How long do anti-wrinkle injections last?

Anti-wrinkles injections such as toxins can help relax the ‘dynamic’ wrinkle-lines in your face. They are one of the most popular tweakments carried out by practitioners, and millions of these treatments are done every year.  One of the key things that people always wants to know about anti-wrinkle injections is,  “How long will they last for?” Well, here is the low-down.

What are anti wrinkle injections?

Anti-wrinkle injections are dilute forms of nerve toxins such as toxins that are injected into the face in order to soften the prominence of lines. These injections are made from variants of Botulinum Toxin A, and work by , although this is the generic name and there are many brand names. The toxins do not, contrary to popular belief, ‘freeze’ the muscles in the face. Instead, they knock out the nerve receptors in the muscles, not allowing them to react to the stimuli that the nerves are trying to transmit. Hence the reduction in movement.

What are ‘dynamic’ wrinkle lines?

‘Dynamic’ lines are the ones caused by the movement of the facial muscles. So when you lift your eyebrows and you get horizontal lines forming across your forehead, those are dynamic lines. So are the crow’s feet lines that form when you scrunch up your eyes, or the ‘elevens’ lines that form between your eyebrows when you frown. These are the sort of wrinkle lines that toxins and other anti-wrinkle injections can help to soften.

Are all anti wrinkle injections, toxins?

No, toxins is made by the company Allergan. However, there are others on the market: Dysport (which is known as Azzalure in other countries), from Galderma,  and BoCouture (originally known as Xeomin), from Merz. Very often people think that the word toxins is synonymous with anti wrinkle injections, so you will very often hear of people having had ‘toxins’ while they have, in fact, been treated with another brand. I’ve also heard from practitioners who treat A-listers that occasionally, people will ask for Dysport, or BoCouture, so that when they get asked, ‘Do you have toxins injections?’ they can say, ‘No’. Which may technically be true but it’s a pretty bad fib, especially if their faces don’t move. 

So, how long do anti wrinkle injections last?

The effects of anti-wrinkle injections will last for between two months and six months. If you’re thinking that there’s an awful lot of difference between those dates, and that if the effects only lasts for two months, you’ll end up paying three times as much as if the injections had lasted for six months… you’re right. There are several factors that affect how long anti-wrinkle injections such as toxins will last

What affects how long anti-wrinkle injections last?

The first thing is: how much of the toxin was injected in the first place?

If you had a very light dose, the sort of thing that practitioners like to call ‘micro-dosing’ or ‘Baby toxins’, you can expect a subtle result. There will be some reduction in the muscle movement in your face, and this will last for a relatively short time, perhaps two months.

If you have a larger dose of toxins or other anti-wrinkle injections, then the results will be much more pronounced. The muscles may lose most of their ability to move, and the result will last much longer, perhaps up to six months.

If you have anti-wrinkle injections regularly, you may find they seem to last longer. This could be because muscles that are not able to work as a result of anti-wrinkle injections become a little weaker through lack of use. So when the muscles do regain their function as the effects of the injections wear off, their movement is less strong than before.

Another thing: when you have anti-wrinkle injections, practitioners advise you not to do vigorous exercise, or go into a sauna or steam room for the next 24 hours. This is because doing these things will speed up your blood circulation, and it is thought (it hasn’t been the subject of a clinical study) that this may affect the longevity of the anti-wrinkle injections.

do anti-wrinkle injections last less long if you have a fast metabolism?

This is a common concern, however it is not so much your metabolism that will affect how long the injections last. Rather it depends on how fast the nerve-receptors in your muscles, which have been disabled by the injection of toxin, regrow. When you have anti-wrinkle injections, the toxin in them prevents the nerve impulse, which is telling your muscles to contract, from reaching the muscles, by blocking the receptor sites. Over time, the muscles develop new receptor sites. Once these are up and running, and the nerve impulses travel to them like they used to, your face will regain its range of movement.