Neuromodulators/ Neurotoxins (ex: Botox, Dysport, Nuceiva)
Neuromodulators, also known as neurotoxins, cause relaxation of the muscles that they are injected into. There are several different types of neoromodulators on the market and approved by the FDA and Health Canada. The ones used by Melia in the clinic are Botox, Dysport, and Nuceiva. Once injected, these neuromodulators bind to the receptors of your muscles, blocking the release of a substance called acetylcholine. Acetylcholine is what is responsible for activating the movement of your muscles. Repeated movement of your facial muscles over time is what causes wrinkles to form, and by deactivating this movement with any of the neuromodulators on the market, we can diminish the look of wrinkles, as well as prevent future wrinkles from forming.
Why is Botox more expensive?
Botox is more expensive than Dysport and Nuceiva because it is the OG of neuromodulators. Botox was approved for use by the FDA back in 1989, and very quickly became known worldwide as an effective cosmetic injectable neuromodulator that paralyzes muscles. Being known as such a big name in cosmetics, Botox is likened to referring to all facial tissue as “Kleenex”. Kleenex and Botox are just the brand names, but their popularity over the years have caused us to just refer to all neuromodulators as “Botox” even though they aren’t.
Why is Nuceiva cheaper?
Nuceiva is not approved for medical use (to treat migraines or excessive sweating for example). Nuceiva works the exact same way as Botox, however because the company did not pursue approval for medical use, and only pursued approval for cosmetic use, its cost has thus far remained a lot lower than that of Botox.
What to expect during your appointment?
- Welcome to the clinic, we will first have you fill out some consent forms that our receptionist will give to you
- Once you are finished, your injector Melia will invite you back into one of our treatment rooms
- Have a seat in our comfy treatment chair and talk to us about what your goals are for your appointment, and show us the areas that you’d like to have treated
- Next, we will take some before treatment photos in front of our black felt wall, using a ring light. We will ask you to move your face in different ways to show the movement/ wrinkles that form
- Then, you can have a seat again, and we will take a good look at your face, while you are moving in different ways, in order to determine your dosage for neurotoxin
- We will write on a face chart what dosage we recommend for each area of concern that you have
- Before we proceed, we will show you what we propose for treatment. We will then add it up and tell you the approximate price
- Once we have the go ahead, we will draw up the neurotoxin brand that we have discussed (whether it be Botox, Dysport, or Nuceiva) into many different tiny syringes. We use many syringes so that the needle remains sharp and diminishes the risk of bleeding/bruising
- Then we will ask you to sit back with your head rested against the chair, and will inject each region of your face. We may periodically ask you to flex different muscles as we go along so that we can see any movement and confirm placement locations
- After a few blots with gauze to ensure any bleeding has stopped, then you are good to go!
- Stop by the front desk again on your way out to settle your bill, and you are all set!
- Don’t forget to make a followup appointment with our receptionist, or online for 2 weeks later, to come back for some after photos and do any touchups to areas that may still have some movement.
- Remember, we will always under-dose on your first appointment, because it is better to under treat and have you come back for a top up, than to over treat and risk some unwanted side effects
Aftercare
- Do not rub/massage the areas that were treated ~ this may lead to unwanted spread of the neurotoxin into a nearby muscle that was not our target, producing some unwanted side effects
- Do not exercise or partake in any activity for the next 12 hours that will cause you to sweat ~ as this may also cause unwanted spread of the neurotoxin
- Avoid excessive alcohol consumption for the next 12-24 hours ~ as this will slow the healing of any bruises that were caused during your treatment
- Do not go into a sauna or hot tub for the next 12 hours
- Come back in 2 weeks for your followup / top up appointment
- As soon as you start to notice movement that is starting to bother you, then come back in for your next neurotoxin appointment! This should be every 3-4 months.
When do I come back for treatment?
Come back when you start to notice movement come back to the areas that were treated. This should be in about 3-4 months. Do not wait too long and come back at 6-8 months, once all of the neurotoxin has worn off. If you wait this long, we will have to hit those areas with a larger dose the next time. It will effectively be like we are starting from scratch again. However, if you come back every 3-4 months, then you will find that over time your dosage will lessen. This is because if we keep up with paralyzing certain muscles, they will begin to atrophy (or shrink) over time, making them weaker and easier to paralyze at future appointments!