XEOMIN

Similar to Botox, and Dysport, Xeomin is an injectable neuromodulator designed to help patients reduce the appearance of unwanted wrinkles, most specifically dynamic wrinkles which are essentially caused by the muscles beneath the skin which contract when we make expressions. While Botox is certainly the most popular aesthetic enhancement treatment around today, and easily the best method for treating dynamic face wrinkles, a few of its alternatives Dysport and Xeomin are slowly gaining popularity as the years go by. WHAT IS XEOMIN? Xeomin works similar to Botox and Dysport, as it is an injectable neuromodulator treatment used in the reduction of unwanted wrinkles and expression lines. While it works quite similarly, and utilizes the same active ingredient, the botulinum toxin-A, there are a few slight variances that set Xeomin apart as a Botox alternative. HOW DOES XEOMIN WORK? Amongst many patients, Xeomin is often referred to as “the naked injectable”. The reason for this nickname, is because Xeomin, unlike Botox and Dysport, does not contain any other additives or compounds, and it purely made from the active ingredient, the botulinum toxin-A. This allows Xeomin to be more effective in certain patients, as their body chemistry simply lends itself to the use of Xeomin rather than Botox. As it does in Botox, the botulinum toxin-A is derived from the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, the same bacteria that causes the paralysis condition known as botulism. While this might be scary to some, such applications of paralyzing compounds are actually quite common in medicine and specifically in aesthetics, as it isn’t the actual illness, but rather a muted form of it used for a specific purpose. Once the compound is injected into the skin, it will prevent the release of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine from within the endings of our muscles – causing temporary paralysis. By doing so, it prevents the brain impulses for facial expressions from reaching the facial muscles, and prevents any future contractions of these muscles. Its important to understand that facial expressions, such as when we smile or frown, are known to cause dynamic wrinkles over time. And these expressions are performed by the contractions of the facial muscles that lead to the movement of our facial features and thus give us expressions. By temporarily paralyzing these muscles, and preventing them from contracting, this allows the skin to smooth itself out, and decreases the appearance of these expression lines or wrinkles.