INFO
CAN BOTOX/DERMAL FILERS HELP RESTORE FACIAL BALANCE IN BELL’S PALSY PATIENTS
Bell’s palsy, a form of temporary facial paralysis, can cause a person to feel very self-conscious. Today’s extensive line of facial injectables like Botox and dermal fillers can actually help those with Bell’s palsy to achieve a more symmetrical facial appearance.
A Brief Explanation of Bell’s Palsy
Bell’s palsy usually results from damage or trauma to facial nerves, which direct muscles on the face that control eye blinking, smiling, frowning, and many other tasks. As soon as a facial nerve is disrupted, the brain can’t effectively send messages to the facial muscles, and facial weakness or paralysis occurs. A person with Bell’s palsy can be recognized by the drooping of certain features on one side, or rarely both sides, of the face. There are about 40,000 Americans each year that struggle with Bell’s palsy. The condition affects one side of the face, cosmetically. “The impact over time causes asymmetry and disfigurement of faces and facial expressions; therefore, both sides of the face are often treated to preserve facial balance.”
There can be physical, emotional and social changes, which can impact a person’s daily life. Social interactions can be daunting, especially with people who knew the patient when her or his appearance was considered “normal.” Botox and dermal fillers can be used to improve facial symmetry, easing the lifestyle changes that come with such a diagnosis.
Dermal fillers are a great way to help balance out facial volume loss and create symmetry.
How does botulinum toxin-A (Botox, Jeuveau, Dysport) Help?
As you probably know, botulinum toxin-A is an injectable that helps minimize and reverse wrinkles that become etched into the skin over many years of frowning, smiling, and squinting. In the cosmetic realm, it is most popular for eliminating crow’s feet, horizontal forehead lines, and vertical frown lines. botulinum toxin-A
works its magic using a highly purified toxin that actually temporarily subdue movement on the unharmed side of the face, a person with Bell’s palsy can enjoy a more symmetrical appearance when making facial movements and expressions.
How do Dermal Fillers Help?
The face might begin to look like it has lost volume, and the lips may look asymmetrical. Facial fillers like Juvederm and Restylane can solve that problem by adding that volume back into the skin. These dermal fillers are made with different ingredients that temporarily plump the skin and the lips for a fuller appearance.
With a careful trial and error system, any Bell’s palsy patient can reclaim a symmetrical appearance and feel more confident going out in public.
DO I HAVE TO WEAR SUNSCREEN AND WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF THE SUN?
There is nothing more damaging to the skin than the sun and it’s ultraviolet UV light and the tanning beds. 80 to 85% of the symptoms of aging skin are caused by the accumulation of damaging rays from the sun. A tan is actually a sign of skin damage. Skin cells that have been damaged by ultraviolet (UV) radiation produce more of the pigment melanin and that is what produces the tan. Indoor tanning beds most commonly use ultraviolet bulbs that emit predominantly UV-A rays. Unfortunately, UV-A rays penetrate more deeply into the skin cause more damage and age much faster. When UV rays reach your skin, they damage cells in the epidermis causing premature aging.
As we age the collagen and elastin fibers of the skin naturally weekend and this weakening happens at a much faster rate when the skin is frequently exposed to the UV light without proper protection. UVA rays also known as aging rays weaken the collagen and elastin fibers causing a wrinkling and sagging of the tissue. It’s the number one cause of the appearance of hyper pigmentation, lots of wrinkle areas including areas not the normal facial expression, and sagging from the damage to the elastic fibers. The skin looks older and leathery than it should and this doesn’t just able to the face, the skin is your entire body!!!!
The number one way to prevent premature skin aging is to use a broad spectrum sunscreen which protects against both UVA and UVB rays everyday even on cloudy days and complete staying out of tanning beds.
MICRO-NEEDLING & PRF AFTER CARE INSTRUCTIONS
Post care includes no aggressive products for 72 hours after treatment and SPF of at least 30 shall be worn when outdoors. Immediately after your Micro-Needling procedure, may apply HA and sunscreen topically. Do not take any anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen, Motrin or Advil. These agents will interfere with the natural inflammatory process that is critical and responsible for your skin rejuvenation. Avoid sun tanning and prolonged exposure to direct sunlight. When exposed to sun, always use sun screen SPF 30 or above. You may clean your face with a gentle cleanser before bed.Redness or sensitivity might be present (and last up to a few days).• Use Tylenol only as needed for any soreness.• Use a clean pillow case for 3 nights following your procedure• Clean all your makeup brushes, glasses, or anything that will touch your face• Eat fresh pineapple to optimize healing.• Avoid strenuous exercise or sweating for 24 hours due to open pores.• Avoid sun exposure for 3 days and if possible 10 days. Apply a minimum of SPF30 every 2 hours.• May use mineral makeup after 24 hours.• Restart regular skin care regimen in 48 hours and Retin-A in 72 hours.• Recommend follow up and repeat treatments in 4 weeks and for best results aseries of 3–5 treatments.
