Anti-Wrinkle Injections
Quick Facts: Anti-wrinkle Injections
- All patients at Kiora are personally treated by one of our Principle Cosmetic Doctors with more than 15yrs experience
- A natural look is achieved by an excellent understanding of facial anatomy & precise, accurate injection placement
- Anti-wrinkle injections can also be used for facial slimming and treating excessive sweating
- Longevity can be as long as 6 months & is depedent on the correct dosage used for the correct facial muscles.
- Older patients are often cheaper to treat since their facial muscles are smaller and require a lower number of units
- The cost depends on the area treated & muscle size. It ranges from about $73 (forehead) to $365 (frown)
- Uncompromising Safety: Ventilation exceeds WHO COVID recommendations for hospitals by 200%. All staff vaccinated
ANTI-WRINKLE INJECTIONS BY COSMETIC DOCTOR
All cosmetic injectables at Kiora are performed by one of our two principle Cosmetic Doctors. Both Dr Neville Lee See and Dr Grace Lin have been with Kiora from the very beginning in 2005. They both have over 16 years of experience in cosmetic medicine and are well recognised in their field. They are Australian and New Zealand trainers for 2 of the largest cosmetic pharmaceutical companies in the world. Their experience and knowledge of cosmetic medicine have earned them a reputation for achieving natural, safe and long lasting results for our patients. Many of our patients in Melbourne have been seeing the same Doctor for over 10 years. This long term relationship not only allows them to customise the protocols to achieve a naturally, youthful result but also allows them to gradually titrate in the lowest possible dose required to achieve the desired outcome. In the long run seeing the same Doctor is safer and more cost effective.
WHAT CAN ANTI-WRINKLE INJECTIONS DO?
The primary purpose of anti-wrinkle injections is to soften unwanted expression lines (wrinkles) to achieve a natural and youthful look. So for example an intense frown can be softened so a patient looks more relaxed or the eyes can be refreshed by relaxing the ring of muscle that tightens the eye. The injections can even help prevent the appearance of wrinkles in the first place.
Cosmetic medicine has seen tremendous advances over the last 15 years and advanced techniques allow anti-wrinkle injections to treat a wide range of cosmetic and medical concerns such as:
HOW CAN COSMETIC INJECTIONS MAKE ME LOOK MORE YOUTHFUL?
As a patient ages certain facial expressions can become overactive and enlarged creating a less balanced and youthful appearance. An experienced doctor can use anti-wrinkle injections to precisely and accurately target these specific facial muscles to soften unwanted wrinkles. Importantly, the muscles required for normal facial expression are left intact.
WILL I LOOK NATURAL AFTER MY TREATMENT?
Yes! Dr Neville Lee See and Dr Grace Lin have always believed a natural look is preferable. They have given a number of lectures and talks on how to preserve a natural, youthful look whilst using cosmetic injectables. The anti-wrinkle injections act very specifically on the muscles in the immediate vicinity of the injection site. That means a skilled doctor can ease out the lines you dislike whilst leaving all of your important facial expression intact. Most importantly our Doctors aim to use the minimum possible of anti-wrinkle injections to achieve a natural and long term outcome. Not only is this safer it is cheaper too!
WHY SHOULD MY ANTI-WRINKLE INJECTIONS BE PERFORMED BY A QUALIFIED DOCTOR AT KIORA?
In response to a number of tragic and well publicised adverse cosmetic outcomes the Australian Medical Board Guidelines were changed on the 1st of October 2016. The law now requires all patients undergoing cosmetic procedures such as dermal fillers and anti-wrinkle injection to be consulted personally (or via Skype) by a qualified Doctor. A nurse-only consultation is illegal. At Kiora, to maximise safety and minimise the reaction time to unexpected events, all anti-wrinkle injections in Melbourne have always been performed personally by an experienced and qualified Cosmetic Doctor.
Most patients need to get their anti-wrinkle injections repeated about 2-3 times per year. The duration of action is related to the amount of anti-wrinkle injections used (eg units) and the size of the muscle that needs to be relaxed. Male patients tend to need significantly more medication because their muscles are stronger and larger. Our Cosmetic Doctor are careful to use the minimal required dose to attain a reasonable duration of action.
