They’re one of the first signs of aging. Crow’s feet, those tiny lines that form at the outer corners of the eyes, can appear as soon as the early thirties, making you appear older than you are. Fortunately, patients who want to minimize the look of crow’s feet and other fine lines on the face now have options. At Beauty 2.0 Aesthetics in Port Moody, BC, an injectable medication called Xeomin. Xeomin for crows feet is a great choice for patients looking to smooth over these tiny lines for a fresher, more youthful look.
What is Xeomin?
This anti-aging treatment combats fine lines by preventing the contraction of facial muscles. The injectable treatment, which contains botulinum toxin type A, is very similar to Botox. Both Xeomin and Botox are neuromodulators. This means they affect the path of nerve signals, preventing those signals from reaching the facial muscles and contracting them. And because the facial muscles are unable to fully contract, this treatment makes crow’s feet and other facial lines less noticeable. Patients who have had the treatment have smoother, more relaxed faces.
How Does This Treatment Differ From Botox?
Although Botox has been around longer and is more well known, the two injectables function in much the same way and both deliver results that last three to four months. The key difference between the two lies in their chemical formulation. Xeomin has just a single ingredient: botulinum toxin A. Botox contains botulinum toxin as well as several additives and proteins. The single-ingredient formulation of Xeomin means it’s less likely to cause an allergic reaction and patients will be less likely to develop a resistance to it after repeated treatments.
Can You Use Xeomin for Crow’s Feet?
This injectable is especially effective at treating frown lines between the eyebrows, but yes, you use Xeomin for crows feet too, furrowed brows, bunny lines on the nose, and just about any other line that’s been caused by repeated facial movements and expressions. Some patients also turn to this injectable if they’ve been using Botox for years and have developed a resistance to it. If you’ve been using Botox to address crow’s feet but are starting to notice those treatments decline in effectiveness, this treatment may be an option for you to try.
Why Are Crow’s Feet Such a Problem?
Crow’s feet can be frustrating because they often show up earlier in life and appear deeper and more pronounced than other fine facial lines. This is because the skin is thin and delicate in that area of the face. The fact that there are no oil glands around the eyes is also a factor. As a result, when the elasticity in the skin surrounding the eye starts to decline with age, the skin is unable to keep bouncing back. Crow’s feet typically start at the outer corners of the eyes and reach up to the temples.
What Causes Crow’s Feet?
There are several causes of crow’s feet. Repeated squinting, smiling, and other habitual facial expressions that involve squinching the eyes can lead to fine lines over time. So can habitually sleeping on your side, which can cause your facial skin to pull and stretch on the pillowcase. Sun exposure also contributes to crow’s feet in a couple of different ways.
Repeated sun exposure causes photoaging: essentially a weathering of the skin. Sun exposure also increases the number of free radicals in the skin that can damage cells and lead to aging. Incorporating antioxidants into your skincare regimen can help fight free radicals.
What Can I Do to Prevent Crow’s Feet?
It’s hard to prevent crow’s feet entirely, but there are lifestyle steps you can take to reduce their severity, including drinking plenty of water and eating a healthy diet, wearing hats and UV protective sunglasses, and using an eye cream and skin cream that contains SPF. A daily skincare regimen that includes regular cleansing, exfoliating, and moisturizing will also help keep the skin around the eye — and the overall face — in good shape. These treatments, which are both convenient and non-invasive, are a great way to smooth over crow’s feet and keep them from deepening.
Who is a Good Candidate for This Injection?
Xeomin for crows feet is safe for use on a wide range of patients, but there are several signs that you may be a particularly good candidate for this injectable.
You’re Ready to Turn Back the Clock
Whether you’re worried solely about crow’s feet or you have fine lines in other parts of the face, Xeomin for crows feet injectable treatment can rejuvenate your appearance. Patients who have undergone these treatments look more youthful and relaxed. They also say they feel more self-confident and better about their overall appearance.
You Want to Fight the First Signs of Aging
Many patients associate these injectable treatments with mature skin in need of repair. But increasingly, younger patients who are just starting to notice the first lines around their eyes are seeking treatment. By starting early and making botulinum injections a regular part of their skincare regimen, young patients are working to prevent additional lines from forming.
You Want a Convenient Treatment
Everyone wants to look and feel their best, but not everyone can commit to the time and expense associated with plastic surgery. One of the great things about a botulinum injection is that it’s quick and easy and can be completed in the comfort of our office.
