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Anti-Ageing for Men: What Doses?

In this blog we answer one of your most frequently asked questions, anti-ageing for men.anti ageing for men cosmetic courses

Question :

Dear Cosmetic Courses,

Please can you let me know the recommended doses for administering Botox to men? 

Answer :

Thank you for your email. We generally recommend you add 40% more Botox at each injecting site for men.

This will depend on how heavy you feel their muscles are. If you feel they have more than average muscle bulk, adjust this to 50% and if they are finer featured add 30%.

Unlimited support

Alongside our aesthetic training we also offer unlimited support to our delegates. Our team are always on hand to answer any questions or concerns you may have in regards to aesthetic medicine and your aesthetic business.

Anti-Ageing for men courses

We offer a wide variety of aesthetic medicine courses which cover anti-ageing for men. All of these courses contain theoretical sessions with our expert faculty and treatment practice on live models provided by us. We use a wide mix of models on our courses so you can understand how to treat each patient individually. You can view all of our practical courses here in aesthetic medicine. We also offer an online learning academy which demonstrates popular treatments, you can find out more here. 

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Bruising with Botox: Fake Botox products like Fabtox

Question :

Last week my mum had what she was told was Botox.

She has since found out it was a product called “Fabtox” (which I have never heard of): a bespoke product made up of Vistabel.

Within minutes her eye was swollen up and had started to go purple, now her cheek is swollen down to her chin. She has been to A&E and her GP who can’t do anything.

She had it done down at a dental/cosmetic studio in Shoreham near Brighton.

Have you ever seen anything like it?

Thanks so much

 

Answer :

It sounds as if the injection has hit one of the blood vessels which surrounds your mother’s eye.

The blood then moves inside the orbit and produces the bruise you see.

This bruising will settle over the next couple of weeks but it might be worthwhile asking her to massage Arnica cream into the bruised area daily.

Let us know how she gets on.

It is really very important that you research carefully into where you are going for your Botox treatments and the products which they use.

We hope that your mother gets better soon!

If she would prefer to enrol as a model with us in future, we can promise that we do not use any “Fabtox” products here and all our delegates are medical professionals, closely supervised by expert Aesthetic Practitioners. She can enrol by calling our team on 0845 230 4110 or find comfort in our other models’ testimonials at http://www.facebook.com/CCModels.

The Cosmetic Courses Team

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What units of Azzalure are Equivalent to Botox (in areas other than the Glabellar?)

Question :

Dear Cosmetic Courses,

I have just seen your video on youtube about reconstituting Azzalure and it was very helpful.

I understand the units are not the same as Botox.

Could you point me in the right direction to find what is equivalent?

I have looked at all the Azzalure literature and it looks to me that they are only promoting it for the glabellar area and therefore have only given units for that area.

I am assuming that it is fine for other areas too and wondered if you could give me any guidelines on dosage/units for other areas.

Can you also tell me where you are based.

My initial training was with another leading company. I do a lot of post graduate dental courses and feel I would have preferred a training course that was a bit more professionally presented rather than just a money making machine.

 

 

Answer :

Thanks for your question.

Azzalure,  like Vistabel,  is only licensed for use in the glabellar area.

It is, however, given in other areas – the forehead and crows feet –  like Botox and Vistabel.

I tend to make up a syringe of Azzalure with 1ml of bacteriostatic saline and use like Botox.

Azzalure comes in 125 unit vials which is roughy equivalent to 50 units of Botox or Vistabel.

I hope this helps.

Please feel free to contact us again on 0845 230 4110 if we can be of any further help. We are based at the National Cosmetic Training Centre in Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire.

 

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IHAS register in the UK – will it help reduce Bad Botox practice?

IHAS is the regulation authority for Botox and non-surgical treatments launched by the UK government.

This is supported by a website – “Treatments You Can Trust”.

Under this  voluntary scheme, clinics can register with the IHAS organisation and are then regularly assessed and audited.

Says Mr Adrian Richards (Expert Cosmetic Surgeon and founder of Cosmetic Courses training centre), “Whilst I think regulation is certainly necessary in the industry, my main concern with the IHAS is that it is voluntary.

This means that some clinics will register and others will not, without it being mandatory for any clinic to register.

The paperwork required to register is very extensive and time consuming, and there is a significant cost to a clinic to register.

The government budget for publicising the IHAS scheme is relatively small and I am by no means sure that it is sufficient to adequately publicise the scheme to the general public.”

Mr Richards’ concerns are therefore that the scheme is:

(1) time consuming and costly;

(2) voluntary; and

(3) may not be publicised well not enough to the general public to gain general acceptance.

