not be possible to administer a lethal dose to you even on purpose :) The only danger is if you went to a not very competent doctor and the drug was injected too close to the nerve or directly into the nerve. This will lead to lowering of the eyebrows, artificial hernias, and facial distortion. But, fortunately, after six months, when the Botox dissolves, everything will return to its place. The scientific world knows nothing about allergies to Botox, but cases have been recorded (very few of them) when the drug simply does not work.
What is Botox? Is it worth getting Botox?
For a detailed acquaintance with the procedure, we will consider what Botox is for the face and in cosmetology. The use of Botox in cosmetology has gained the greatest popularity due to the rapid effect of smoothing out facial wrinkles. Cosmetologists note the main areas on the face where Botox is injected:
- Muscles around the mouth. With Botox you can lift the corners of your mouth and smooth out small wrinkles in the corners.
- Botox injections into the subcutaneous muscle of the neck will give the neck a more youthful appearance and prevent the formation of wrinkles.
- The most common area on the face where Botox is injected is the orbicularis oculi muscle. Typically, the results of Botox injections around the eyes are posted in photos of various clinics, since the greatest effect is achieved with Botox in these areas of the face.
- The forehead is another popular area of the face where people prefer to inject Botox. As a result, horizontal wrinkles and folds between the eyebrows are smoothed out.
- Botox injections into the cheekbones help patients acquire clear oval facial shapes.
At what age you can do Botox, everyone determines for themselves. Doctors allow injections from the age of 18. However, it is not wise to start doing Botox so early, because gradually the effect of Botox may decrease its effectiveness. At the age of 25, they begin to do Botox if wrinkles appear under intense exposure to sunlight and due to the characteristics of the body. Typically, this procedure is used starting from the age of 30. At what age should you start injecting Botox? This is entirely your decision. During a personal consultation, cosmetologists at our Clinic will help you decide whether to use Botox.
Preparing for Botox injections is simple. Try to rest, refrain from drinking alcohol and stop taking antibiotics the day before Botox injections.
The first visible results from the Botox procedure are noticeable already on day 3. How long it takes for Botox to remain in the body depends on the characteristics of the patient’s body and his compliance with the recommendations of our cosmetologists. Typically, our patients report a period of up to two weeks when Botox completely wears off and wrinkles are noticeably smoothed out. After the effect is complete, Botox gradually dissolves and is naturally eliminated from the body.
How often you can inject Botox in each case will be determined by a cosmetologist. After the first Botox injection procedure, it can be repeated no earlier than 6 months later. Subsequently, it is enough to inject Botox once a year, since the mechanism of change in the muscle tissue of the face will start.
Considering that the procedure is injectable, many patients wonder: does it hurt to inject Botox? It depends on the individual pain. Before starting, the injection site can be treated with a special analgesic, so that during the procedure neither the drug nor the injection causes discomfort.
Indications for the use of Botox are the appearance of facial wrinkles on the face and neck. In addition, Botox injections are actively used in other areas of the body, such as the armpits or palms, to treat hyperhidrosis.
The main contraindications for Botox injections are: young age, pregnancy and breastfeeding, and blood diseases.
Whether Botox is worth doing is up to everyone to decide for themselves. Since the advent of this cosmetic procedure, many supporters and many opponents of Botox have appeared. It was ideal for one and clients consider botulinum toxin to be the best anti-aging treatment. Others are intimidated by non-professional Botox use. In any case, to prick or not to prick – the choice is yours.
In our Clinic, all doctors performing Botox injections have the necessary knowledge of working with this drug and extensive practical experience, which allows us to eliminate all possible risks for our patients.
How is the procedure done?
The procedure itself lasts about 10 minutes. Emla anesthetic cream is applied to the treated areas, the doctor places small dots, marking the injection sites, and injects the drug under the skin with an insulin syringe. The quantity of the drug and injections is calculated individually. You begin to feel the effect of Botox on day 2-3, the area is completely “set” after 2 weeks. The effect will last from 4 months to 6. Botox is usually injected into the upper part of the face to get rid of forehead wrinkles and crow's feet. For the lower part, fillers are usually used.
