How Much Movement Should You Expect After Anti-wrinkle Treatment

Anti-wrinkle injecting is a flourishing industry that is growing in popularity. The popularity of anti-wrinkle injections in Australia has grown more than 14% since 30 May 2022. Wanting to look youthful and wrinkle-free is not a new concept; it’s centuries old! Before cosmetic procedures became available, people used makeup to look younger (think ancient Egypt).

In the past, some people were hesitant to speak openly about cosmetic procedures. Both women and men were cagey about cosmetic procedures and—instead—attributed their youthful appearance to genetics or a skincare regimen (yep, believable … not!). All that is changing, and over the past couple of decades, non-invasive cosmetic enhancements have become more common and normalized.

Can I hear a collective yay?! So, if you’re considering anti-wrinkle injections, you certainly aren’t alone – no matter your age!

What is anti-wrinkle injecting, and how does it work?

Let’s get back to basics with what anti-wrinkle treatment does and how it works. It was first approved for cosmetic procedures in 2002 and has been used since the late 1980s for relaxing eye muscles and treating eye conditions. According to The Mayo Clinic: “Botox injections use a toxin called onobotulinumtoxinA to temporarily prevent a muscle from moving. All brands of anti-wrinkle do the same thing. They temporarily weaken or paralyze facial muscles or by blocking nerves. For cosmetic injections, it’s used to lessen the appearance of wrinkles by weakening the treated facial muscles. When anti-wrinkle is injected into muscles, while your brain will still send messages to your body to move the muscles, anti-wrinkle blocks the message from your brain to your body and keeps the muscles from moving.

Right, that’s the science part done. What should you (realistically) expect after after anti-wrinkle injection treatment?

Somewhere between two days and two weeks, you will notice movement where you’ve been injected will be restricted. This timeframe is entirely normal, so try not to judge the effectiveness of results until the two-week mark. Think of it this way: if you see a 90% improvement within a couple of days, the remaining 10% will show effect in up to two weeks. One of my patients told me she could tell when the anti-wrinkle has started to work because she finds it more challenging to put her mascara on because she can’t raise her eyebrows as much as she had been able to pre-injection. Anti-wrinkle isn’t permanent, so it isn’t a life-long cure for wrinkles! Like any treatment, the effects will start to wear off. However, it will be a more permanent solution to removing wrinkles if you return for injections every three to five months.

The bigger the muscle, the faster you’ll notice movement return. And for smaller muscles, it will take longer for movement to return.

And it’s essential to know and be aware that you shouldn’t be aiming for no movement in your treated areas. No movement – at all – in a forehead gives the appearance of a frozen face. It can also lead to eye droop, which no one wants! In the scenario, you’re having your forehead treated with anti-wrinkle injections. Post-treatment (and after about two weeks), you should still be able to frown and raise your eyebrows. But the movement should be restricted. After 6-8 weeks post-injection, you may notice some additional movement. Regaining some movement is entirely normal as the anti-wrinkle metabolizes.

Slight movement does not mean you must return to your injector to top up your anti-wrinkle. Generally speaking, your treatment will last about three to four months.

Finally, and most importantly, whether you’re considering anti-wrinkle injections for the first time—or even if you’ve been treated for years—movement with no lines is the ideal result.

So, anti-wrinkle has done its job if you’re still fully expressive and seeing/feeling movement but have fewer or no wrinkles!