Do you have expression lines on your face when you laugh, smile, or frown? Have you noticed unwanted wrinkles on your skin that you didn’t have before? If you deal with these problems, then you are not alone. Many are seeking a solution to combat the effects of aging on their skin. If you are one of them, you may have heard of a treatment called Dysport. This is just one of the many cosmetic skin services we offer here at Soza Clinic in Richardson, TX.
What Is Dysport?
Dysport treatment involves an injection of the neurotoxin Bobotulinumtoxin A, which is also known as ABO. This neurotoxin blocks nerve activity in the muscles, causing a temporary reduction of muscle activity. When injected into problem areas, it will prevent the contractions that cause wrinkles, frown lines, and facial “tics” or spasms.
How It Works
The neurotoxin ABO suppresses neuron control over the communication between neurons across a synapse, preventing the neurons from communicating with each other. The ABO does this by binding to nerve muscles, effectively blocking the transmission of signals between the brain and the target muscle. This keeps the muscle from contracting.
The ABO is injected into the target area by one of our qualified physicians. It instantly relaxes the muscles, softening your skin’s surface and preventing wrinkles from developing and spasms from occurring.
What Is Dysport Used for?
Dysport can be used to treat several conditions. These include aging skin, limb spasticity, and cervical dystonia.
Aging Skin
This injection is most commonly used as a cosmetic treatment to combat the wrinkles and lines caused by aging. It can also be used for dynamic lines, which are facial lines caused by repetitive movements like frowning, smiling, laughing, or wrinkling the brow.
One of the most well-known conditions is glabellar lines, which are the vertical lines that develop between the eyebrows because of repeated frowning, scowling, or even intense concentrating. By preventing the muscles involved in these motions from moving, the injection will keep the lines from getting worse.
It can also be used to treat other effects of aging skin, such as crow’s feet, sagging neck skin, and droopy mouth corners or noses. By filling in the area around the muscles, the ABO solution will reduce and eventually eliminate their appearance. This allows you to achieve a more youthful and smoother skin appearance.
Limb Spasticity
Limb spasticity is a condition that can occur in children and adults when the nerve cells that have the responsibility of carrying messages from the brain to different areas of the body are damaged. This causes the affected limb muscles to receive the wrong signals from the brain, which makes them tense up and contract. This spasticity causes muscle tightness and stiffness that can negatively affect the ability to perform even the most mundane of daily tasks. Some common health conditions that cause limb spasticity include multiple sclerosis (MS), cerebral palsy, and stroke.
The ABO injection can be used as a form of therapy to treat this condition. One of our qualified specialists will inject the ABO solution directly into the affected limb muscles, allowing it to block the wrong signals from the brain temporarily. This will prevent the muscles from tightening or contracting for several months at a time. It can be used for the lower limbs for children over two years old and for the upper and lower limbs for adults.
Cervical Dystonia
Cervical dystonia is just one of the many neurological disorders that can cause involuntary muscle spasms. This condition, also known as spasmodic torticollis, causes the neck muscles to contract involuntarily. This makes the head to twist or turn to one side and even tilt forward or backward involuntarily. These spasms can be sudden and are often extremely painful. By receiving an injection of the ABO directly into the neck muscles, you can experience months of relief from the sudden and painful spasms that this condition causes.
How Long Does Dysport Last?
One of the greatest benefits of the injection is how immediate the results are and how long it lasts.
Initial Results
The ABO begins working as soon as it is injected, providing instant smoother skin in the affected area. Most patients see the best improvement in as little as 2-3 days after the injection.
Long-Term Results
After the initial improvements, the results of the injection can last three to four months at one time. This means that you only need to retreat the area three to four times a year to maintain the optimal results.
What Are the Other Benefits of Dysport?
There are other benefits of the injection besides the effectiveness and longevity of the results. We love that it is safe, non-invasive, convenient, and versatile. It also provides excellent cosmetic results, improved self-confidence, and even an improved quality of life for patients with more serious health conditions.
1. Safe
Of course, neurotoxins can be dangerous when they are injected into the body in large amounts. However, ABO injections are injected in very small amounts for treatment. Each injection generally only contains up to 0.05 milliliters of ABO. This ensures that you will not receive too much ABO, so you won’t have to worry about any negative consequences for your skin or muscles.