Day 1: If you are doing PRF with your treatment, it is best to leave the PRF on the skin for at least 8 hours. On the next day, you may clean your face with the approved skin cleanser, HA and other topical products as approved by your provider. Stay away from exfoliants or glycolic acids that are present as these can make your skin very dry after the procedure. Be sure to use an approved SPF 30 or greater sunscreen! Days 2-7: Within two (2) days following your Micro-Needling procedure, you may notice skin dryness and flaking. This is due to an increased turnover of skin cells. During this period, you may apply your regular skin moisturizer. Follow the instructions given to you by your medical professional. You may have a little micro bruising that may exist for three or four days. This can easily be covered with makeup. Days later, your skin will start shedding. These are skin layers that would regularly shed a week later, but the Micro-Needling brings this skin to the surface sooner. During this temporary process, your skin will shed and be dry. You may use your regular skin care products once your skin is not irritated.Days 7+: A week after the Micro-Needling procedure, most patients notice that their skin is smoother and more radiant. Continue with sun protection every day and reapply every 2 hours if outdoors.
PRF AFTER CARE INSTRUCTIONS What to Expect after PRF Injections: You will have some swelling from the plasma that was injected, however, this swelling will subside and begin stimulating collagen production to the area. Immediately following the procedure, the most commonly reported temporary side effects are redness, swelling, bruising, tenderness, tingling, numbness, lumpiness, and/or a feeling of pressure or fullness at the injection sites and/or in the treated area(s). Cold gel packs/ice may be applied immediately after treatment to reduce swelling.To Maximize Results and Prevent Complications: Avoid scrubbing the injection sites for at least 4 hours. Starting on the evening of the treatment and for the next several days; wash your face gently with a mild cleanser. After several days, you may return to your regular skin care routine. Avoid direct high heat (e.g. blow dryer, sun, sauna, steam room, very hot shower, hot yoga, strenuous exercise, etc.) until the morning after treatment. To Maximize Results: For a minimum of 5 hours after the PRF has been applied to your skin, do NOT: wash your skin, expose the treated area/s to direct high heat, or engage in activities that will get you wet or cause you to sweat (e.g. blow dryer, sun exposure, sauna, steam room, Jacuzzi, very hot shower, hot yoga, strenuous exercise, etc.) After PRF Application, we may apply a topical antibiotic ointment or other soothing / healing ointment (e.g. Aquafor), hyaluronic acid and Micro Serum / Creams (that nourishes new collagen) and then, Aquafor healing ointment or antibiotic ointment as needed. Also, use an SPF 30 sun block each morning until healed. Avoid makeup for at least 24-48 hours and until healed. You may return to your regular skin care routine when healed.
TIPS AND TRICKS CAN YOU EAT, USE, AND DO PRIOR TO A TREATMENT AS TO IMPEDE BRUISING?
I do everything as your injector to help prevent and avoid bruising, including the application of ice, pacing the injection, and how I hold pressure post injection. There are also things you can do prior to any Botox or filler injection abs treatments that will help as well. Here is a quick list you can refer to prior to treatment:
One week prior to injections avoid the following medications/supplements: aspirin, NSAIDs (Ibuprofen, Aleve, Motrin etc.), St. John’s Wort, Vitamin E, Multivitamins, Krill Oil, Fish Oils, Flaxseed Oils, Omega-3, Gingko, Ginseng, Garlic and Glucosamine
Eat FRESH pineapple, as it contains bromelain that has been known to decrease bruising. You can also take bromelain supplements 2 weeks prior to injections.
Start taking Arnica tablets 5 days prior to injection.
No alcohol consumption 2 days prior to injections
PINEAPPLE
Pineapple Is a Fruit That’s Rich in Vitamin C
“The standout nutrient in pineapple is vitamin C, which supports the immune system and provides antioxidant benefits.
Vitamin C is important because it encourages growth and healing around the body and plays a role in everything from wound repair to iron absorption.
Pineapple Is Packed with Disease-Fighting pineapple is a great source of antioxidants, specifically phenolics, flavonoids, and vitamin C. “Antioxidants are compounds in food that may help fight inflammation and free radicals in the body.
Pineapple Fits in an Anti-Inflammatory
They can help reduce the amount of inflammation in the body, pineapple’s bromelain content is the reason for its anti-inflammatory properties.
COULD BOTOX, JEUVEAU, DYSPORT CONTRIBUTE TO AGING?
