How many times did you have to look in the mirror last week asking yourself over and over again if you were really getting the most for your money? You know you’ll find an answer the next time you look in the mirror when a friend posts a photo of you on social media after a long, friendly meeting. You know you don’t need more sessions with your Allergan specialist from time to time, you need a lasting solution.
Fortunately, a recent scientific study has confirmed that Chemodenervation, popularly known as the use of a Botulinum-A agent used in combination with Hyaluronic Acid, actually gives our skin the lasting freshness we want to feel for longer periods of time. Using the two together reduces muscle activity in the treated area, according to a new study by Dr. Ismail Küçüker, Departments of Plastic Surgery and Radiology, Ondokuz Mayis University, Samsun, Turkey.
Well-known cosmetologists and aesthetic doctors have been smart enough to use hyaluronic acid fillers combined with Botox (Allergan) to temporarily reduce muscle activity and prolong the life of the filler. Researchers in Turkey used an in vivo test model after approval from the Institutional Ethics Committee for Animal Studies, to demonstrate the approach more objectively. They injected a small amount of hyaluronic acid (HA) filler under the rabbits’ skin, in front of each ear. That region was specifically chosen because it mimics the glabella, the smooth part of the forehead, above and between the eyebrows in humans. The researchers used only the HA filler on one side of the rabbit and then combined the HA filler with Botox on the other.
The researchers then timed the test and, after MRIs timed three months apart, compared both regions of the rabbits’ ears using MRIs. Follow-up scans confirmed that Botox reduced filler degradation by 42% compared to the side without Botox. The difference was even visible in photographs and was considerably measurable. The study stated that early degradation was a common complaint only for HA fillers. Although the combination of HA fillers with Botox type A had not previously been evaluated as an objective measure of degradation volumes; which after trial presented improved clinical results that pioneered the accurate measurement of the use of HA fillers alone or in combination with Botox worldwide.
A 2013 report from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons reveals that most procedures involve Botox alone as the most sought after in 9.5 of 11 million procedures. But it won’t be long before the winds of change have caused significant change like a breath of fresh air.