Different facial regions lose collagen and elasticity during aging, causing sagging skin.
Repetitive muscle contraction leads to the development of expression lines, predominantly in the glabellar (between the eyebrows), frontal and periocular (crow's feet) areas. Therefore, these areas have been the target of rejuvenation techniques, among which botulinum toxin type A is the most popular non-surgical treatment worldwide.
Botulinum toxin acts as a muscle relaxant, blocking the release of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, a key messenger for muscle contractions, thereby reducing or eradicating the appearance of expression lines.
The popularity of botulinum toxin treatments is evidenced by the 80% to 90% of patients reporting satisfaction with their treatment, many of whom say they would recommend the treatment to others.
SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE
* M Simão de Aquino, A Haddad, L Masako Ferreira. Assessment of quality of life in patients who underwent minimally invasive cosmetic procedures. Aesthetic Plast Surg. 2013;37:497-503.
* A Yaworsky, S Daniels, S Tully, F Beddingfield 3rd. The impact of upper facial lines and psychological impact of crow's feet lines: content validation of the Facial Line Outcomes (FLO-11) Questionnaire. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2014;13:297-306.
* B Fink, M Prager. The effect of incobotulinumtoxin a and dermal filler treatment on perception of age, health, and attractiveness of female faces. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2014;7:36-40.
* T Petrie, F Moore. Facial treatment with botulinum toxin improves attractiveness rated by self and others, and psychological wellbeing. Dermatol Surg. 2017;43:322-8.
* S Fagien, JDA Carruthers. A comprehensive review of patient-reported satisfaction with botulinum toxin type A for aesthetic procedures. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2008;122:1915-25.