I just had the CO2 Laser treatment done on Thursday(2.20.14) because I noticed that when I smile, I have multiple, deep lines that extend on either side of my mouth, I thought made me look like Skeletor. I thought I would need fillers or Botox, but my dermatologist suggested using this Laser because the cause of these lines is loss of bone and muscle in the face due to aging(I'm only 26, though!) and it tightens and lifts the skin. I also decided to do my eye area also because I've always had bags under my eyes. I really had no clue what I was getting myself in to so I came to my appointment about an hour early to begin the numbing process(as suggested by my doctor), in hindsight I wish I would've taken a painkiller more potent than Advil also. The process itself was INCREDIBLY painful. I have 10 tattoos(some located on my sides and inner arm) and this did not even compare to hours long tattoo sessions, which I honestly have never thought hurt worse than stubbing your toe. So yeah, it was pretty brutal and the smell was ungodly, but it only lasted about 4 minutes for the lower 3/4 of my face. The healing process wasn't so much painful as it was uncomfortable and tedious. My doctor instructed me to soak my face in vinegar/water mix and whole milk about every 3 hours(a little longer if I kept it covered with saran wrap) followed by aquaphor. This process was just annoying, my face felt very tight, and I looked like packaged lunch meat wrapped up in all that saran wrap. It's now 4 days post treatment and my skin is looking and feeling a lot better, my treatment wasn't nearly as severe as I've seen in some of the youtube videos, thankfully. I went in for my follow up appointment where my doctor did microderm abrasion and let me know that the only reason I was still seeing the grid marks was because I don't drink nearly enough water. I'm looking forward to seeing the true results in the coming months, most importantly in my engagement photos, so I will be able to judge if this was all worth it. I mean seriously, it hurt like a MF.
Hello Alana. There are a few factors that can lead to dropping of the inner eye lid after botox to the glabella (for the angry 11's / frown lines). The nerve that enables you to open your upper eyelid is located just under your eyebrow...this distance is different on different people, depending on your structure, how deeply your eyes are set, etc. Generally, we try to avoid injecting less than 1 cm above the brow bone, as botox can trickle down and affect that nerve, thereby reducing the ability to open your eye widely. It could also have been placed properly, but if you massaged the area, laid down within 3 hours, or exercised within 24 hours of the injection, it could have spread past the usual 1 cm spread from the injection site to the nerve. The botox could also have been reconstituted with greater dilution, which also causes more spread of the botox. I've seen this happen when an unauthorized injector decides to steal some botox from their office, dilute it, and use it at botox parties (so beware of these situations). You may want to ask your injector how they reconstitute their botox (as prescribed by Allergan versus more or less concentrated), and which type of botox they used. Dysport (another form of botulinum toxin) tends to spread more than Botox or Xeomin, even if reconstituted at the same concentration. In any case, you may improve the strength of that weakened muscle by using Naphcon A drops (OTC for allergies, at Walgreens) a couple times a day, or the physician at your medspa can prescribe another medication. It will improve, but not completely...eventually, the botox will wear off at the usual time 3-4 months later, and it will recover. And the person at the office is correct that we wait the full two weeks to see the full effect from the initial injection. If your entire brow is lower, and you cannot raise the brow itself, that is due to improper injection of the frontalis (forehead) muscle, which is the only muscle that holds the brows up...so either too many units, or injections too close to the brow. Unfortunately, attempting a botox brow-lift works only on the outer eyebrows and will not help the first type of eyelid dropping. I hope this helps...and best of luck with future injections.
You will continue to age, so there is no permanent solution for wrinkles...just treatment and prevention. Wrinkles around the eyes are due to movement of the muscles of expression, so any of the neuromodulators (Botox, Xeomin, or Dysport) would be appropriate to relax the muscles, and prevent future wrinkles. The effects of these medications is around 3 - 4 months, so you will need to repeat treatments to keep the wrinkles at bay. Once these muscles are relaxed, it does give your body a chance to repair itself...and there are a few options to help stimulate your own collagen production to fill these wrinkles. After performing 10,000 treatments, I have seen fabulous results with the CO2 fractional laser treatment of the eye area. You do need to be patient, as results can take up to 6-9 months to appear, with thickening and tightening of the delicate eye skin. I find adding PRP to the CO2 laser speeds up recovery and results. I often recommend this treatment before injecting dermal fillers in hollow tear troughs. Other treatments, which are more superficial, with less down time, are available. For people with instantaneous tightening, with continuing results, I recommend the Pelleve radiofrequency treatment. I have used this effectively for the upper lid as well. Microneedling is also another treatment for this area (and the rest of the face, neck, and decollete) with a day of down time; this treatment could also be combined with PRP for added benefit. Multiple monthly treatments of both of these are recommended, as they are more superficial in their benefits. And, of course, protect your investment with appropriate eye skin products between procedures. I recommend PCA Skin eye cream or gel, which have a retinol especially formulated for the sensitive eye area (upper and lower lid), that stimulates collagen production. Wear sunglasses and reading glasses (or increase the font on your phone) to prevent unnecessary squinting. Change the way you insert contact lenses (or get Lasik). Wear different types of goggles when you swim; control your allergies, etc.
