When it comes to signs of aging affecting the face, the lips and mouth are one of the first areas to develop lines and wrinkles. Whether you notice smoker’s lines above your top lip, smile lines on either side of your mouth, or marionette lines running down to your chin, you probably feel like these signs of aging make you look older and less happy than you actually are. At Veda Medical in Live Oak, TX, we’re proud to offer Xeomin, a type of neuromodulator which can minimize lines and wrinkles around the mouth by temporarily regulating muscle movement and restoring your youthful appearance.
What Is Xeomin?
Xeomin, which belongs to a broader neuromodulator family that includes Botox, consists of a purified version of botulinum A. This protein, which is produced by a bacterium, interrupts nerve signals and affects muscle movement when used in small doses. By changing the way your nervous system interacts with targeted facial muscles, this potent treatment can temporarily reduce muscle activity and thus erase lines and wrinkles around the mouth and on other areas of the face which are caused by muscle movement.
While neuromodulator products have been accused of creating a “frozen” or “surprised” effect, we find that they are one of the best anti-aging treatments for our patients. In the past, most unnatural results were caused by an inexperienced doctor who used too much product, temporarily paralyzing the facial muscles and restricting your normal expressions.
It’s important to only seek care from a trained and experienced doctor who can strategically inject the product to create a natural and flattering result. Our dedicated team works with you to erase signs of aging while preserving all of your natural expressions.
Benefits
If you’re unsatisfied with signs of aging but don’t want to commit to surgery or invasive treatments, Xeomin is an excellent and effective alternative. Just a small dose can deliver attractive, long-lasting results and minimize lines and wrinkles in several areas of your face. Treatment is quick, virtually painless, and requires zero downtime, making this treatment convenient for every schedule.
Our patients often find enhanced success by combining this treatment with other rejuvenating options, such as dermal fillers or skin resurfacing treatments, to further combat signs of aging and smooth the skin. Results can begin to emerge in the first few hours, and the average patient sees final results appear in just 5-10 days, which is faster than most neuromodulator treatments available.
After your results are apparent, you can plan to enjoy your new look for 3-4 months before the neuromodulator begins to wear off and follow-up treatments may be recommended to maintain your ideal image. Best of all, once you see your final results, you’ll be able to enjoy a major confidence boost thanks to your fresher, younger smile.
How Does Treatment Work?
Treatment works by targeting dynamic wrinkles, which are the lines and folds created in your skin by muscle movement. These wrinkles are often nearly invisible when your facial muscles are at rest, but frowning, smiling, and other common expressions can make them more noticeable.
Static wrinkles, which develop due to loss of skin elasticity, remain the same despite facial movement. While these wrinkles cannot be effectively treated with a neuromodulator since they are not caused by muscle movement, they can be minimized with other anti-aging treatments and techniques.
By injecting small amounts of this product into your skin and relaxing your muscles, this treatment smooths your skin, erases dynamic wrinkles, and gives you a more youthful appearance in just a few days. After treatment, you can express your full range of emotions without worrying about signs of aging stealing your smile.
Which Areas Can Be Treated?
This product is most often used to treat frown lines and wrinkles in the forehead, crow’s feet at the outer corners of the eyes, lines around the mouth and lips, and bunny lines, which are horizontal lines that appear across the bridge of your nose when you wrinkle your nose. Our doctors will examine your face during an initial consultation to identify your areas of concern and recommend the best way to treat your unique situation.
How Can Treatment Minimize Lip Lines?
Our mouths are one of the most active and expressive parts of our faces. As we age, the lines and wrinkles which form around our mouths can pull our mouth downwards, making us look older or more tired than we really are.
Targeted injections into the muscles surrounding the lips can improve a down-turned mouth by smoothing away smile lines and marionette lines. In addition, injections above your top lip can help balance your smile and minimize smoker’s lines, which run vertically from your lip to under your nose.
While treatment is not able to add volume like a lip filler, our patients often combine it with our treatment options to rejuvenate their skin and lips and refresh their smiles. Repeated treatments can help keep existing lines from deepening over time and can even prevent the formation of new lines, all while maintaining natural results and expressions.
Am I an Ideal Candidate?
