As far as beauty treatments go – botox certainly enjoys a certain “cult-like” status or popularity if you will, amongst celebrities (that’s if they admit to it!) and in the media at large. That does not mean it’s for everyone, though. In fact, a lot of people cringe incredibly hard at the idea of poking needles into our faces in order to “freeze” time – for multiple reasons. Some simply don’t like the thought of needles, others don’t like the connotation surrounding injectables, and others simply don’t see the point – Botox is temporary after all and is a treatment that wears off after 3-4 months, therefore, requiring regular upkeep.
Most of us have that friend who is vehemently opposed to injectables and wants to age as naturally as possible. For others, there is also the very real concern of looking too “done”, unnatural or too frozen. Whilst it is possible to find a practitioner who errs on the side of caution and will not leave us unable to move the face – some people just do not like the idea of paralysing a muscle and are worried about it restricting movement, a very real concern.
Ok, so what about Botox alternatives? Upgrading your skincare can only take you so far, and whilst that is a fantastic place to start, some people look to treat some serious frown lines and retinol alone simply isn’t going to cut it. So, for those who want to get rid of those pesky lines around the eyes but are wary of going the injectable route – Read on to discover some viable botox alternative treatments that give similar skin rejuvenating results whilst taking care of the smile lines, without freezing our faces. We had a chat with our beauty supplier friends, The Global Beauty Group, to get the lowdown on some needle-free alternatives to check out.
Skin Needling
When we said needle-free, that wasn’t entirely true – however, we do encourage you to read on before making any judgments because, despite the scary name, skin needling treatments are not invasive and not nearly as intimidating as one might think…
No doubt, during the rise of covid and the increasing interest in skincare and at-home options, many skin-enthusiasts will be familiar with Dermarolling, the process of using a hand-held roller to increase skin hydration and boosting the absorption and efficacy of your skincare products. Professional skin needling or micro needling (sometimes referred Collagen Induction Therapy, or CIT for short) treatments are the big-sister or adult version of using a dermaroller at home. It is the same premise, however, the professional version utilises a micro needle pen or skin needling device with professional-grade needles that penetrate the skin at a much deeper level and at a faster rate.
Whilst derma rolling is great for the long-term health of your skin and will help with overall tone and texture – to actually impact the skin enough to deal with concerns such as deep lines and wrinkles, that is where micro needling steps in.
A wildly versatile treatment, micro needling is an increasingly popular alternative to more invasive options such as laser resurfacing and is a great option for people wanting results without the heavy downtime associated with more invasive procedures or those wanting to avoid injectables. Due to its advanced clinical outcomes, micro needling is without a doubt one of the most in-demand and sought after minimally invasive treatments currently on the market.
Performed with a micro needling pen or skin needling device, it works by using small to puncture the skin barrier, creating tiny micro wounds, which then trigger a healing response within the body. During the regeneration process, new collagen growth is stimulated, resulting in smoother, younger-looking skin.
As opposed to Botox, micro needling also encourages overall skin rejuvenation and increases the production levels of elastin and collagen. It also works to volumise and plump the complexion, strengthening the skin barrier and boosting skin elasticity. As the new collagen is produced and dispersed, wrinkles appear less deep, fine lines are reduced, pitted skin fills in, texture irregularities become less noticeable, acne scars fade, and stretch marks become smoother. Music to our ears!!
Treatments are fast, with clients usually requiring 4-6 treatments, depending on their individual needs. Patients are numbed topically with an anesthetic prior, making the treatment tolerable with minimal discomfort experienced.
Plasma Treatments
Another treatment increasing in popularity is Plasma Technology. Again, this is an extremely versatile and relatively non-invasive procedure that offers tightening, smoothing and overall rejuvenation for areas of the face. As an anti-aging and rejuvenation treatment, Plasma has grown increasingly popular over the past few years, with thousands of treatments being performed every year worldwide!
It works by using a Plasma Pen tiny electrical charge (called a flash) to deliver energy to the superficial skin cells, changing the targeted area from a solid gas state without damaging the surrounding tissue. Similar to skin needling, Plasma treatments work by initiating a wound-healing response within the skin, stimulating the fibroblast cells to produce more collagen and thus working to repair the skin.
During the natural aging process, we slowly start to produce less collagen within our bodies. As we get older, the elastin in the skin fibres wears out, and the dermal layer thins, – this is what results in the skin sagging and becoming loose, as well as forming wrinkles, including those pesky fine lines around eyes and the side of the mouth.
Plasma Skin Rejuvenation treatments are designed to stimulate cells to produce more collagen and repair the targeted areas, resulting in plumper, tighter, younger-looking skin. The treatment causes an immediate contraction of the collagen fibres, causing it to reformulate new collagen and renew the epidermal tissue. New collagen continues to generate for 4-6 weeks after treatment, resulting in lifted and smoother skin.
Plasma non-surgical eyelift can be used to tighten and improve the appearance of the area surrounding the eye, including upper eyelids and lower eyelids. Treatments target loose, sagging skin, drooping eyelids, expression lines and “crows feet”, undereye bags and puffiness. Again, this is a fabulous option for those not wanting to go down the injectable route – plus there are added rejuvenation benefits that botox alone doesn’t achieve.
During treatment, visible smoke will appear as a result of the sublimation process. A crust on the treatment area will develop and dissipate within a week, leaving no bruising or scarring. Plasma treatments can tighten the skin on both the face body and neck, lift drooping eyelids and smooth out fine lines and wrinkles. Results are dramatic, with many clients achieving their desired result after a single treatment.
Radio Frequency Skin Tightening
As a final alternative for those wanting to avoid Botox, another effective option is Radio Frequency skin tightening. Fantastic for targeting fine lines and wrinkles resulting from loose or sagging skin, RF treatments work by delivering wavelengths of energy and heat at specific depths to deliver a controlled thermal injury to the targeted area. This triggers the healing response within the body, stimulating collagen production to provide needed structure and elasticity, thus targeting the visible signs of ageing. Radio Frequency treatments work to lift, tighten, smooth and revitalise problem areas – another fantastic option that yields extra rejuvenation benefits instead of the short-term fix offered by Botox alone– .
Interested in finding out more about the treatments mentioned in this article or wanting to find a treatment specialist your area? To learn more contact beauty supplier, The Global Beauty Group on 1300 006 607 to find a treatment specialist in your area.
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