10 Ways to Cut Your Chances of Getting Wrinkles

Though we can’t stop wrinkles from ever forming for good, there are plenty of ways to slow down the process of getting wrinkles. As we get older, our skin loses elasticity and tautness since our levels of collagen reduce. Once a woman is in her late 20s, she breaks down collagen faster than she makes it. This happens even faster once she reaches her 30s.

Sometimes wrinkles creep up on people without them even expecting it. To temporarily banish these lines, some people get Botox injections to soften their appearance. To avoid getting them in the first place, others prefer to limit (or ban) unhealthy habits like smoking and drinking excessively. Here are a few more simple ways you can stall the signs of wrinkles:

1. Don’t stretch your skin when applying makeup. This habit can lead to wrinkles, so avoid pulling your eyes when you apply eyeliner.
   
   
2. Don’t soak up the sun too much: overexposure to the sun accelerates the aging process. When the skin has signs of wrinkles, blotches, roughness, and loss of skin tone, it’s mostly from severe sun damage. UV rays are known to dry out skin and damage its underlying structure (elastin and collagen) which causes premature sagging, bags and wrinkles.
   
   
3. Use sunscreen year-round. This is key to prevent your skin from additional damage. Apply it on all exposed areas, even behind your ears and neck.
   

   

   Drinking too much alcohol can speed up the ageing process.

4. Don’t drink too much alcohol. Consuming too much of it negatively impacts vitamin A levels, an important antioxidant for the skin. Vitamin A is also important in the production of collagen, so when there are lower levels of collagen, the skin loses elasticity. Limit your drinking to avoid speeding up the ageing process.
   
   
5. Get enough sleep. When you deprive your body from sleep, it starts to produce excess cortisol. Cortisol is a hormone that breaks down skin cells. When you squeeze in enough sleep, you’ll produce more human growth hormone (HGH) which helps cell growth and regeneration.
   
   
6. Always remove make-up before bed. The dirt, pollutants and makeup builds up throughout the day and seep into pores, which breaks down collagen and elastin. Skipping out on cleansing your face before bed leads to wrinkles.
   
   
7. Eat more fish. Not only does it taste good, fish helps out your skin in big ways. Salmon is high in protein and fatty acids such as omega-3. These fatty acids help your skin stay plump and nourished.
   
   
8. Wear sunglasses. They’ll protect the skin around your eyes from UV radiation. The skin around the eyes is very thin, sensitive and prone to wrinkle formation (also known as crows’ feet).
   
   
9. Sleep on your back. Sleeping on your side and pressing your face against your pillow can cause sleep lines. Overtime, you can develop wrinkles by sleeping this way. Try to make it a habit to sleep on your back.
   
   
10. Get facials. Squeezing in some relaxing facials once a month or bi-monthly can help keep your skin healthy and supple. Facials stimulate and increase the circulation in your face.

Keeping these tips (or at least some of them) in mind will pay off as the years go by. Your skin will definitely appreciate it.

The 5 Most Asked Questions About Botox

You’re bound to have endless questions about Botox if you’ve been thinking about getting it. Just know that you’re not the only curious inquirer about the treatment. Below are some of the most commonly asked questions people and patients tend to ask us.

What are some common areas to get Botox?

If there’s anywhere on the face that has wrinkles or lines that you don’t want, it can be treated with Botox injections. Botox is most commonly injected in these areas: forehead, between the eyebrows, the corners of the eyes and corners of the lips.

How much does Botox cost?

The cost of Botox injections varies from clinic to clinic and who’s injecting it. The prices that nurses and doctors charge vary—at SpaMedica, registered nurses charge $12 per unit. The doctor’s rate starts at $18 per unit for the first 60 units. After that, the price drops significantly.

If you haven’t visited us for Botox yet, we have a promotion for first-time clients. It’s just $8 per unit. Get this promotion now.

Source: healthline.com. You don't always have to rely on medication for your migraines. Botox injections also treat migraines.

Can Botox be used to treat other concerns aside from wrinkles?

Botox is well-known for treating lines and wrinkles, but it also has other uses. Botox injections also treat issues like migraines, excessive sweating and overactive bladders. Botox was approved by the FDA in 2010 as a treatment option for chronic migraines. When injected in specific points like the temples, forehead and nose bridge, Botox can provide relief for migraine sufferers.

If you tend to sweat a lot, Botox injections temporarily stop the sweat from happening. Injections can be made to the armpits, hands, feet and forehead. You’ll be sweat-free for up to 6 months.

How old do you have to be to get Botox?

The demographics of patients who are visiting clinics for Botox are changing. Patients who want Botox are getting younger—they’re generally in their 20s and early 30s. In 2013, the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery reported that people between ages 20-29 accounted for 556,558 non-invasive procedures in 2013. Botox was the second most performed treatment after laser hair removal. Part of the reason is that young adults are taking preventative measures. Instead of getting treatments done when wrinkles appear, patients are now preventing them from happening in the first place with Botox.

Does Botox have any side effects? Is it dangerous?