DO THE NEEDLES HURT?
No. Very fine needles that were specially designed to painlessly treat diabetic children are used at Kiora. Most patients think the discomfort of the injection is less than getting waxed. A simple ice analgesia is all that is used for most patients. For those who are really anxious about needles a special prescription numbing cream can be used.
The safety of the medications used is excellent and have been in continual use for over 30 years. There are very few reported side effects. The primary risk is bruising from the injection itself. Other very rare side effects can be a lazy eyebrow or eyelid (ptosis). This is temporary and it normally resolved in 4-6 weeks. Our doctor's use very fine needles to avoid blood vessels, nerves and muscles. Their side effect rate is amongst the best in the world with less than one reported ptosis per 3,000 patients.
HELP, MY ANTI-WRINKLE INJECTIONS ONLY LASTED A FEW WEEKS!
The longevity of action is dependent on two factors. The larger the muscle the more units are required. And the more units used the longer the results lasts. If your anti-wrinkle injections are wearing off quickly it is probable a insufficien dose was used that was too small for the muscles being treated. For an example an average female frown requires 20 units. A large heavy frown in a male 6 feet tall will often require 40 to 50 units.
HOW CAN THE COST OF ANTI-WRINKLE INJECTIONS AT SOME MELBOURNE CLINICS BE 300% CHEAPER?!
Anti-wrinkle injections come in various brands. The number of units required to treat an area is heavily dependent on the "brand" of anti-wrinkle injections used. For example the most popular area to treat, the forehead, normally requires only 4 units. If your doctor were to use a different brand the correct dose would be 10-15 units. It is similar to a handbag costing $800AUD but costing $4500RMB when you convert it to chinese dollars. In the interests of clarity, simplicity and safety Kiora our Doctors will always do the "currency conversion" for our patients and charge the same no matter which brand of anti-wrinkle injection is used. All of our anti-wrinkle injections pharmacological products have more than 20 years of clinical data proving their safety and efficacy.
DOES HEAVY EXERCISE OR A FAST METABOLISM MAKE THE ANTI-WRINKLE INJECTIONS WEAR OFF FASTER?
No. There is no clinical evidence a "faster metabolism" makes any medication, anti-wrinkle injections included, wear off faster. The amount of time the effect lasts is dependent on the muscle size and the number of units of anti-wrinkle injections used. If you are a young fit healthy person and the anti-wrinkle injections are wearing off quickly the dose was probably too low. Anecdotally, Kiora treats many elite level Melbourne sportspeople who train (hard!) 3 times a day. Their anti-wrinkle injections will last the same period of time as a deskbound doctor or lawyer.
CAN I DRINK ALCOHOL AFTER ANTI-WRINKLE INJECTIONS? WHAT ABOUT FLYING? EXERCISE?
Even though anti-wrinkle injections will keep muscles relaxed for 4-6 months the product itself only persists in the body for 4 hours before it is fully metabolised. We do not recommend any exercise for 24hrs post treatment. However (thankfully) one or two alcholic drinks and flying immediately after the treatment is ok and will not increase your rate of adverse outcomes.
CAN ANTI-WRINKLE INJECTIONS CAUSE A SKIN INFECTION?
Given good clean, sterile injection techniques infection should not result from anti-wrinkle injections. Occassionally, a patient may react to anti-baterial chemicals in the alcohol wipes and get a mild case of dermatitis (acne).
SHOULD I GET DERMAL FILLERS OR ANTI-WRINKLE INJECTIONS FOR MY LINES?
This depends on the severity of the wrinkle. Both dermal fillers and anti-wrinkle injections can be used to soften lines. Mild lines that only occur when the face is moving (frowning or smiling) are best treated with anti-wrinkle injections alone to soften the facial muscle. Deep, permanent grooves are best treated with a combination of dermal fillers to directly plump the line and then a small dose of anti-wrinkle injections to stop the over-active muscles from re-creating that same skin crease.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
This is heavily dependent on the patient and the problem being addressed. The cost is directly related to the amount of medication used. Larger muscles and larger patients need more medication to be softened. In addition the duration of action tends be be longer when more medication is used. So for example if a female only wanted their forehead softened for 2-3 months the cost is about $70. Whereas a male who wants to relax out their powerful scowl may require up to $600 worth of medication. In Melbourne the average cost for a female who only needs to be re-treated 2-3 times a year is between $200-400
IS IT SAFE IN PREGNANCY?