Cosmetic Courses hope that Mr Richards’ concerns are proven wrong.

Only time will tell whether the IHAS regulation scheme will be an effective way of policing the Botox and Dermal Filler market in the United Kingdom.

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Cosmetic Courses join the Big Beauty Therapist Botox® Training Debate: Should Beauty Therapists be allowed to Inject?

Back in March, The Consulting Rooms’ Ron Myers reported on the medical aesthetic industry’s “hot” controversy: should Beauty Therapists be allowed to inject Botulinum Toxin and Fillers?

Traditionally, as at Cosmetic Courses National Training Centre, training in botulinum toxin and dermal filler treatments has been the exclusive domain of the medically qualified. Cosmetic Courses lists surgeons, registered nurses, opthamologists, doctors, dermatologists, dentists, dental hygienists, dental therapists and certain paramedics amongst its accepted delegates; no mention of Beauty Therapists, despite the hundreds of calls a year from eager candidates.

The logic behind this is strong. To date, the Independent Healthcare Advisory Services’ (IHAS) Treatments You Can Trust Register has refused to provide quality assurance accreditation to cosmetic injectable providers who do not fall into the above job fields. This is typical, Cosmetic Courses Coordinator Rachael Langford confirms, of industry attitudes generally. Insurance is very difficult to obtain to train non-medical delegates in cosmetic injectables and, in our experience, a Beauty Therapist is likely to have a very tough time finding insurance to set up their business afterwards. As Ron Myers points out, the manufacturers and major suppliers themselves of these products do not support their use by non-medically qualified practitioners, which surely speaks volumes.

Many Beauty Therapists are keen to come on botox® training courses, however, and very vocal about their rights to become Medical Aesthetic Practitioners. In such difficult times of economic recession, practitioners from all backgrounds (Myers acknowledges) ‘want to generate an income from this evolving market segment’. As Dr. Phillip Dobson points out,  technically there is nothing illegal about a Beauty Therapist administering botulinum toxin (if a doctor or dentist has signed the scripts for them) and dermal fillers, so long as they do not mislead their patients into believing that they are medically qualified; it all comes down to patient consent. Many Beauty Therapists who telephone Cosmetic Courses argue that they have a better understanding of the skin than, say, a dentist and a number of them have already attended anaphylaxis or resuscitation training. They claim that there is too much “superiority” and “snotty remarks” in the industry and they may have a fair point; even amongst those who are accepted to inject, some Cosmetic and Plastic Surgeons still frown upon Dentists and Nurses who do so. Now an organisation called the CTIA (Cosmetic Treatments and Injectables Association) has been founded to challenge the exclusion of Beauty Therapists from cosmetic injectables, on the understanding that all practitioners should be inspected regularly for quality.

Yet as Dr Samantha Gammell, President Elect of the British Association of Cosmetic Doctors (BACD) maintains:

“A one day training course does not provide non-medically qualified ‘therapists’ with the depth of knowledge required for these types of treatments nor the understanding or skills to deal with the complications that can occasionally arise from them. The public needs to protect themselves by demanding to be treated in a safe medical environment by a competent, well trained cosmetic doctor or a suitable healthcare professional who makes the patients interests his or her first concern. It may be cosmetic but it is still medicine.”

Whilst Cosmetic Courses sympathise with the frustration of Beauty Therapists, founder Mr Adrian Richards emphasises that we fully support the BACD. “At the end of the day,” says Mr Richards, “dermal fillers and botulinum toxin are injectable substances that can cause harm. We believe they should only be used by trained medical professionals with the appropriate training. This is why we set up Cosmetic Courses, to offer the highest standards of training and make every effort to ensure that the safety of patients is of paramount importance.” The Cosmetic Courses team are looking into possible alternative training options for Beauty Therapists rather than injectables, so that they can still support their enthusiasm for the Medical Aesthetics industry…more on this coming soon!

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Botox Testing on Animals Has Now More Than Doubled

Botox and other similar treatments are causing thousands upon thousands of animals a great deal of suffering due to painful deaths.

Recent figures are now showing that mice used in laboratories are now being used invery controversial drug toxicity tests and have now doubled in the European culture between the years of 2005 and 2008 in an increase from 33,000 to 87,000.

In accordance to the leading authorities in the world in regard to animal experiments, thisdramatic rise is best explained by the increase in face lifts.

Experiments on animals being tested for cosmetic reasons have been banned in countries such as Europe. Despite this fact, Botox treatments are now being classified as pharmaceutical medicines. Batches upon batches of Botox are injected into many groups of mice and the increased doses cause over half of the mice to perish.