These injections involve no surgery and no downtime. Many patients schedule their appointments during their lunch hour or during other breaks in the day, and then get right back to their schedule afterward.
You’re Realistic About the Outcome
The ideal patient is someone who wants to achieve a more youthful and refreshed appearance but who also understands that the treatment won’t make them look 18 again. Patients should also be emotionally stable enough to handle the changes and improvements that your face will undergo.
Your Skin Is Healthy
Botulinum injections are safe for men and women who are at least 18 years of age and who have healthy skin of any tone, color, or type. Patients who have an infection or swelling in the area around the injection site will be advised to postpone treatment. In addition, patients who are breastfeeding or pregnant, or who have neurological diseases, should not receive these injections without a doctor’s approval.
You’ve Built Up Resistance to Botox
If you’ve started to notice that your Botox treatments are not as effective as they once were, it might be time to try a different injection. Xeomin is considered a “naked” neurotoxin, meaning it is formulated entirely out of botulinum toxin A with no additives or proteins. Its pure formulation means patients are less likely to develop a resistance to it. If you think it may be time to find a Botox alternative, we can work with you to determine whether this particular injectable is the best one for you to move to.
You Have Dynamic Wrinkles
The lines and wrinkles that are most responsive to this type of treatment are what are known as dynamic wrinkles. Dynamic wrinkles are those that are formed by repeated facial expressions and movements like smiling, squinting, or furrowing the brow. Static wrinkles, which are lines associated with aging and sun exposure, respond better to other forms of treatment.
You Have Other Cosmetic Issues That Injections Can Address
Botulinum injections, although best known for their wrinkle-fighting capabilities, can be used to address other cosmetic concerns as well. They are sometimes used, for example, to perk up the corners of a droopy smile. They have also been used to sculpt soft jawlines and resolve gummy smiles.
What Is the Treatment Process?
If you’re interested in a botulinum treatment, the first step will be for you to schedule a consultation in our office, where we’ll review your medical history, the medications you are taking, and your goals for treatment. We’ll work with you to determine whether this type of injection will best meet your needs. After your consultation, it’s just a matter of scheduling your treatment.
What to Expect During Your Appointment
We’ll begin your treatment by cleaning the injection site with a mild cleanser. We may also mark the area that is being treated. We’ll then use an ultra-fine needle to inject the botulinum. On some patients, two or three injections may be needed to cover the treatment area. The injections are quick and easy and feel like a series of quick pinpricks. We may apply ice and pressure afterward to cool the treatment area.
Who Will Perform My Treatment?
Your treatment will be overseen by Dr. Diane Finding, our medical director. Dr. Finding has been practicing medicine for more than 25 years. More than 16 of those years have been spent offering non-invasive cosmetic treatments, including botulinum injections and dermal fillers.
What Happens After Treatment?
Patients are asked not to rub or manipulate the injection site immediately following their treatment. Aside from that limitation, you’ll be able to get right back to your schedule after treatment, reapplying your makeup immediately if you wish. The effects of the treatment usually start to appear in three to five days, and the final results should be apparent within 10 days.
Questions and Answers
Curious to learn more about this type of botulinum injection? Here are answers to questions we commonly get.
Will This Treatment Give Me a Plastic Look?
During the early days of botulinum injections, when practitioners were still learning how to administer them, repeat patients occasionally developed a plastic look when too much botulinum left them without as much natural muscle movement.
Today’s practitioners — and our team in particular — know how to deliver a balanced treatment that includes enough toxin to ease lines and wrinkles but not so much that the face takes on an unnatural look. If you’re worried about developing a frozen look after treatment, be sure to raise this concern during your consultation so we can talk about the steps we’ll take to avoid this.
How Were Botulinum Injections Developed?
These injections, which are essentially powerful muscle relaxers, were initially developed for non-cosmetic purposes. In fact, this injectable treatment is still used to treat medical conditions including excessive underarm sweating, uncontrolled drooling, and blepharospasm, a condition that involves eyelid spasms or uncontrolled blinking.
Come See Us
Are you unhappy with what you see in the mirror? Would you like to turn back the clock by smoothing over crow’s feet and other fine lines on your face? An injectable botulinum treatment will give you the rejuvenated look you’re in search of with no downtime and no surgery. Call Beauty 2.0 Aesthetics in Port Moody, British Columbia, Canada and schedule a Xeomin for crows feet consultation today.