No. The welfare of the unborn babies is the number one priority in any medical procedure. It is not ethical to perform a study to prove the safety of cosmetic injections in pregnancy. In the absence of evidence it is assumed the injections are potentially harmful which is in line with worldwide best medical safety practice.
WILL MY WRINKLES GET WORSE IF I STOP GETTING INJECTIONS?
No. Cosmetic Medicines' understanding of the ageing process has increased exponentially in the last decade. We know many of the tell tale signs of ageing are caused by the overuse of certain facial muscles such as frowning when under stress. The anti-wrinkle injections work to relax and shrink these over large muscles. If you suddenly stop your anti-wrinkle injections (say because of pregnancy) it can take months to years for the unwanted facial muscles to again increase to the point where it unbalances your face. The expressions do not suddenly return with reinforcements the day after you cease your treatment at Kiora!
AM I TOO YOUNG FOR ANTI-WRINKLE INJECTIONS?
The first widespread use of anti-wrinkle injections was in young children with cerebral palsy back in the 1980s. They would often get a dose 20-40 times larger than what we use in our adult patients today! There were very few reported side effects even at these high dosages. If there is an expression or line that a patient thinks is causing their face to look unbalanced than the problem can often be safely addressed with anti-wrinkle injections.
AM I TOO OLD?
At Kiora we believe it is important a patient maintain their natural appearance and look. Muscles that have been overused from a lifetime of work can become too large and dominate a patients appearance. Retired school teachers and businessmen often have very intense frowns that dominate their expression years after they have stopped work. Counter-intuitively the older a patient gets the less anti-wrinkle injection units they require since the muscles tend to get smaller and weaker as you get older. Older patients are cheaper to treat! Older patients in their 60's and even 70's can be safely and reliably treated to create a more youthful and relaxed look.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE DIFFERNT BRANDS OF ANTI-WRINKLE INJECTIONS AND BRANDS?
All anti-wrinkle injection types are approved for use in Australia have an excellent safety profile and are very effective and predictable. They can vary in strength with a different number of units required to achieve the same result. For example 50 units of Product D may be required to achieve the same result as Product B. As long as the different types of product are used in the correct "equivilance dose" the effect, longevity and adverse outcome rates are very similar.
WHY CAN ANTI-WRINKLE INJECTIONS TREAT SO MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF MEDICAL PROBLEMS?
Ani-wrinkle injections work by stopping the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. A good undestanding of anatomy, physiology and the mechanism of action of acetylcholine allows many different parts of the body to be modified making these medicines some of the most versatile drugs in the world. Used correctly anti-wrinkle injections can be used to treat the gummy smile, stop sweating, soften the neck muscles to rejuvenate the neck, soften the depressor muscles of the face to help lift the face, shrink hypertrophied muscles likes the calves or masseters, treat chronic headaches, help rehabilitate patients with weakened muscles and relax spasming muscles like the bladder or oesophagous.
WHY SHOULD I GET TREATED AT KIORA?
Kiora's Cosmetic Doctors have a reputation for performing careful and technically exact anti-wrinkle procedures. As some of the most experienced cosmetic injectors in Melbourne they have taken a significant role in the education of cosmetic doctors and nurses in Australia and New Zealand. It is a reputation that has seen their training workshops in the field of cosmetic medicine become highly regarded. They have been with Kiora continuously since 2005 to give a safer and more consistent outcome. Our Doctors aim to achieve excellent, natural aesthetic results coupled with outstanding levels of care and safety.
* Current Australian Government Provisions do not permit us to use the name of anti-wrinkle injections used in Melbourne in any advertising material. For more information contact Kiora.
Dr Neville Lee See has been invited to demonstrate andvanced injection techniques at international conferences