Wrinkle Relaxing Treatments? Post-Pandemic could be your perfect time.

*As Health Canada does not allow us to discuss specific brands of wrinkle relaxing injections, we will not be able to mention or discuss them by using their general trademark name. We will therefore be referring to wrinkle relaxing injections as their generic name; Neuromodulators.It’s finally here! We’ve hit the light at the end of the tunnel, reached the eye of the storm, dawn is breaking over the horizon, and the pandemic is coming to an end. As life in Canada returns to normal; people are ditching Zoom and returning to the office, Friday night drinks no longer have a six-person limit, and it’s the moment we have all been waiting for… No. More. Masks! ... Well, kind of...The wearing of face masks is no longer a mandatory requirement for those who are fully vaccinated, and while still strongly encouraged for indoor spaces, they is something that we can begin to leave at home, or let sink to the bottom of our handbags or backpacks.As we remove the masks, we also remove the limitations that have been placed on our lives. We can think about having cute first dates again, planning a fun summer party with all of our nearest and dearest, and the weddings will soon come in thick and fast. Although, amongst all the excitement there may be something else besides our social calendar that we haven’t had to put too much focus into during the Pandemic; our face.So as we dance headfirst into the warm embrace of our first Post-Pandemic Summer since 2019, we begin to sluff off the stress that the past 18 months has brought us, and we can take a more proactive and relaxed approach to looking and feeling our best. For some it may just be a gorgeous new outfit or pair of shoes, for others a nice spa day to work out the knots and freshen up the pores, and then there is a sure-fire way to make you look like stress has never even touched your skin - Neuromodulators.And for those out there who are on the fence about wanting to get Neuromodulators or trying out some Dermal Filler for luscious lips, let us take you through our expert approach to injectables.

Masks Off - Lips, Mouth and Chin

Let’s start with the part of the face that we have been able to get away with; our mouths. While face masks were a key component in reducing the spread of COVID-19, they also doubled as a subtle excuse to hide an untimely breakout or unwanted line or wrinkle.While the mouth, lips and chin aren’t commonly thought of as primary areas for Neuromodulators, there is a lot that can be treated with this crafty injectable. Within the area surrounding the mouth, Neuromodulators can be used to relax the perioral wrinkles (the vertical lines that run above and below your lips), as well as your marionette lines (the lines that run from the corner of your mouth to your chin).The Chin is another area where both Dermal Filler and Neuromodulators can be used, and is often used to create a stronger, or to help define the jawline, and is a popular area of treatment for men. It can also strategically used to help disguise a double chin, or sagging jowl. Where Neuromodulators can be expertly used in the chin is by injecting the drug directly into the chin muscle to relax the area to smooth any lines or dimpling.People often think of Lip Filler as the only treatment to create luscious lips and a well-framed smile, and while it is the primary treatment, Neuromodulators can also be used in a few different ways for lips.The three most popular injectable lip treatments are:The Gummy Smile: those with a Gummy Smile, which is when the top lip rests higher up your gums and shows relatively more gum than teeth. By injecting a small amount of Neuromodulator into the top lip, this will relax the top lip so that it moves down to subtly hide the gums, and help bring out those pearly whites.Lip Filler: something that is known to pretty much everyone, thanks in no small part to the Kardashians and the Hollywood circle, is the use of dermal fillers to plump up your lips. A common misconception about lip filler is only to make your lips look exceedingly large, but Lip Filler can be used as sparingly or as conservatively as you like to achieve a number of different looks. If you have a lip that tends to disappear when smiling, lip filler can help plump up certain parts to frame your smile better. Lip filler can also be used to help define specific areas of the lip, such as the Cupid’s Bow, or the borders of the lip.The Lip Flip: another revolution and recent trend is where Neuromodulators are injected into the top lip to relax the muscle in such a way that it rolls the lip upwards to reveal the underside, giving the appearance of fuller lips. This is often combined with Lip Filler to achieve optimal results, depending on your lip anatomy and lip goals.[ngg src="galleries" ids="360" display="basic_imagebrowser"]