Correction of wrinkles in the upper third of the face with Botox
Correction of wrinkles in the upper third of the face with Botox
If initially botulinum toxins were used to eliminate muscle spasms, today Botox for the face is widely used in cosmetology to combat expression wrinkles. This is a substance based on botulism toxin, with which you can interrupt the transmission of nerve impulses by relaxing the muscle. Under the influence of Botox, age and expression wrinkles are smoothed out, and the skin becomes more youthful in appearance.
About Botox and its varieties
Botox is the trade name for a specific neurotoxin drug. In Russia, 5 of its analogues are also widely used - Relatox, Botulax, Xeomin, Dysport and Lantox. At the aesthetic medicine center “Beautidoctor Clinic” in St. Petersburg, we use only the first 4, and only the doctor makes the choice in favor of a specific drug. Some drugs provide a mild effect of smoothing wrinkles while maintaining facial expressions. Others can provide a serious block. Only a specialist can accurately determine how many units of Botox are needed on the eyebrow area or in any other area, because this largely depends on the structure of the facial muscles of a particular person.
Operating principle
The effect of Botox injections occurs due to the interruption of the transmission of neuromuscular impulses. It is aimed at blocking specifically the facial muscles (forehead, corners of the eyes, between the eyebrows), since the wrinkles themselves in this area appear from excessive facial expressions. The muscles at the injection site stop contracting, which leads to smoothing of wrinkles. Over time, a new one grows to replace the blocked nerve, due to which muscle activity is restored.
Botox does not enter the bloodstream, so its absorption by other organs is excluded. It only works at the injection site, and disintegrates 20-30 minutes after the injection. The first result of the Botox procedure can be seen in 3-5 days, the final result in 2 weeks. The resulting effect lasts for a maximum of 8 months. Wrinkles are also smoothed out gradually. Deep folds may not be completely reduced after the first procedure, but after 2-3 procedures they practically disappear.
How much does a Botox injection cost?
If you are interested in Botox injections to the forehead, the price depends on the drug chosen by the doctor and the number of units of the substance needed to suppress the transmission of nerve impulses in your particular case.
How long does the procedure take?
ra Botox in the forehead?
The wrinkle smoothing procedure usually lasts 10-15 minutes and does not require any special preparation before the process. It is advisable not to lie down for 4 hours after the injection. Over the next 3 days, you should limit your intake of alcohol and visits to the sauna. More detailed recommendations after Botox on the forehead and between the eyebrows can be obtained from your doctor.
Side effects of Botox for wrinkles
Before you decide to get Botox injections on your forehead, the consequences are one of the factors that you need to consider. If you get an appointment with a specialist who practices outdated botulinum therapy regimens, then there is a high probability of a “wax mask” effect. This means that along with smoothed out wrinkles, you will get a blocked muscle, which is why you will not be able to express emotions normally. This does not affect health in any way, but it adds discomfort to the patient’s life and affects his appearance.
At the aesthetic medicine center “Beautidoctor Clinic” in St. Petersburg, we use the most current methods for administering botulinum toxin. As a result of the manipulations of our specialists, you gradually get rid of facial wrinkles, frown less, while maintaining the ability to calmly express your emotions.
Basic drugs based on botulinum toxin
One of the most common and identical in action drugs with Botox is Relatox. It was developed in Russia and is not inferior to Botox in terms of safety and effectiveness. Available in powder form for injection, enclosed in small glass vials. You can find two packaging formats on sale: 50 units and 100 units. This differentiation is considered a big plus for cosmetologists, since it allows you to choose the optimal dosage for any case.
One of the reasons for its demand is its affordable price. In addition to cosmetology, it is also often used to treat strabismus, relieve spastic syndromes in children with cerebral palsy, as well as hyperhidrosis (increased sweating). Its features:
· lack of albumin, which reduces the risk of an allergic reaction;
· maltose and gelatin included in the composition help stabilize the main active ingredient;
· increased pain in case of incorrect injections.
Myths around Botox and its analogues
Despite the fact that Botox injections have become incredibly popular, many myths that are far from the truth continue to hover around them.