Botox is not anti-agin but anti-muscle so what it can do is mask the problem of aging due to collagen loss, loss of structural support that comes from the muscle and bone. Muscle holds up the skin. Botox and like products are not going to work in that type of environment it will stop muscle movement and you look younger for a month or two but without structural support and addressing collagen loss it can mask the problem to the point where it won’t last as long or will no longer work. (Now imagine being recommended to use even more units 😱)
Toxins paralyzing slow down down muscle movement and causes muscle atrophy shrinking, thinning of muscle. Shrinking of the muscle can be a good thing since you need less Botox like products on your subsequent visits if you stay up on it but it’s a bad thing in some areas. Muscle have volume what do young people have? Volume. Treating the lower face to slim it can overtime cause more sagging due to Muscle atrophy.
Your injector should be recommending the lowest amount of botulinum toxin possible to get the results you want, also having movement and facial expressions is not a bad thing. We want to relax not freeze, subtle and natural looking is the goal.
Also long-term users of one brand who have developed an “immunity” to the product should switch to another one to get better results.
I recommended Bio Stimulators (PRF Gel/Vampire Facials). Read more in the comments! It should be 80% bio stimulators and 20 % toxin The less Botox and filler and more Bio stimulaters the younger you look. Don’t get me wrong I love Botox and filler but it shouldn’t be the only thing you use, it has to work in harmony with other treatments to produce the best results of young healthy looking skin.
Part of the responsibility lies upon the patient not to smoke, consume lots of alcohol, less sun exposure and wearing SPF, keeping a health diet, taking supplements, drinking lots of water, exercising, keeping up with a good skincare and using a LED mask.
LIQUID FACELIFT WITH BIO PLASMA FILLER, ONE OF MY MOST FAVORITE TREATMENTS AND HERE IS WHY
Understand the aging process
Changes to the skin, fat, muscle, and bone are all part of the natural facial aging process. When one of these layers begin to change, a domino effect starts changing the other layers.
Aging skin naturally loses collagen, elasticity, and volume. The dermis thins and the fibroblast population declines, reducing the production of collagen and hyaluronic acid. As collagen decreases skin laxity and wrinkling become apparent. Our skin also loses moisture because the hydrophilic hyaluronic acid concentration declines.Consequently, the dermis loses turgidity, resulting in volume loss and unesthetic changes.Collagen is the main structural protein found in the skin. As we age, the dermis (the middle layer of skin) thins due to collagen loss. Starting at the age of 20 collagen production drops around 1% in the dermis per year, and by the mid-30s the decrease is visible via a duller complexion, thinner skin and wrinkles. Collagen depletion speeds up in women during menopause. There is no way to estimate exactly how much collagen is lost at a given age because many factors play into its depletion. Someone with a diet high in sugar that smokes and spends lots of time in the sun will have less healthy collagen than someone who uses proper skincare, eats a well-balanced diet and maintains a healthy lifestyle. Elastin, which helps your skin “bounce back” also thins with age. Without it’s ability to maintain structure, thinning skin forms and retains wrinkles and imprinted lines more easily.
As we age, the organized groups of fat in the face (known as fat pads) begin to shrink and fall. This causes the fat pads to shift around, and make bony features, lines, and wrinkles more visible. This is most commonly observed under the eyes as “bags” begin to form with age.
As our fat pads begin to fall, our skull is also changing shape. The craniofacial skeleton changes because of bone expansion and bone resorption. The resorption of bone causes it to thin, removing structural support for the overlying tissues. This loss of support is characterized by sagging and droopy skin. This is commonly observed around the eyes, as the bone shape transforms from oval to square, or in the jawline as it elongates and loses its prominence.
In order to rejuvenate a face we need concentrate PRF & Albumin (Albumin is the most abundant circulating protein which carries various substances throughout your body, including hormones, vitamins, and enzymes),
The wound healing brings 0.5% to 0.2% Mesenchymal Stem Cells which mobilizes Growth and Stem cells most commonly from peripheral blood, unbiblical cord, fat and bone marrow, (can self-renew by dividing and can differentiate into multiple tissues including bone, cartilage, muscle and fat cells, and connective tissue).Fat Cells yield the highest levels of autologous mesenchymal Stem cells found in the adipose tissue (Fat) along with growth factors. The wound healing will regenerate new fat cells from the stem cells and build new fat pads along with cell new growth collagen production, blood vessels, promote epithelial cell growth (Epithelial cells are a type of cell that lines the surfaces of your body), angiogenesis (the formation of new blood vessels), growth and new generation of keratinocytes (an epidermal cell which produces keratin), ascular endothelial and endothelial cells (Signals from endothelial cells organize the growth and development of connective tissue cells that form the surrounding layers of the blood-vessel wall). Stimulating collagenesis and hyaluronic acid content within aging skin will overcome these changes.
That means your skin will be naturally reproducing itself for months after the injections.
I suggest a course of 3 sessions with a 4-week interval. The results last for about 2 years after the 3rd session if it is combined with PRF serum injections.