yumicookie

Hi all,

Since enough of us either gets Botox regularly or is interested in trying it out, I figured I’d start a post with some information I found on the different brands. I’m from the US so I am only familiar with what’s available here so please feel free to share info on the brands available in your home country and your experiences with them. I’ll share my experiences at the end of this post.

What is botulinum toxin? Botulinum toxin or commonly known as Botox is an injectable neurotoxin treatment that blocks nerve impulses to the muscles causing them to relax. Results will typically last anywhere from 3 to 6 months.

Common uses for botulinum toxin:

Forehead creases

Glabellar lines (a.k.a. 11 lines, frown lines or the lines between your eyebrows when you scrunch your face)

Wrinkles around the eyes

Brow lift

Masseter muscles to reduce teeth grinding/clenching

What is the difference between botulinum toxin and fillers? Botulinum toxin reduces muscle activity whereas fillers are used to add volume to areas that have thinned due to aging.

FDA approved botulinum toxins:

Botox – The OG of the group, made by the company Allergan. Good for targeting smaller areas since the formula contains bigger molecules therefore less chances of spreading. It may take 3-7 days to start seeing results.

Dysport – Formula contains smaller molecules compared to botox so it has a larger area of spreading which makes it beneficial for big muscles since it can be addressed with fewer injections. It may take 2-3 days to start seeing results. You will need more units of Dysport to achieve same result as botox since the dilution is different. (One unit of Botox = 2.5 Units of Dysport)

Xeomin- Pure botulinum toxin, free from complexing proteins so there is less chance of resistance or allergic reaction. (One unit of Botox = one unit of Xeomin)

 If you are in South Korea…..

Meditoxin – Made by the company Medytox and Allergan licensed them. At the moment you can only find this brand in South Korea. This formula spreads so you will need fewer injections and cost effective.

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My experience:

I use Botox for my forehead creases, glabellar lines and masseter muscles. I personally like the meditoxin brand for my masseter muscles because it requires less pricks to achieve the same results plus it costs me a fraction of what my US doctor charges for the Allergan Botox. As for the forehead and glabellar lines, I use the Allergan Botox and I found that I start to regain some movement in the area at around the 1.5 month mark because I can’t help myself from making facial expressions! I typically go for touch ups around the 3-4 month mark. I’m hesitant to use Dysport for my forehead in fear that I might end up with droopy eyelids from one wrong prick but I might try it next for the masseter muscles.

@Esme Thanks for sharing Esme!! Are you able to wear a headband to cover up the new hair follicles until it grows out?

@kino it looked like a stye and had symptoms of a stye, the only thing that wasn't very stye like was the location. I think I must have irritated the crease or something got plugged up by the eye cream since it was on both eye creases. Usually you get a stye on one eye from regular inflammation but since I had a matching set it is most likely from something I did to the crease. =X

@Ppp This is probably a question I should've asked my doctor regarding creams that can potentially contain active ingredients before applying. I suggest that you inquire with your doctor before applying anything questionable to an incision site.

I had double eyelid surgery done in Korea about 5 weeks ago. I did not wear contacts or eye makeup for a whole 4 weeks as per doctor’s instructions and recovery was going great.

However when week 5 rolled around, I started to put less effort on being cautious with my eyelids. The other night when I was putting on eye cream (for the first time in weeks), I dabbed some of it onto my creases without giving it much thought. I then returned to my couch potato form to continue watching TV for about an hour before feeling a bump starting to form on my right eyelid. The bump was not very noticeable and was in the position where a stitch was knotted from my DES making it less obvious, so I just cleaned both eyelids and went to bed.

Boy was I in for a surprise when I woke up….. the bump on my right eyelid grew to a size of a mature looking pimple and there was a formation of a smaller but equally menacing counterpart on the left eyelid as well! After some googling I was convinced that I have an inflammation on my eyelid aka a stye and not a chalazion. (see link at the bottom of post for information on the differences between the two) Both of these annoying things will usually go away on its own, but since it was on my crease line I wanted to get it check out by a REAL professional doctor instead of self-diagnosing by reading WebMD.

I made an appointment with an optometrist for the following day and I was advised in the meantime to use hot compresses on my eyes. While I was using the hot compress, the little guy on the left eye gave up and popped on its own but the bump on the right side was still going strong. Fast forward to the next morning, the left side that popped the day before went back down to looking normal so I was optimistic for the right side to return to normal as well.

At the doctor’s office I had two doctors examine my eye since it is not very common for a stye to form on the eye crease away from the lash line. Since the crease was a surgical site and the area is still very sensitive to manipulation, both doctors agreed that it would be best give me topical and oral medication.  They also drained the bump for me during examination. As a precaution I will be visiting for follow ups frequently since the topical medication will make the eyelid area very thin and sensitive.

Recovery:

Day 1 post examination -  the bump is looking much smaller so I guess the medication is working.

Key Takeaways:

If you are not sure about something or feel something is wrong, go to a real doctor.

You may look normal and can put makeup on after a month; full recovery from eyelid surgery is 1 year so best practice is to be cautious for the full 12 months.

Be careful with creams containing active ingredients since it can irritate a surgical site.
 

Links:

Stye vs Chalazion https://www.aao.org/eye-health/diseases/what-are-chalazia-styes

Change of plans.... I booked myself to stay August 13-25 if anyone wants to meet!

 

I'm planning on going to Korea end of August. Probably will aim to fly in on the 25th or 26th and staying for 2 weeks.