Chronic injections with neurotoxins are dangerous.
This is one of the most common misconceptions, and is that systematic Botox injections into the forehead can provoke serious consequences, including oncology. In fact, Botox and its analogues are considered one of the most studied injectables in the world. They are all distinguished by high efficiency with maximum safety, which has been scientifically proven many times. Moreover, today neurotoxins are actively used in related branches of dermatology, for example, for the treatment of male alopecia and acne, in neurology and ophthalmology.
Botox injections are extremely painful
Injecting Botulax, Relatox or Xeomin into the forehead hurts as much as it hurts to give an injection in principle. If the patient has increased sensitivity, the doctor may suggest preliminary anesthesia (freezing). Those who have the procedure repeated usually do not require pain relief.
Botox causes muscles to atrophy
If you want to inject Botox into your forehead, but are afraid of being left with a stone face forever, your fears will not be justified. Any mobile expression wrinkles, the activity of which is suppressed with the help of a neurotoxin, are restored almost 100% after the effect of the injection ends. This may occur in six months or a year - it all depends on the characteristics of the individual patient and the dose of the drug.
Neurotoxins are addictive
Resistance to Botox can only occur if it is injected continuously for decades and in a very small number of people (statistically, only 0.1% of cases). But if the Botox procedure for the face takes place according to schedule (no more than once every 6 months), then there is no question of any addiction.
Botox injections can be done anywhere
Today you can get Botox on your forehead in almost any beauty salon. But it is better to entrust this process to a cosmetologist or dermatologist. The reason is that only a doctor can collect anamnesis, assess the condition of the skin, and select the correct dose of the toxin. Even if you decide to simply remove wrinkles on your forehead, Botox is still a toxin that you need to know how to inject, where and in what quantity. Every day new products appear and administration techniques are improved. For example, it is advisable to perform Botox injections into the forehead in the form of microinjections (small dosage for a large number of punctures). This will allow you to maintain natural facial expressions with good results.
Botox can make your lips look bigger
Neurotoxin does not enlarge lips. There is a special gel for this. Botox can help relax the orbicularis oris muscle, causing the upper lip to evert out slightly.
Where is the most affordable price for Botox on the forehead in St. Petersburg?
Today in St. Petersburg there are many private offices and cosmetology clinics specializing in providing such services. But not all of them can be trusted. If you decide to try Botox, a good doctor is the first thing you should consider. In the age of modern technology, finding a competent cosmetologist is not difficult. You can check your qualifications with the clinic administrators and read reviews. Also, before injecting Botox into the forehead, before and after photos will allow you to clearly see the professionalism of the cosmetologist.
We have assembled a staff of talented, experienced doctors who live by their craft and are constantly improving in it. Why are our doctors better than 90% of specialists working in the St. Petersburg market:
· we have experience in correcting the mistakes of other specialists, since people often turn to us after performing cheap procedures;
· we work directly with the world's leading manufacturers, therefore we offer the best botulinum toxin preparations for the face among all those presented on the Russian market;
· our doctors are fluent in the most current and progressive injection techniques, which eliminates bad results.
We provide a mandatory preliminary consultation, at which you can clarify how many units of the drug you need, whether there are any preparatory procedures and what the consequences of the procedure may be.
5 reasons why you should get Botox for forehead wrinkles here:
· maintaining sterility. We treat the condition of the clinic as responsibly as possible, we use only disposable equipment in our work, the product is unpacked in front of the patient, so infection during the procedure is excluded;
· 100% original drugs. We work only with official distributors and do not allow the use of any counterfeits;
· acceptable pricing policy. You can check the price for Botox with our administrators, but the final cost will depend on the drug and the number of injections;
· accompaniment. After the procedures, we always invite our clients for an examination and, if necessary, we will make corrections. Telephone support is also provided.
Whether to inject Botox for your face is up to you to decide. But if you really decide to undergo such a rejuvenation procedure, entrust it to specialists with many years of experience in this direction by making an appointment at the BeautyDoctor Clinic aesthetic medicine center.
