In pursuit of beauty and youth, women at all times went to any lengths to manipulate their appearance.
In our modern times, cosmetology offers many anti-aging options, but invasive methods are among the most popular due to their quick effect. Worldwide, an average of about 9 million Botox injections and 5 million fillers are performed each year.
But, unfortunately, such interventions do not pass without a trace, and I would like to talk about all the negative consequences of Botox and filler injections known today. Why “known”, because the topic has not been fully studied and the long-term consequences can only be assumed.
The dangers of Botox
Note, paralyze, not relax, as we usually hear. After all, muscle paralysis sounds much more scary and repulsive, and marketing doesn’t sleep.
Botulinum toxins, generally speaking, with proper administration technique and adequate doses, are safe, but botulinum therapy is not without its drawbacks and risks.
The main purpose for which botulinum toxin is used in aesthetic cosmetology is wrinkle reduction. But! By blocking one muscle, another compensatory load takes on itself. And next to the old wrinkle that you wanted to get rid of, others may appear. Agree, it’s not very pleasant.
Botox disables the muscle, which is already in spasm (in fact, this is what causes creases and wrinkles more often). And pumping the next dose over and over again, it atrophies, blood circulation is disrupted, and it subsequently creeps down uncontrollably.
And another equally significant reason is impaired lymph flow and swelling. The lymph pumps due to the contraction of neighboring muscles, but after Botox they do not contract, there is no one to push the lymph, stagnation occurs, and as a result, swelling.
Hence, for example, headaches after Botox injections. Of course, after the first procedure, you may not feel all the “delights”, but with systematic injections you will.
Contraindications for Botox injection
Botox is contraindicated, which is mentioned more than once at conferences of plastic surgery and medical cosmetology, for autoimmune diseases, for example, autoimmune thyroiditis. Botulinum toxin injections can not only aggravate the course of autoimmune diseases, but also cause them.
People who often receive botulinum toxin injections complain that Botox does not work for them as well as before. If you look at scientific data, it becomes clear why this is possible. In response to the introduction of a toxin, antibodies (Nabs) are synthesized to counteract it. And over time, immunogenicity—resistance to the toxin—can occur.
What is noteworthy is that the production of Nabs antibodies is not related to the frequency of injections, but to the dose and depth of administration. And it increases when administered in large doses or subcutaneously (for example, for hyperhidrosis around the eyes).
Undesirable consequences of botulinum toxin include drooping eyebrows, asymmetry, triangular eyebrows, rarely strabismus and migraines (although Botulinum toxin is used in the treatment of migraines).
Botulism due to Botox injection
Often after Botox, an immune response occurs in the form of a flu-like syndrome (sore throat, muscle weakness, headache, slight fever). This is microbotulism in a very mild form. They talked about this back in 2005. Symptoms go away on their own over time without treatment, it doesn’t happen to everyone, but it makes life very difficult and reduces productivity.
Many people are also interested in the question: is it possible to get botulism after the aesthetic injection of botulinum toxin? Until recently, this hypothesis was ridiculed, but recently such information has become increasingly common in popular major scientific publications. Moreover, previously the main argument for “ridiculing” was “we are not administering horse doses,” but now information appears about the risk of botulism in doses of 6 units.
Negative consequences of fillers
Enlarged lips provoke the appearance of nasolabial folds; as a result, filled nasolabial lips give the effect of a too flat, heavy face. Then I want to add volume to the cheekbones and make the chin longer, the paint bags have become pronounced – let’s add a dose to the nasal tear… The endless struggle for beauty.
One cannot but worry that more and more young girls with still unstable psyches who are dissatisfied with their appearance are resorting to injections, and marketing insists, “the sooner you start, the better.”
The biggest danger posed by filler is possible ischemia (when the filler enters the vessels and blocks the blood flow) followed by tissue necrosis. Cases of blindness after injections into the nose and nasolacrimal groove can no longer be called rare – more than 100 cases described in the literature.
This “lightness” and imaginary safety of fillers based on hyaluronic acid is given by the belief that they are absolutely biodegradable, and in the case If you don’t like the effect of the injection, there is an antidote – hyaluronidase.
But the problem is that its biodegradation time varies greatly. According to studies MRI showed that fillers stay in tissues from 2 to 12(!) years.
Moreover, the hyaluronic acid itself dissolves, and accordingly the effect of the injection disappears, but the capsule in which the hyaluronic acid was contained remains. The filler can also migrate and distribute in tissues, losing its original effect. What to do? Again I want to replenish the volumes. And so on in a circle. This is where this heavy, puffy face is formed.
In addition, hyaluronic acid has the property of attracting and holding water nearby, aggravating an already pasty face.
Damage to hyaluronidase
There are no large-scale studies on this matter, but there are observations of plastic surgeons who noticed that the SMAS of people who injected hyaluronidase is thinner than usual.
Lip injections are the most popular cosmetic procedure. It is important to know that due to constant filler injections, lips lose their original shape irrevocably over the years.
We often hear about various signature cocktails and lipolytics. A very dubious topic, because their exact composition is unknown to anyone and in the event of unforeseen circumstances, the consequences can be disastrous.
Jolie Angles
If you still decide to introduce filler, it is very important to choose a good doctor who knows the anatomy of the face, explains the possible risks, and uses high-quality and original drugs.
I admit the existence of injections, I have a normal attitude towards the choice of any person, I do not dissuade anyone, I only present scientific data, possible risks, and call for awareness. The main thing is measure.
Unfortunately, we do not have a single center for collecting information about complications and side effects. It is difficult for victims to reach the scientific community.
