The pharmaceutical substance, botulinum toxin, has greatly enhanced the possibilities of aesthetic medicine in the past few years.  

In botulinum toxin we have an effective substance with which specific mimetic muscles can be weakened, allowing us to target unwanted wrinkles and eliminate them.

Dr. Dr. Muggenthaler has had many years of experience of administering botulinum toxin. As a specialist in facial plastic surgery, he has detailed knowledge of the anatomy of the face and the interrelation of all mimetic muscles. As an aesthetic, he has a very clear understanding of the ideal proportions of the face. This is basis for the successful application of botulinum toxin.

Experience with the administration of Botulinum toxin

Since 1982 botulinum toxin has been very successfully used for the treatment of abnormal muscle contractions, e.g. for a crooked neck, for strabismus (crossed eyes) and for irritating twitches of the eyelid.

Since about 1995, botulinum toxin has been increasingly used in aesthetic medicine, too. To date, when used correctly, no serious side-effects or complications are known.

Both in the treatment of medical conditions and in aesthetic medicine, new applications are constantly being discovered where botulinum toxin is proving highly effective.  Thanks to this medication, migraines, problems with emptying the bladder and excessive sweating can be treated in many cases.

The effective substance botulinum toxin is produced by bacteria (clostridium botulinum) and isolated in a complex cleansing process. Botulinum toxin prevents the transfer of stimuli from the nerve endings to the muscle fibers. This creates localized paralysis. In the region of the face, the muscles therefore relax and wrinkles are smoothed. After about four to six months the body re-establishes the original function of transferring stimuli and the mimetic function returns. Since the majority of facial wrinkles are created by facial expressions, many wrinkles can be specifically eliminated or reduced with botulinum toxin.

Particularly harmonious and long lasting results can be achieved by combining with supplementary wrinkle fillers (e.g. hyaluronic acid).

After about four to six months, the body repairs the interruptions to the stimuli and the normal muscle contractions gradually return.

 

 

Treatment begins with a detailed analysis of the face. The decisive factors for a natural facial expression are, in addition to wrinkles, the basic facial expression and the general proportions of the face, too.  As all the expressive muscles of the face are indirectly linked, weakening one area often has an effect on more distant areas of the face. This is taken into account during our detailed analysis when we also discuss with you your wishes and the options available.

On the basis of the facial analysis, the points are marked where the muscles are to be weakened. This is documented in a photograph, in order to be able to present the precise correlation between the treatment and the effect later.

 
Botulinum toxin is injected using a very fine needle. The pain of the injection is minimal, so that local anesthesia is not necessary. Occasionally a small localized bruise may occur at the point of injection.

The “classical” areas of application of botulinum toxin are for the vertical lines between the eyebrows (frown lines), the lines radiating from the sides of the eyes (crow’s-feet) and the horizontal lines on the forehead. In addition, many other lines can be brought under control, such as at the side of and under the nose, on the lower eyelids, on the cheeks and corners of the mouth and on the neck. If all the muscles pulling the face downwards are accurately and harmoniously weakened with botulinum toxin, the result is a “lifting effect” which can be particularly effective in younger patients.

 

The treatment begins to show an effect after about two to three days, whereby the maximum effect is only to be seen after about two weeks. Weakening the expressive muscles results in a prolonged smoothing of wrinkles. The successful effect of the treatment lasts for about four to six months.

Treatment with botulinum toxin can be repeated as many times as desired.

 

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