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Once
upon a wrinkle After:
Lines have been dramatically erased and you look younger and feel
more refreshed. Sounds amazing
doesn't it? It's not magic, it's BOTOX! Available for the first
time in Sri Lanka, the medicine that dramatically softens facial
expression lines is used cosmetically all over the world. It's a
quick fix treatment that guarantees a more youthful and refreshed
appearance almost instantly. All this, it is reported to do without
surgery, scars and recovery time. In the West
people apparently throw Botox parties. A physician visits houses
where five to ten people gather and without much ado gives them
their Botox treatment. The high street facility is a 10-20 minute
lunch hour procedure for many, says Gillian Moolchand, a UK national,
who handles the clients in Sri Lanka for visiting cosmetic physician
from India, Dr. Rashmi Shetty. "When
we frown, smile or laugh, we contract muscles in our face into folds
of skin that form wrinkles. Over time, making repeated facial expressions
form lines and creases that become deeper and more permanent, making
you look older or stressed," says Dr. Rashmi Shetty. In some
people especially, the lines are so deep that it makes them appear
to frown even when they are not actually frowning. Botox was initially
given to people suffering from migraine and injected into spastic
children when they got painful spasms, to alleviate pain in their
muscles. It was also used to treat squints. Physicians, who administered
this, noticed that their patients not only recovered but also looked
better physically, as their wrinkles seemed to have disappeared. Made by Alergen
in Ireland, Botox is a medicine. Botulinum (Botulinum toxic type
A) is a purified protein extracted from bacteria, which is diluted
and then injected using disposable syringes with very fine cosmetic
needles, in very small quantities on areas that requires treatment.
Facial expressions occur when the brain sends a signal to the muscle
tissue. Botox blocks impulses from the nerve to the tiny facial
muscles that are related to expression lines. It relaxes the muscles
that form lines and keeps them relaxed for months. Soon after
treatment, no facial massage or sleep is allowed for four hours.
However, you can wash, use make up and go straight to work. Further
there is no medication or prescription drugs to be used after treatment. The full effect
is seen after seven days. To maintain it, repeated injections are
required 2-3 times a year. Lines will gradually revert to pre-treatment
appearance only after 6-12 months. Botox works only on specific
areas treated and does not travel throughout the body or affect
other muscles. Stars and celebrities
around the world use Botox. The safety profile of Botox is considered
to be excellent. The most common side effects are tenderness or
bruising at the site of injection. In some cases Botox can migrate
and cause temporary weakness in nearby muscles. In rare cases there
can be a slight and temporary drooping of an eyelid or eyebrow lasting
1-2 weeks. "It has
to be administered by a well trained physician," reiterates
Dr. Rashmi Shetty, MBBS, FRSH Cosmetology (UK) who visited Sri Lanka
last month. Having done her basic medical degree in India, she went
on to specialise in Cosmetology in Chester, UK and today runs a
clinic in Mumbai, India. She is currently also a consultant with
Lakme-Levers. During the past four years of her practice she has
had a mixed set of clients comprising of celebrities, businessmen
and women, actresses and models. As clients
continue the treatment, Dr. Rashmi says that they would only require
a shorter dose, less frequently. "It never becomes worse than
it was." She has seen over 30 patients during this initial
trip and intends to return to Sri Lanka in the future when there
are more clients lined up for her and for the follow-up. "Science
has moved on and Medicine has advanced tremendously over the years,
resulting in an increased life span. Doctors are able to replace
so much in the body. Why not something that does good to the face?"
Gillian asks. Happy with the response from both men and women in Sri Lanka, Gillian says that those who formerly went to the UK or Singapore are now able to get their BOTOX shots here. Clients are assured of total confidentiality. How
safe is it?
"However it is not so common in this country for two reasons,"
says Plastic Surgeon Dr. Romesh Gunesekera. "Asiatic skin does
not age as fast as Caucasian skin, as our pigmentation protects
skin from UV radiation. Skin damage is therefore slower and is manifested
much later, by which time women are not really bothered. In white
skin however, skin ages faster." Secondly, the drug is very
expensive - Rs.30000 for a vial of 100 units.
Abroad, the registered drug is commonly used, although it has not
been formally approved for cosmetic use for the simple reason that
it has not shown complete effectiveness. It is easy for a physician
there, to have lined up five or more clients at one go, to use up
contents of a vial. Dr. Gunesekera warns, "Too much, too deep or in the wrong place can affect muscles that control normal eye functions such as opening or closing the eye." Since the effect lasts for around 11 months, the patient may have to be uncomfortable for that length of time. In addition, every patient may react to it differently. Hence clients should seek a good and experience physician for treatment. Which
soap is best? The choice
of one soap over another depends primarily on personal preference,
unless a physician has recommended a particular type of soap for
a skin problem. The type of skin you have may influence your choice,
as soaps for oily skin or medicated or abrasive soaps promoted for
acne can be too harsh for dry skin. If your skin is oily, you might
prefer a regular toilet soap or a soap formulated for oily skin
over a superfatted soap, as the former generally are more efficient
cleansers. Of course, you don't want to wash your face with an abrasive
soap designed to remove dirt and grime from hands. You should
be able to find a soap that you like at the price you want to pay.
Here's a brief description of the different types of cleansing bars
and liquids to choose from. Superfatted
soaps contain more fatty materials such as cold cream, cocoa, butter,
neutral fats, or lanolin. Some people with dry skin find that superfatted
soaps are less drying than regular toilet soaps. This may be because
superfatting a soap actually makes it a less efficient cleanser,
and this may be desirable if the skin is dry. But don't expect such
a soap to take the place of a moisturizer after cleansing. While
some superfatted soaps claim to "moisturize" the skin
by leaving behind a residue of fat or cream, it is hardly likely
that a cleansing agent can accomplish two diametrically opposed
tasks in a single washing operation, by removing soil and debris
from the skin and depositing a fat or cream on the skin. Other residue
will stay behind too, and this residue may be irritating. Soaps for oily
skin generally contain more surfactant (soap or detergent) so they
can do a more efficient job of removing excess oil from the skin.
They may be too drying for other skin types, especially dry skin. Transparent
soaps, like superfatted soaps, contain more fat, as well as glycerin.
Unfortunately, most transparent soaps do not lather as well and
melt faster than regular soaps. They also tend to cost more, because
the manufacture of transparent soaps is slower and most costly.
No evidence exists that transparent soaps are milder than regular
milled toilet soaps, but some people with dry, sensitive skin seem
to prefer them. Many "soaps"
today are actually synthetic detergent bars or liquids. Soaps are
made from animal and vegetable fats, while synthetic detergent bars
are made from petroleum derivatives. The primary
advantage of detergents is that they do not interact with the minerals
in hard water that form a soap scum. There is no
evidence that detergent-based bars are harsher or milder than soap
bars. But you shouldn't worry that using a detergent-based toilet
bar is comparable to using laundry detergent on your face. The synthetic
detergents used in skin cleansing products are mild. All the liquid
facial "soaps" contain at least some synthetic detergent,
as it is not possible to formulate elegant liquid cleansers that
are 100% soap. The choice of liquid over a bar is a matter of personal
preference; they cleanse equally well. Win super prizes
from the Neutrogena range by filling in the coupon and mailing it
to reach us on or before January 28 on a postcard to: Neutrogena
Quiz, |
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