While some doctors use Botox to treat muscle spasms or chronic sweating problems, Botox is better known for the treatment of wrinkles.

In more recent years, celebrities like Katie Price have undergone Botox treatment.

No animals should have to undergo any suffering for the benefit of the beauty industry nor should they have to endure the painful deaths associated with harmful Botox testing.

As fashionable as Botox is becoming in today’s world now means that there will be more and more tests performed on animals in the near future.

Botox was developed in the United States of America. There are other rival facial lift products such as Azzalure manufactured in Aspen. All Botox products are created from a chemical called botulinum which a deadly toxin.

To test for dilution and potency levels of safe doses, manufacturers use the very controversial LD50 test on animals. This test involves injecting sufficient quantities of this drug which, in turn, kills at least 50 percent of the mice being tested. Most mice given Botox end up suffering severe respiratory problems, paralysis and end up dying from suffocation. The International Humane Society has stated that the SNAP-25 test should be used as an alternative oftootox.

Botox is classified as a medical drug which is licensed for conditions such as blepharospasm, hemifacial spasm, focal spasticity for cerebral palsy, cervical dystonia, upper limb spasticity within adults whom have suffered stroke or heart attack as well as severe axillary hyperhidrosis. Botox has also been used in recently treated chronic migraines within the United Kingdom.

Botox is a dangerous and inhumane procedure that should be banned. For humanity’s sake, we need to take all necessary steps to stop the use of Botox on animals.

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Is Botox Losing the Dermal Filler War?

Starting in May of 2009, a battle broke out between two different kinds of wrinkle smoothing injections. Botox, a product by Allergan which has been the market standard for years, faces a new competitor. This new competitor is Dysport, by Medicis. The facial injection wrinkle treatment industry is a multi-billion dollar section of the market that has traditionally been most heavily driven by Botox. While the economic crash did have an effect on many of the more costlier cosmetic options, it did not seem to have any effect on the sales of Botox. Botox, of course, is not the only facial injection on the market. It was, however, the only muscle paralyzing injection available, with all of the other options working to rejuvenate the skin rather than relax the muscles. Dysport has changed that dynamic. This puts Allergan and Medicis on more equal footing, both companies now offering both a neurotoxin and a dermal filler.

Allergan has responded to this change in the market by creating the “Botox Brilliant Distinctions” program. This program allows customers who purchase treatments from Allergan to redeem points which can be used on other Allergan treatments. Medicis, on the other hand, has created the “Dysport ‘Love it or Leave it Challenge.'” This option allows new customers to try out Dysport and receive a seventy five dollar rebate. They can then decide how much they are satisfied with the treatment, and then after three months they can buy either Botox or Dysport, receiving a second seventy five dollar rebate no matter which of the two options that they choose to go with.

According to Jeffrey Adelglass, the surgery director for SKINTASTIC which is a cosmetic company that runs its operations in Texas, customers are taking advantage of both of these programs, and truly are trying both available products. He says that there are in fact “distinct benefits to each of the treatments; they do behave slightly differently.” The savings are exciting to Adelglass as well, because they mean that his patients have more money available to use on some of his other procedures such as cosmetic laser surgery. Customers should always verify that any one who is injecting anything in to their face is a licensed medical professional and that they have had a great deal of experience with facial injections. Understanding how much experience that they have with the procedures is something that a customer should probably be aware of before they even visit their office.

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How Well Do You Know Botox

Who would have thought that modern medical scientists could tame a substance once called “The most poisonous poison on earth” and harness its power to use for goodness? The miracle of controlling Botox, also called Dysport in the United Kingdom and Ireland has resulted in the successful treatment of voice tremors, urinary incontinence, prostatic disease and even depression. The cosmetic applications extend even further, Botox can help control underarm perspiration, reduce the appearance of wrinkles, lift the eyelids and make lips look fuller. So, what was once seen as a terrible poison is now a miracle drug.

Some people are concerned that Botox injections will give them a glazed, expressionless face, but at the hands of a skilled and realistic practitioner, that’s not likely to happen. Certified and expert physicians who use Botox for cosmetic purposes understand how the cells in the face toned to age and relax over time, and use Botox to work with the body’s natural weak spots, providing a firmer resistance. Properly applied, a patient won’t look fake, plastic or expressionless at all.

Another common misconception about Botox is that it’s toxic. True, it’s derived from a toxic substance, but before being approved for cosmetic purposes, it goes through a rigorous safety process that ensures it’s diluted and that the final injection isn’t strong enough to hurt anyone. In fact, most drugs are derived from toxins. In small amounts, they’re used effectively to treat diseases and disorders. In large amounts, though, they’re dangerous.

