How Much Movement Should You Expect After Wrinkle Reducers
Wrinkle reducers are a flourishing industry that is continuing to be growing in popularity. The popularity of wrinkle reducers in Australia has grown more than 14% since 30 May 2022. Wanting to look youthful and wrinkle-free is not a new concept; it’s centuries old! Before cosmetic procedures became available, people used makeup to look younger (think ancient Egypt).
In the past, some people were hesitant to speak openly about cosmetic procedures. Both women and men were cagey about cosmetic procedures and—instead—attributed their youthful appearance to genetics or a skincare regimen (yep, believable … not!). All that is changing, and over the past couple of decades, non-invasive cosmetic enhancements have become more common and normalized.
Can I hear a collective yay?! So, if you’re considering wrinkle reducers, you certainly aren’t alone – no matter your age!
What are wrinkle reducers, and how do they work?
Let’s get back to basics with what wrinkle reducers do and how they work. Wrinkle reducers were first approved for cosmetic procedures in 2002 and has been used since the late 1980s for relaxing eye muscles and treating eye conditions. Wrinkle reducing treatments uses a TGA approved product to temporarily prevent a muscle from moving. All brands of wrinkle reducers do the same thing. They temporarily weaken or paralyze facial muscles or by blocking nerves. For cosmetic treatments, it’s used to lessen the appearance of wrinkles by weakening the treated facial muscles. When the TGA approved product is administrated on the muscles, while your brain will still send messages to your body to move the muscles, wrinkle reducers block the message from your brain to your body and keeps the muscles from moving.
Right, that’s the science part done. What should you (realistically) expect after after wrinkle reducing treatment?
Somewhere between two days and two weeks, you will notice movement where the TGA approved product has been administrated will be restricted. This timeframe is entirely normal, so try not to judge the effectiveness of results until the two-week mark. Think of it this way: if you see a 90% improvement within a couple of days, the remaining 10% will show effect in up to two weeks. One of my patients said she could tell when the wrinkle reducers has started to work because she finds it more challenging to put her mascara on because she can’t raise her eyebrows as much as she had been able to pre-treatment. Wrinkle reducers aren’t permanent, so it isn’t a life-long cure for wrinkles! Like any treatment, the effects will start to wear off. However, it will be a more permanent solution to reducing wrinkles if you return for your cosmetic treatment every three to five months.
The bigger the muscle, the faster you’ll notice movement return. And for smaller muscles, it will take longer for movement to return.
And it’s essential to know and be aware that you shouldn’t be aiming for no movement in your treated areas. No movement – at all – in a forehead gives the appearance of a frozen face. It can also lead to eye droop, which no one wants! In the scenario, you’re having your forehead treated with wrinkle reducing treatments. Post-treatment (and after about two weeks), you should still be able to frown and raise your eyebrows. But the movement should be restricted. After 6-8 weeks post-treatment, you may notice some additional movement. Regaining some movement is entirely normal as the TGA approved product metabolizes.
Slight movement does not mean you must return to your highly trained practitioner to top up your wrinkle reducers. Generally speaking, your treatment will last about three to four months.
Finally, and most importantly, whether you’re considering wrinkle reducing treatments for the first time—or even if you’ve been treated for years—movement with no lines is the ideal result.
So, the TGA approved product has done its job if you’re still fully expressive and seeing/feeling movement but have fewer or no wrinkles!