Easing away wrinkles

Our facial muscles are constantly in use. We smile, we frown, we raise our eyebrows. We squint at screens all day. This repetitive contraction of facial muscles causes the skin to bunch together and to eventually form permanent lines and wrinkles. How do we undo them?

The solution comes down to reversing the very process that causes them in the first place. And that’s precisely what Botox does. Invaluable as an anti-aging solution, it is most commonly used to smooth out crow’s feet, smile lines, laugh lines, frown lines, and horizontal lines in the forehead and neck. Instantly.

Administered as an injectable solution using a tiny needle, it is a non-surgical process with no need for sedatives or anesthesia.

Botox treatment not only reduces and removes wrinkles that have added years to the face, but it also retards the visible signs of aging by preventing the formation of new lines. This process of turning back the clock is quick and the results are dramatic.

How Botox Treatments work

Botox treatment follows the principle that if the underlying muscle cannot move, the overlying skin cannot wrinkle. So it blocks the nerve which sends the signal to the muscle to contract.

Botulinum Toxin, or Botox, is a neurotoxin – a toxin that acts specifically on nerve tissue. When used for cosmetic purposes, it is injected into the nerve that is underlying the wrinkle being targeted. This temporarily deactivates the nerve, thereby blocking signals to the muscle that it sends impulses to, inhibiting it temporarily. The inactivity in the muscle eases the overlying skin into a relaxed state, leading to those wrinkles softening and gradually disappearing.

The beauty of this approach is that while some muscles are rendered inactive, the others perform normally. And natural facial expressions remain unaffected when the procedure is performed by an adept dermatologist. Administering Botox treatment is as much an art as a science, and the real skill of the dermatologist lies in ensuring just the right touches in the right places.

At Charme, we place customer safety uppermost, and this guides the choices we make. That’s why we exclusively use the original Botox from Allergan, the global pharmaceutical giant who are the inventors and trademark owners. Certified and extensively tested, it is relied upon by top dermatological practitioners the world over. Although cheaper generic substitutes are available, rest assured they do not enter our closely monitored supply chain.

What you can look forward to

Botox treatment is quick and relatively painless. While being injected it could sting a bit for a few seconds. After that, there is usually no discomfort.

You will see the smoothing effect in around 4 days. The effect is dramatic and the refreshed look lasts for anywhere between 4 to 6 months, depending on your body chemistry. You could repeat the treatment to retain that youthful look.

After-care

You can look forward to resuming your normal daily activities right after the procedure.
Take care, though, not to rub or massage the treated areas. This can cause the freshly injected Botox to migrate to a different area.
Do try and exercise your treated muscles gently (practice frowning), an hour or two after the session.
Nothing vigorous or demanding, just the usual.
Stay upright for 4 hours following the session.
Please resist the temptation to recline or lie down.
You may apply an ice pack or cold gel to reduce swelling and reduce the potential for bruising, but take care to avoid hard pressing.
You may start applying makeup after you have iced the area adequately, and have ensured that there is no pinpoint bleeding.
Be gentle. Take care not to apply pressure when cleansing, or applying any product over the treated areas.