Static wrinkles hang around all the time. That’s because they are caused by damage to the skin and to declining collagen production levels as we age. Static wrinkles are to be found on the mid to lower face: beneath the eyes and all around the mouth. You know them as smile lines, marionette lines, parentheses lines, and barcode lines. Static wrinkles are the domain of dermal fillers such as Juvéderm.
Dynamic wrinkles are completely different. They occur as the result of muscle contractions under the skin when we make various expressions, such as frowning, showing surprise, squinting, and others. Go ahead and squint. You can feel all of the muscles engage around your eyes, on your brows, and on your forehead. That’s the expressive area of your face, the upper third.
Over time and making these expressions hundreds of thousands of times, the skin above the muscle develops a wrinkle. These are dynamic wrinkles, and you’ll find them on the outside of your eyes (crow’s feet), between your eyebrows (glabellar/frown lines/the 11s), and on your forehead.
Relax the muscle, erase the wrinkle
Since the holidays are fast approaching, maybe you’d like to tell those crow’s feet and forehead lines to take a vacation for a few months. You can do that with the two neuromodulators we inject at Affirm Health Center: Botox and Xeomin.
Neuromodulators work by relaxing the muscle contractions that are causing dynamic wrinkles. They do this by blocking the nerve messages sent from the muscle to the brain. The brain never gets the message to contract the muscle, so the muscle stays at rest and the wrinkle above it doesn’t form. Both of these neuromodulators work the same way, but they have subtle differences.
- Botox
Botox is the original neuromodulator, first approved by the FDA for cosmetic use in 2002. Botox is one of the world’s most famous brand names. It has been injected millions of times around the world and has a loyal following. Botox is great for treating small areas with precision.
- Xeomin
Approved by the FDA in 2011, Xeomin is sometimes called “the naked injectable” because it consists basically of only the botulinum toxin type A, which is the mechanism behind all of these neuromodulators. Botox has some additional proteins in its formula, and some people can develop reactions to these extra proteins. For these people, Xeomin works without reactions. It does take longer to take effect, however, needing up to 7 days for onset.
Although this year’s Springfield holiday party season will be far from normal, at least your frown lines won’t be on the guest list if you come see us at Affirm for Botox or Xeomin injections. Now’s a great time, as the injections will have time to fully relax those lines before your next party. Call us at (417) 823-3901 to make your appointment.