Thanks to its non-invasive nature, this treatment is ideal for almost every patient, no matter their age. Signs of aging can begin developing as early as your mid-20s, and many of our patients choose to seek treatment sooner rather than later to help keep their skin smooth and wrinkle-free.
If you’re an adult who is unsatisfied with lines and wrinkles around your mouth, you may want to learn more about how this product can improve your appearance and help you reach your ideal image. Treatment may not be ideal for those with allergies to the neuromodulator used or any other ingredients in the product formula.
In addition, patients with bleeding disorders may not be ideal candidates, and those with skin irritations or infections in the target area may need to delay treatment until their skin is fully healed. If you’re unsure of your candidacy for treatment, one of our doctors would be happy to evaluate you during an initial consultation as well as answer any questions you may have about this product.
What Should I Expect?
You may be wondering what you should expect if you choose to pursue treatment. First, you should know that our team of professionals is committed to walking with you every step of the way and answering your questions during each stage of treatment. Every patient’s experience is unique, but here is a general idea of what you can look forward to when you choose Xeomin.
Consultation
To begin, we always sit down with you for an initial consultation. This appointment allows us to examine your face, determine the areas which may be ideal for treatment, and answer any questions you may have.
In addition, we’ll review your medical and cosmetic treatment history to make sure this treatment is right for you. You should be prepared to disclose any medical conditions you have or the current medications you take. Once you’re approved for treatment, our doctor will recommend a treatment plan personalized for your unique situation.
They will explain exactly how their planned injection sites will help minimize the appearance of wrinkles and lines around your mouth and the results you can expect from treatment. After this appointment, you can begin looking forward to your first treatment.
Treatment
On the day of your appointment, we recommend that you avoid wearing makeup or lip products in the target areas. Your doctor will cleanse your skin and, if needed, apply a topical numbing gel to ensure your comfort during treatment. However, the needle used during this appointment is so small that most of our patients report little to no discomfort.
Your doctor will use this needle to inject the product into the predetermined areas of your face, ensuring that the placement and dosages used are ideal for achieving your desired results. Depending on the number of areas treated, your appointment will likely take between 10-20 minutes.
Your doctor will give you specific instructions for your recovery, which you should plan to follow closely to ensure optimal results. You can immediately return to your normal schedule and activities with no downtime, making this type of treatment perfect for even the busiest schedule.
Recovery
Over the first few days after your appointment, you may notice some swelling and tenderness around the injection sites. This is normal and will subside quickly for most patients. We recommend that you avoid exercise for 24 hours and that you avoid touching, rubbing, or pressing on the treated areas to keep the product from distributing and affecting other muscles.
Patients who are prone to bruising should avoid anti-inflammatory medications, which can cause bruising after treatment. Results often appear within the first week after treatment. Most patients can feel the neuromodulator begin to work, but a good way to track your progress is to stand in front of a mirror and make a series of dramatic facial expressions.
As the treatment takes effect, you will notice that the target muscles remain mostly in place and that wrinkles are invisible. Once your final results appear, your expressions should still look like you–just minus the lines and wrinkles–and no one will be able to tell that you had treatment unless you tell them.
Results
On average, final results appear within 5-10 days after treatment, although some patients may see their results take effect up to two weeks after their appointment. Lines and wrinkles around the mouth should be noticeably diminished, and you should look and feel younger and more confident as you enjoy your new appearance.
Although results are long-lasting, there is no permanent solution to the process of aging and its side effects. Your results will last 3-4 months before the neuromodulator begins to wear off and muscle movement, and the resulting dynamic wrinkles, slowly return.
At this point, most of our patients choose to continue treatment in order to maintain their ideal image. With just 3-6 appointments per year, you could keep unwanted signs of aging at bay and refresh your smile by saying goodbye to lines and wrinkles around your mouth.
Contact Us to Learn More!
While aging is a normal process, you don’t need to live with the resulting cosmetic concerns. Don’t let fine lines and wrinkles around your lips keep you from smiling–see how treatment with Xeomin could turn back the hands of time and allow you to look and feel your best. To learn more about this transformative treatment option, contact us at Veda Medical in Live Oak, TX to schedule an initial consultation today! We look forward to serving you and helping you reach your cosmetic goals!
