Now, more than ever, the skin health industry has a plethora of products and tools at its disposal to help people look and feel their best. Thousands of products offer a wide range of benefits, ensuring that everyone—young, old, male, female—can find the products that best meet their aesthetic goals.
Over the years, injectables like BOTOX Cosmetic® and Juvederm® have taken the industry by storm, providing unmatched results to treat wrinkles, fine lines, sagging skin, and volume loss. However, despite their success, there are still misconceptions regarding how they work, how they are applied, and what they can do.
In this blog, we aim to tackle some of those misconceptions and illuminate the science and artistry that goes into these injectables and their application.
Injectables: The Basics
Injectables, as you may guess, are products that are injected into the skin and tissues, rather than being applied topically. The main two household names in this category are BOTOX Cosmetic® and Juvederm®. Botox® is a safe drug that is derived from botulinum toxin type A, while Juvederm® is a hyaluronic acid-based filler (more on these ingredients later).
Both BOTOX Cosmetic® and Juvederm® are designed to improve the look of skin and facial contours. In the next section, we’ll discuss BOTOX Cosmetic® and Juvederm® in more detail.
BOTOX Cosmetic®: From The Stars To Everyday People
Botox® had its humble beginnings in the mid-80s as a treatment for blepharospasm and strabismus, two conditions that affect the eyes. The product is derived from botulinum toxin type A, which works by temporarily blocking nerve activity to specific muscles. Over the years, medical professionals noticed that Botox® had other beneficial effects like reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
During the late 80s and 90s, trials were conducted in Canada and the U.S. exploring these possibilities, culminating in Health Canada approving the use of BOTOX Cosmetic® in the early 2000s.
BOTOX Cosmetic® was gaining notoriety as a cosmetic treatment, but it became popular when celebrities began to share their positive experiences with the product. BOTOX Cosmetic® was quickly becoming a household name, further bolstered by millions of impressed customers.
BOTOX Cosmetic® treatment techniques have improved over the years so that you no longer have to have a “frozen” look. Now, you can enjoy the benefits of BOTOX Cosmetic® while still looking natural and being able to express your emotions. For the mature age demographic, the goal is to soften the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles on the face while at rest. As the muscles are relaxed, a more refreshed and rested appearance can be achieved. It can also be used in a preventative manner to decrease the chance of developing fine lines and wrinkles in a younger age demographic. The treatment is popular with both women and men and is easily scheduled into a busy lifestyle.
BOTOX Cosmetic® treatments are temporary and are usually done every 3 – 4 months to maintain consistent results. BOTOX Cosmetic® is a drug and should be administered by a qualified and experienced health professional in an accredited facility that practices safely and upholds high-quality medical standards.
Today, BOTOX Cosmetic® is used worldwide as a safe and effective cosmetic solution to temporarily relax muscles that contribute to fine lines and wrinkles. In as little as 30 minutes, by treating common areas such as frown lines between the eyebrows, horizontal lines across the forehead, and crow’s feet around the eyes, you can achieve a refreshed, well-rested, and youthful appearance and feel confident!
Juvederm®: The Wonder Dermal Filler
Our story of dermal fillers begins back in 1893 when experiments with fat transplants were used as a way to add fullness back to the skin. In the 1970s, collagen-based products began to gain traction. Finally, in the 70s and 80s hyaluronic acid (HA) was starting to be considered. Like collagen, you’re probably sporting some hyaluronic acid in your skin right now. That’s because HA is a naturally-occurring chemical sugar chain in the skin and plays a role in keeping your skin healthy and happy.
Hyaluronic acid attracts water; it can hold about 1000x its molecular weight in water. HA is also a postbiotic, meaning that it aids in restoring your skin’s unique microbiome as well. As HA was studied in the 70s and 80s, scientists discovered it to be a safe and effective component for injectable dermal fillers, like Juvederm®.
Juvederm® is an HA-based dermal filler that was developed in the 80s and 90s, with its first use for facial treatments starting in 1996 in Europe. The rest of the world followed suit quickly, with Health Canada approval in 2004.
Science Meets Artistry for a Natural Result
The application of dermal fillers has come a long way from 1996 to 2020. Extensive study and knowledge of facial anatomy and physiology are paramount in achieving a safe treatment with elegant and natural-looking results. The artistry component ensures that a successful result maintains proper facial proportions with subtle correction and enhancement of target areas. Our clients want to look as vibrant as they feel, and dermal filler treatments allow them to embrace their features whether through a slight enhancement or by restoring and maintaining youthfulness.
Juvederm® has an expanded product line to meet the unique needs of facial contouring for millions of people. Juvederm® is used to:
- Lift and reshape sagging skin and wrinkles: think sagging cheeks, lines, heaviness, and wrinkles around the mouth, jowls, and jawline.
- Add fullness back to areas that are depressed, sunken, or have lost volume: mid-face, cheeks, tear troughs, temples, jawline, and lips.
- Lips! Define, add fullness, and smooth outlines. We can help you achieve a natural look depending on the original shape and size of your lips.
Dermal filler injection treatments require a high level of skill, artistry, targeted experience, and extensive knowledge of anatomy and physiology. Our qualified injectors have mastered dermal filler treatments through hard word, training, and talent.
The artistry comes in understanding how to enhance the correct proportions and shape of the face to bring out each client’s best features while maintaining a natural and elegant appearance.
The injection consultation is the key time to understand your concerns and how a JUVEDERM® treatment will help you achieve your aesthetic goals. We look at the shape of the face, consider the health of the skin and age of the client in terms of what they would like to achieve, and then we develop a plan that may include BOTOX Cosmetic®, Juvederm® dermal fillers, skin rejuvenation strategies, and medical-grade skincare suggestions to enhance results and maintain healthy skin.
The benefits of a dermal filler procedure include immediate improvement in lifting and contouring along with a reduction of lines, wrinkles, hollowing, and sagging. The full result is seen about 2 weeks after each treatment, once the product has settled. The results last anywhere between 12 – 18 months, and each client decides when the time is right for the next treatment.
An added benefit of a JUVEDERM® treatment is that it stimulates your own collagen renewal during the process. This is important because as we age, our collagen production naturally slows down. Sun exposure, environmental and lifestyle factors along with how the fat pads and tissue in our face changes as we age, all contribute to collagen depletion and signs of aging.
As with all injection treatments, we want to confirm you are a safe candidate, and a health check with our medical staff is important before we proceed. Because there are needles and cannulas involved in the procedure, we always aim to ensure the treatment is safe and comfortable with as little recovery time as possible.
Trust Vive Med Spa® For BOTOX Cosmetic® & Juvederm® Services in Calgary!
If you’re curious about Juvederm® or BOTOX Cosmetic®, we invite you to book an injectables consultation with the experts at Vive® to learn if this is the right treatment for you. Since 2007 we’ve helped countless clients reach their aesthetic goals and we’d love to do the same for you.
