Alternatives to Botox

Tuesday 15 April 2014

Alternatives to Botox

Methods to reduce wrinkles
Alternatives to Botox
In this article I would like to talk about alternatives to Botox. I am not going to offer creams like a lot of other sites do as I believe that if you are looking at other methods to get rid of your worry, frown and other lines, it is only because you have already tried lots of creams and now you realise that Botox may have to be your next step. I start with the more gentle alternatives to botulinum toxin injections and then progress to the more drastic methods. Which ones you would like to try out depends on your age, skin quality and your appetite for aggressiveness of the treatment and, obviously, the end result.

What is Botox?


Botox or botulinum toxin is a drug made from a toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. The product is used to paralyse or weaken muscles which results in smoothing out wrinkles and improving person's appearance.

It may sound strange, but Botox is a brand name, which slowly became a generic word for a drug used to freeze muscles. The other two popular brand names that offer the same drug is Dysport and Xeomin. They are not the only ones, but they are among the most popular ones. Botox and Xeomin both have a 68% satisfaction rating on the beauty procedures website realself.com. Dysport has a lower 55% rate of satisfaction.

Although Botox is the name that springs to many people's minds when they think about wrinkles, this method of smoothing out your skin is not always the best for everyone. We sometimes hear stories of older people who started having Botox injections in their thirties and carried on with them well into their fifties. It's ok if the toxin can eliminate the wrinkles and restore their young face, but sometimes Botox is not the best option for older people and other procedures should be considered as more appropriate.

People in their thirties and early forties have more gentle alternatives to try out and there may be no need to rush into freezing their muscles. However, Botox is generally the most effective and appropriate  method for that age group as opposed to older generation.

Why do some people shy Botox?


Although botulinum toxin works very well in evening out wrinkles and its effect is not questionable, some people don't like the idea of having a poisonous bacterium injected into their face, even if the quantities used are safe. Also, there may be some side effects such as headache, mild nausea, blurred vision, drooping eyelids and many more, which frightens some people. Others are scared of needles or botulinum toxin doesn't seem to work on them. These people may seek out alternatives.

Alternatives to Botox


  • Training muscles to relax. This is what Botox does, it relaxes the muscles, but in this case you would use no toxins. Training muscles involves training yourself to keep your face muscles still and more relaxed and, thus, avoid forming wrinkles due to muscle movements. If you can simply tell yourself not to frown and this is sufficient to stop your muscle movements, then this is all that you need, but if you keep forgetting to not frown, then you may use frownies or sports tape to remind you about your facial expressions. Stick a patch of any of these on the areas that you want to stop moving the most, usually your forehead, and keep them for as long as you are comfortable with. Do this training at home, you certainly do not want to go out with frownies on your forehead. Mastering the skill of keeping your muscles still is an important alternative to Botox as it serves well in preventing new lines from appearing on your face.
  • Facial acupuncture. Approximately 30-40 needles are inserted into your body and face. This increases blood flow to the face; collagen and elastin production may be stimulated. The time spent at the acupuncturist is a pleasant relaxing experience. The needles don't hurt. This method is a holistic approach which addresses your inner well-being and works by de-stressing and bringing you inner peace resulting in cosmetic benefits. It's not a replacement for a facelift, but it has some effectiveness. The treatment prices in London fluctuate quite a lot, you can find a 90 minute session priced at £60, at £128 or even quite a lot more. Generally, 10 or 12 sessions are recommended. Facial acupuncture may not be a replacement for Botox if you have medium lines, or a facelift and fillers for deep lines, but it may soften deeper wrinkles and get rid of fine lines.
  • Derma rollers is a great replacement for Botox
    Derma rollers are a great alternative to Botox
  • Derma roller. This is one of my favourite alternatives to Botox even though I have been very slack at using this device lately. Derma rollers even out fine lines and wrinkles and soften deeper lines. After rolling skin gently swells giving the impression of smoothness. What is best about this device is that it has much more than a temporary effect. The tiny needles on a rolling device puncture your skin lots and lots of times, thus stimulating collagen and elastin production. Please read more about derma rollers in my article called Derma Roller Skin Therapy.
  • Sewing needle can help you get rid of your wrinkles
    A sewing needle is another great alternative to Botox
  • Skin needling with a sewing needle. This method came to life after I imitated what derma rollers do, but with a single needle. There is nothing wrong with using a derma roller, but I prefer to use a single ordinary sewing needle in cases of some specific lines or wrinkles that I want to get rid of, such as frown lines. A single needle can target a specific line better than a derma roller. Also, derma rollers can be a little bit painful or, more correctly, uncomfortable. A single needle is a lot easier to control, so it never hurts and I am less reluctant to avoid the treatment. It's like separating your hair gently into two sections with a divider as opposed to pulling it with a comb. Please read the whole article about how to get rid of frown lines using a needle for more details.
  • Dermal fillers. If you don't like Botox due to the toxins, then dermal fillers may be an option for you. However, unfortunately, fillers may also have side effects, even though they are rare. Fillers work differently from Botox. They fill in lines instead of targeting nerves. Fillers generally should be used when lines become deeper. They add volume, so they are good for restoring some structure to your thinning face. If you are still fairly young and you only have tiny wrinkles that annoy you, you should go for other alternatives to Botox; at an older age, fillers may be more appropriate.
  • Laser resurfacing or chemical peels may be used instead of Botox when lines are fairly mild. These treatments will leave your skin smoother and younger looking. For moderate dynamic wrinkles Botox is generally very effective as it stops the wrinkles from turning into severe lines. For deep wrinkles you may need laser resurfacing, deep chemical peels, fillers and/or facelift to get optimum result. 
  • Endoscopic brow lift, also known as forehead lift, is a cosmetic procedure which elevates a drooping eyebrow and/or removes deep worry lines.  During this procedure certain muscles would be surgically striped out, which would work as an alternative to Botox. This method would only be used on older people. You wouldn't do this if you only had fine lines.
I hope these few alternatives to botulinum toxin injections gave you some ideas. Make sure you evaluate your skin and determine what you are trying to achieve. That will give you a good starting point as not all methods are appropriate for all age groups. Get expert help if you are unsure.

Final word


Do you use any anti-ageing devices? If so, what are they? What are your tricks to younger looking skin?

1 comment:

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