It does happen that from time to time we get a client that asks the question, "Why Have My Anti Wrinkle Injections Stopped Working?"
Australia has one of the largest cosmetic services industries worldwide, having recently surpassed America in number of procedures per capita. All over the country, we are forking over our hard-earned cash to enhance the way we look. In fact, Australians spend an estimated $350 million on anti-wrinkle injections annually. After all, it’s fast and relatively painless. More importantly, it is a sure-fire way to erase the worries from our faces and achieve serene expressions – or is it?
For most who receive this procedure, the anti-wrinkle injection product freezes and relaxes the muscles, preventing them from contracting and forming new wrinkles, and softening lines and wrinkles that have already formed prior to treatment. In four to six months, our bodies break down the product completely, which necessitates a follow-up treatment.
But there is a subset of those for whom it may seem as if the treatment isn’t achieving the desired results or the effects of the treatment are wearing off faster than usual. This can occur for both first-time users and regular users of this cosmetic treatment. It can be frustrating not knowing the reason for this and wondering whether the product was used in the right dosage or whether the practitioner administered the product correctly. It turns out, however, that our bodies might be to blame.
Studies have shown that an estimated 0.3 to 6% of us are immune or develop immunity to the effects of anti-wrinkle injections. While this may seem like a negligible percentage, the sheer size of the industry means that this small ratio translates to literally thousands of people not getting the effects they desire.
In plainer terms, immunity to anti-wrinkle injections means our bodies are recognising the injection product as a foreign substance and producing antibodies to fight it, thus reducing the effectiveness of the treatment. This is because the active ingredient in anti-wrinkle treatments is a type of protein, a paralysing neurotoxin. When introduced into our muscles, our bodies can identify it and induce an immune response. This likelihood increases and can become an issue if these treatments are used frequently and repeatedly over time or are needed to treat medical conditions such as dystonia (a condition in which a person’s muscles twitch uncontrollably).
Fortunately, a way around this is to receive smaller doses of the anti-wrinkle product and leave the longest possible interval between treatments. This can reduce the possibility of our bodies becoming resistant to the treatment.
With that said, outcomes are also highly contingent on injection technique and product quality. For the best results, go to a practitioner you can trust. Here at ACM, all anti-wrinkle injections are administered by Dr. Targett. With over 17 years of experience as a Medical Practitioner as well as training in Primary Care Dermatology and Aesthetic Medicine, she is well-placed to assist you on your journey to line-free skin.
Dr Rahma Targett
Unit 58/41-47 Melbourne St,
North Adelaide
SA 5006
Phone 0403 690 03 for bookings.
