Expressions Dental and Cosmetic clinic deal with many different dental and medical issues, of the face oral cavity hard and soft structures of the mouth. A common complaint from people is that of premature signs of ageing such as deep wrinkles and lines on the face. These obviously occur naturally due to the ageing of the tissues below the surface of the skin, but they are massively exaggerated by extrinsic factors such as smoking, alcohol, diet, and excessive movements of facial expression. Sun damage contributes up to 90% of the symptoms of premature ageing, and most of this damages occurs in your late teens to early twenties.
When you are young, and you squint or frown, the muscle causes the skin to bunch up to create the familiar expressions. As you age though the skin loses its elasticity and instead of springing back to a beautiful smooth surface the furrow in the skin is left behind. Over time becoming deeper and more accentuated. These frown lines and wrinkles become a permanent feature of the face. For people who have suffered more UVA and UVB solar radiation damage, this is even more severe.
Severe cases of premature ageing resulting in exaggerated skin folds and wrinkles can leave people with severe confidence problems, and although we as a practice would very much advocate the prevention of these issues by the use of a broad spectrum UVA/UVB sunscreen, the condition can be treated.
The administration of very small diluted doses of anti-wrinkle injectables such as botulinum Type A (Botox and Azzalure would be commonly known brand names) interacts with the muscle/nerve relationship, weakening the strength of the muscles around the wrinkled area for a period of about 16 weeks. During this time the muscle which has become strong and hypertrophic, now becomes less dominant and the wrinkles can be less prominent. The overall effect of the anti-wrinkle treatment can last from between 3-4 months.
You can also use dermal fillers to bulk out areas where wrinkling is caused by a loss of volume below the surface, these gels are made of varying thickness of material dependent on the proposed site of the injection. They are made from Hyaluronic acid which is a naturally occurring building block of the body particularly found in the skin and joints. These can last from between 6-18 months.
Are these injections painful?
The injections are very superficial (shallow), they do not penetrate deep under the skin, and the tip of the needle is so small that any discomfort is very minor.
Am I a suitable person?
Dr. Rymer would do a thorough examination and detailed care plan for every prospective patient, to assess their suitability. It would be tailored specifically to the patients individual medical need based on their presentation, but for sure some people aren't suitable. As with everything, some people can be sensitive to certain ingredients or there could be a specific medical contraindication, but these would all be discussed at consultation.
Where, and for what, can anti-wrinkle injections be performed?
Crow's Feet
Frown lines (Glabellar complex)
Forehead
Bunnylines
Gummy Smile
Chin
Jaw slimming (For people who excessively grind their teeth)
Neck/Jaw lift
Hyperhydrosis/Excess Sweating (Blog article for this planned for next week)
Where can fillers be administered?
Lips
Cheeks
Nasolabial Folds
Marionette Lines
Tear trough (Under eye)
Jawline
Chin
Temples
Brow Lift
For any more information regarding these procedures, or to book for a consultation, contact Dr. Rymer at Expressions on (0505) 21735