Have you started doing that thing in the mirror? That private ritual where you pull the skin of your forehead or by your mouth and eyes with your fingertips so your face looks as smooth and taut as it used to be?

Your wrinkles may be getting on your nerves, but maybe the idea of surgery seems too extreme or permanent right now. You’re not there yet, but you’d love to say goodbye to these creases. You'd also like to start building a relationship with a plastic surgeon so that when you're ready for more permanent work, you have someone you trust. Injectable fillers or BOTOX could be the perfect solution.

There are several options available.

War on Wrinkles

BOTOX, the most famous cosmetic injection and produced by Allergan, can be injected into the forehead region, relaxing the muscles that cause wrinkles.  Recently a competitor to BOTOX was released by Ipsen SA and Medicis Pharmaceutical Corp. Called Dysport, it is intended for the same uses as BOTOX.

Medicis also distributes Restylane and Perlane—injectable fillers made of hyaluronic acid that plump up facial creases and laugh lines (also called naso-labial folds). These products typically start to break down in the body after six to 12 months.

Other hyaluronic fillers, such as Juvéderm Ultra and Juvederm Ultra Plus (made by Allergen, the makers of BOTOX), can be used similarly as Restylane and Perlane. These gel injectables also last about six to 12 months.

Longer lasting injectables have been introduced to treat deep naso-labial folds.  Radiesse is probably the most popular of these longer lasting injectables.  Radiesse is essentially a paste made of calcium hydroxylapatite (a substance found on bone).  This product is injected deeper in the facial soft tissue to increase the volume. Radiesse lasts about 12 to 15 months before being absorbed by the body.

Injectable fillers and BOTOX are performed in the doctor’s office and require minimal downtime. To learn more about how fillers and BOTOX may be right for you, we welcome you to come in for a consultation with Dr. Kwak.

BOTOX NYC

Taken from PARIS & SCOTTSDALE, Ari.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 17, 2008

Ipsen and Medicis announce submission of Reloxin BLA in aesthetics to the FDA

- Medicis and Ipsen today announced that Ipsen has submitted a Biologics License Application ("BLA") for the botulinum toxin type A, Reloxin(1), in aesthetic indications (glabellar lines) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's ("FDA") Division of Dermatology and Dental Products, within the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research...

As of October 2007, Ipsen's botulinum toxin type A is approved for aesthetic indications in 21 countries: Argentina, Australia, Belarus, Brazil, Columbia, Ecuador, Egypt, Germany, Honduras, Israel, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Moldova, New Zealand, Philippines, Slovak Republic, Ukraine, Uruguay, Venezuela, Vietnam, and Russia (in Russia, it is the first botulinum toxin type A approved in this field). Ipsen is also pursuing regulatory approval for medical indications for the product in certain additional key international markets.

Dysport is a neuromuscular blocking toxin which acts to block acetylcholine release, hence reducing muscular spasm and was initially developed for the treatment of motor disorders and various forms of muscular spasticity, including cervical dystonia (a chronic condition in which the neck is twisted or deviated), spasticity of the lower limbs (heal) in children with cerebral palsy, blepharospasm (involuntary eye closure) and hemifacial spasm. It was later developed for the treatment of a wide variety of neuromuscular disorders and aesthetic medicine. Dysport was originally launched in the United Kingdom in 1991 and has marketing authorisations in over 70 countries (at 31 December 2006). Ipsen has just recently filed a BLA for Dysport in cervical dystonia to the FDA.
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Basically these two products work similarly, preventing transmission of muscle signals.  There are differences in the pharmacological behavior of the two products,  which allows for different companies to brand, distribtue, and market each product.  

RELOXIN has been noted in scientific studies to work faster and longer than BOTOX.  Patients treated with RELOXIN can anticipate seeing the effects 1-2 days after treatment while the effects of BOTOX typically takes about 5-6 days.  Also, the effects of RELOXIN can last up to 4-6 months longer than BOTOX (BOTOX typically last for about 3 months).

What does this mean for you?  Once RELOXIN is approved patients can expect a decrease in the price.  (It seems that FDA approval for RELOXIN will take at least another 10 months from now.