2. Non-Invasive
ABO injections are naturally noninvasive, so there is no need to have surgery. Your doctor will inject the ABO directly into the target area to reach the affected muscles. This also keeps the downtime and recovery period post-treatment down to a minimum.
3. Convenient
There is no need for hospitalization or overnight stays for treatment because injections are completed in-office. In fact, one treatment session may only take 10-20 minutes with little to no downtime required afterward. You can return to your daily activities the very same day.
4. Versatile
As mentioned above, ABO injections can be used to treat a number of conditions. They can fight numerous effects of aging skin if you are looking for a cosmetic solution to lines, wrinkles, or tics. And if you deal with a more serious health condition like spasticity or cervical dystonia, ABO may be able to provide a solution.
5. Excellent Cosmetics
Such a small amount of ABO solution is injected that you can achieve a very natural-looking result. If you frequently exercise your muscles after the injection, the ABO will work into them more. This will smooth out the skin and soften the muscles, allowing them to keep their natural movements. This prevents the dreaded “frozen look” that is often associated with other neurotoxin injections. You can still smile, frown, and laugh naturally while enjoying the absence of lines and wrinkles.
6. Improved Self-Confidence
No matter how old you are, unwanted lines and wrinkles can cause you to feel self-conscious. If they appear when you make certain expressions, they may even prevent you from emoting as normally as you would. This injection smooths out the skin and prevents the lines and wrinkles from appearing or developing further. You can look in the mirror confidently and interact with others without worrying about how your skin looks.
7. Improved Quality of Life
More serious health conditions like limb spasticity and cervical dystonia can negatively affect your quality of life. The pain, stiffness, tightness, and sudden spasms associated with these conditions can keep you from completing even the simplest of tasks. By receiving an ABO injection, patients can experience relief from these symptoms and return to a normal, improved quality of life.
Am I a Candidate for Treatment?
Because this is a treatment involving an injection, there are some criteria required for candidacy. There are also some conditions that may disqualify you as a candidate.
Qualifiers
An ideal candidate for treatment will have wrinkles or sagging skin on the face, neck, or other areas of the body and a desire for a more youthful, smoother appearance. This candidate will be relatively healthy and may have moderate to severe glabellar lines.
If the candidate is seeking to use this treatment as a means of therapy for a spastic muscle condition, then he or she must be at least two years of age or older depending on the health condition.
Possible Disqualifiers
Children that are younger than two years old cannot use this injection to treat spastic conditions. Adults with a cow milk protein allergy, an allergy to the ingredients in the ABO, or a skin infection at the injection site also do not qualify for treatment.
There are some health conditions that may exclude someone from being a candidate depending on their personal health situation. These conditions include:
- Breastfeeding/Pregnancy
- Active cold sores
- Inflammation in the injection site
- Mild glabellar lines
- Thick, oily skin
- Surgery in the treatment area
- Deep facial scars
- Sagging eyelid folds
- Certain neurological disorders
- Muscle weakness
Though these conditions may exclude you from being a candidate, everyone’s personal health situation is unique. What may disqualify one person may not necessarily disqualify someone else. This is why it is important that you have a personal consultation with one of our qualified physicians to determine candidacy.
What Can I Expect From the Treatment Process?
There are several steps you can take to make sure treatment is effective and safe.
Before Treatment
Before treatment, it is important to have a one-on-one consult with one of our qualified doctors. At this appointment, you will discuss your medical history and medications with the doctor. If you are determined as a candidate, you will discuss the treatment process, pre-treatment instructions, and have any questions answered. It is important to follow all pre-treatment instructions closely for your safety and effectiveness of treatment.
During Treatment
At the treatment session, the doctor will apply a mild anesthetic before the injections. He or she will then inject the ABO around the forehead and eyebrows in up to five areas to treat frown lines. If other areas need treatment, the doctor will inject the solution directly into the affected muscles using the appropriate amount of ABO.
After Treatment
After treatment, you should exercise the muscles around the treated areas to work the ABO into them but avoid rubbing or massaging the area. Use ice packs and take acetaminophen as needed. You will also need to apply sunscreen for a few days after treatment.
Dysport and You
We know how aging skin can affect your self-confidence and ability to interact with others. If you are experiencing a serious spastic condition, we are aware of how it can negatively impact your quality of life. If you are interested in Dysport treatment and would like more information, don’t hesitate to call and set up a consult with us here at Soza Clinic in Richardson, TX. We will be happy to help you achieve the skin and quality of life that you desire.