Belladonna is an example of this. A relative of the potato plant, Belladonna has been used over the centuries as an aphrodisiac, a poison and as a cosmetic eye drop. Today, ophthalmologist use a formula derived from Belladonna to dilate the patient’s upils for an optometric examination. Once dilated, the doctor can see the retina clearly. So any substance that can be called toxic, can also be diluted in order to work with the body instead of against it. “Everything in moderation,” so the saying goes.

The best thing a client can do, when considering whether or not to use Botox or Dysport, is to discuss the matter with a physician who’s informed and trained in using Botox effectively. When there are so many misconceptions and misconstrued information floating around, it’s no wonder that some of the people who would benefit the most from Botox injections may be afraid to pursue the matter.

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Treating Frown Lines and Facial Wrinkles

Frown lines around your mouth or forehead can make you look tired and older than your age. However, there are methods for preventing and eliminating these wrinkles.

Skin maintains its elasticity with the natural substances of collagen and elastin. However, your body produces less of these chemicals with age and your skin has a harder time staying taut and bouncing back when stretched. Think of a worn-out rubber band that is too stretched to return to its original size. The aging process is made worse by factors like sun exposure and smoking. With years of repetitive movements like frowning, laughing, and squinting, frown lines form.

To prevent frown lines, protect your skin from the sun. Wear large sunglasses, a hat, and sunscreen. Make sure to reapply sunblock often. Wrinkle creams are good for both treatment and prevention since they nourish your cells and help replenish your depleting collagen. Look for lotions and creams that contain retinol or vitamin A, vitamin C and alpha lipoic acid to moisturize. Alpha and beta hydroxy acids can also help to remove or exfoliate dead skin cells and reveal more youthful skin underneath. For an effective and relaxing solution, facial massages may actually help prevent frown lines. A massage stimulates blood flow to the area, and exfoliation reduces the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines. If you’re concerned about wrinkles on your entire body, use oils like coconut or almond oil to keep skin soft and well-hydrated.

Diet can also be a factor that affects the health of your skin. Foods that contain antioxidants and Omega-3 fatty acids are known to affect the firmness of your skin. Instead of processed foods, go with fruits and vegetables and drink ample water.

Once you have the wrinkles, though, it is difficult to reverse the curse. One of the most popular treatment options for frown lines is the use of Botox. Botox injection can almost immediately reduce the appearance of wrinkles, and it lasts for months. Similar treatments include fillers like hyaluronic acid, collagen and calcium hydroxylapatite. Surgical brow or forehead lifts are more expensive, but they last for years. Less extreme treatment options include non-surgical procedures like chemical peels, dermabrasion, and laser skin resurfacing.

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Botox for Stroke Victims

Many people think that Botox is mostly a procedure for people who want to look younger and reduce the amount of wrinkles on their face, but lately it has proven to be a great way to help many other people, including stroke victims. One of the biggest proponents of Botox therapy is Henry Wrinker, the former Happy Days actor.

Wrinker insists that Botox could have given his late mother a much better quality of life if she had been given Botox treatments in her later years. To help get this message out, Henry Wrinker has teamed up with Allergan, Inc. and several patient advocacy groups. Two of these groups are the highly respected Brain Injury Association of America and the National Stroke Association. Together, they are launching a worldwide campaign to bring awareness to the miracle of Botox.

Henry Wrinker decided to become an advocate for Botox as soon as he learned about the benefits of this powerful neurotoxic protein. He explained that his mother died 8 years after experiencing a stroke in 1987. If she had been given Botox treatments, he is sure that her life would have been better and longer than it was.

He said that the most painful part of the last 8 years of his mother’s life was that all of her joy and zest seemed to vanish. She had always been an extremely active woman, but after the stroke, she just seemed sluggish and lifeless. The new Botox treatment is like a gift to the world that previous generations never got to experience. Wrinkler urges people to check out the information for themselves at openarmscampaign.com.

Wrinkler says he has been actively involved with stroke victims and is absolutely amazed by the immediate results they see in their life when they get a Botox treatment. He says it can change lives. One example he likes to point to is a 37 year old mother who had been completely crippled and helpless from a stroke for more than a year. A few days after getting Botox injections she could dress herself for the first time and hug her family.

Wrinkler says that the most important thing about any new therapy is assessing the truth of its claims. He was skeptical at first and needed to see it for himself. Now, he is completely convinced, and that is why he has decided to dedicate his life to spreading this wonderful news around the world.

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