Eyes, Brows and Forehead Wrinkles

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic, all of us will have celebrated at least one birthday, and while we can all agree that COVID Birthday’s “do not count”, try telling that to our forehead wrinkles! And even though the pandemic didn’t require us to wear the masks across our eyes (unless you have been, in which case you were wearing them very wrong) this is an area that is one of the first to show the signs of aging. Furthermore, with the stress and hardship of the 18-months that have passed, the dynamic lines in our brow may have etched themselves a little deeper into the dreaded static line. Thankfully, the easiest way to freshen up the upper-third of our face is with a spot of Neuromodulator, and in the hands of a skilled nurse injector you can guarantee that those COVID Birthday’s will also LOOK like they didn’t count either!The most commonly treated areas of the face, even outside of a pandemic, are forehead lines, crows feet, and eyebrows. In these areas Neuromodulators can be expertly used to target and relax the muscles in your upper-face so that you are not able to create the facial expressions that produce these dynamic lines, thus also helping to prevent static lines wrinkles. The amount of Neuromodulator used depends on a variety of factors, such as the strength of a person's facial muscles, their age, and the desired results. Once you have received your Neuromodulator injections, within 7-14 days the product will work it’s magic and you will begin to notice a more refreshed, relaxed and rejuvenated look to your appearance

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Typically our patients will return every 3-6 months, depending on how their body metabolizes Neuromodulators, to renew their facial rejuvenation treatments. It is also in these areas that Neuromodulators are often used as a preventative treatment, and can help delay the development of static lines and wrinkles. Another big tip here is to find a sunscreen that is perfect for your skin, as sun damage is the key contributor to aging of the eye area, so repeat after us; “Sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen!”While this process may seem fairly straightforward, having an injector who is knowledgeable about not only the product but also facial anatomy is crucial. When used in conjunction with a thorough understanding of how the face muscles work, Neuromodulators can not only soften and improve unwanted fine lines and wrinkles, it can lift the face and brighten a person’s expression. Which brings us to...

The Liquid Facelift

A lot can happen in a year, and sometimes a change in our appearance can sneak up on us, especially when we aren’t exposed to social situations as frequently as we used to be. Some may also feel that they look a bit more tired than usual, and unfortunately this may affect how comfortable and at ease they feel when re-engaging in social situations or dating life again. This is where a non-surgical, or “Liquid Facelift” can be of great benefit to those who need a post-pandemic pick-me-up. The Liquid Facelift isn’t a single treatment, and is more-so a combination of different Injectables; primarily Neuromodulators and Dermal Filler. During a thorough consultation with your injector, they will discuss your desired results and decide the best treatment plan. From here, the combination of Neuromodulators and Dermal Filler is injected into key areas to help lift certain features such as forehead and brows, eyes, cheeks and even lips and chin. This is done to help shape, contour and add volume to the face, making it the ideal treatment when wanting to target multiple areas, and wanting to have an overall restorative look.Again, in the hands of a skilled injector, the Liquid Facelift is expertly customized and crafted to your face and desired results, and its aim is not to make you look “overdone” but to turn back the clock to post-pandemic times and beyond.[ngg src="galleries" ids="352" display="basic_imagebrowser"]

Step Into Post-Pandemic Life Feeling and Looking Your Best

So if you indeed have been on the fence about wanting to get Neuromodulators over the past few years, something that never hurts is gathering more information. Perhaps think about booking a consultation to discuss your concerns, desired results and your options, as you may even be surprised at what you discover. There is also unfortunately a bit of a stigma still attached to the treatment, which is slowly disappearing, and while Neuromodulators aren't for everyone, and the focus should always be on your personal choice. A big concern is that the Neuromodulators will look too noticeable and will "freeze your face", leaving you expressionless; almost as if the stress of the Pandemic has sucked out your ability to feel. This is yet another huge myth about Injectable treatments like Neuromodulators, as a conservative approach to treatment will have people noticing a difference about you that they just can’t put their finger on.8 West Cosmetic Surgery and Skin Clinic offers complimentary consultations for all our injectable treatments, including Neuromodulators. Our Injectors can not only discuss your focus areas and desired results, but they can show you before and after pictures of patients that have similar concerns and goals to you, to help guide you through the process from beginning to end.So go on, why not treat yourself? After the last 18 months, I think we can all agree that we deserve a little something just for us.