Botox injections are safe when performed by an experienced nurse or doctor. Some common side effects like swelling or bruising can occur. You might experience symptoms similar to when you have a headache or flu.

Another important point to consider is where you’re getting these treatments done. Low prices for Botox injections may look tempting, but you have to think about how much experience your provider has and if they know how to deal with problems or concerns should they arise. Avoid any “fake” or black market Botox products—you want to use only FDA-approved Botox. Not only is the quality of these black market products unknown and unregulated, you’re also putting yourself at risk for complications.  

Learn more about Botox

Find out more about Botox on our website. You can also browse through our before and after photo gallery. Ask us questions by leaving a comment below or booking an appointment online on the sidebar or our website.

Skin Concerns That Are Caused By Everyday Habits

Kim Kardashian once said that she doesn’t smile much in photos because it causes wrinkles. You might think that sounds ridiculous, but she actually is right. Below we talk about common skin concerns like wrinkles, acne and sun damage and break down what habits could be influencing or accelerating these concerns to happen.

Frowning frequently can cause wrinkles and lines

It’s natural to see lines and wrinkles as you age, but you can see them earlier than expected due to facial animation. That means frequent frowning and smiling can very well influence the formation of wrinkles and lines. The glabella lines (also known as the 11’s) are the frown lines between your eyebrows. If your skin has already been sun damaged, there’s a higher chance of you developing glabella lines. Sun damage breaks down the skin’s collagen and elastin and thins out the skin.

Solution: Botox injections temporarily treat and relax these muscles so you won’t look tired, aged or angry.

Using your cellphone causes acne

Cell phones are carried around and left on different surfaces throughout the day. You may leave them on dinner tables, beds, bathroom surfaces, or just stuffed in your purse with several other items. With this constant contact with various surfaces, bacteria easily fester on your cell phone. Now imagine constantly pressing your face against your cellphone. These bacteria can aggravate your skin. Not only that, your pores can get blocked from perspiring on your phone after long conversations.

Solution: Use a headset so your phone won’t have to be against your cheek all the time.

You can get still sun damage during the winter and on cloudy days

It’s a given that you are susceptible to sun damage during the summer. It’s the same case even during the winter and on cloudy days. If you do winter sports, the sun’s ultraviolet radiation still puts you at risk of sun damage. Here’s bad news for skiers and snowboarders—the sun reflects off the snow and higher altitudes can put you at risk for overexposure to the sun’s UV. The Skin Cancer Foundation says higher altitude can contribute to sun-induced skin damage. “UV radiation exposure increases 4 to5 percent with every 1,000 feet above sea level,” says the Skin Cancer Foundation.

Solution: Strong wind and snow can wear away sunscreen, so apply SPF 30 sunscreen or higher. Don’t forget the more obscure places like behind your ears and around your lips. If you know you’ll be outside for a long time, reapply sunscreen every two hours.

Pre-Juvenation: Can You Be Too Young For Botox and Fillers?

There’s no such thing as being young forever, but at least you could look like it.

Ageing tends to make people anxious. Fears such as not looking as attractive, desirable or healthy anymore creep in. You’d think that it’s people in their 30s and beyond who make appointments for Botox and dermal fillers to treat and prevent wrinkles, but it’s not only them. People in their 20s and sometimes even younger are choosing to have non-surgical procedures to keep their youthful looks.

This trend is called pre-juvenation; this is where someone prevents the signs of ageing before it even happens. The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery reports that people between the ages of 20-29 accounted for 556,558 non-invasive procedures in 2013. Laser hair removal was the top performed procedure. After that, it’s Botox, microdermabrasion and soft tissue fillers that were the most sought out.

Developing lines and wrinkles is inevitable. But pre-juvenation is the concept of preventing these natural developments from forming in the first place. No doubt, this trend has gotten people divided. Some people think that pre-juvenation is totally fine and a good preventative measure.

For example, Dr. Kenneth Arndt published an article in JAMA Dermatology stating that it’s never too early to use Botox if a person wants to maintain a youthful appearance. Other people, surgeons included, believe pre-juvenation is unnecessary. They think young people shouldn’t be getting Botox before they even see wrinkles because it’s “overkill”.

Dr. Arndt says he doesn’t agree with treating children or teenagers, but he does say it’s reasonable to consider getting Botox treatments when people begin to feel bothered by things such as frown or forehead lines. His reasoning? “It’s easier and more effective to inhibit progression than come in 10 years later and take them away.”

Is pre-juvenation the only way to avoid wrinkles?

Make sure to wear sunscreen to avoid sun damage and wrinkle formation.

Of course, Botox and dermal fillers aren’t the only ways to maintain good, supple looking skin. How you take care of your skin and diet is important too. Wearing sunscreen (SPF 30 or higher) is always stressed to keep your skin protected from sunspots or decrease your chances of developing skin cancer. It’s not only the summertime you should be wearing sunscreen—lather it on all year. Even though the sun’s not blaring through the sky in the winter, you can still get sun damaged skin especially if you do winter sports.  

Facial animation like frowning and smiling also influences wrinkle and line formation. Constant frowning can develop glabella lines, also known as the “11’s” between your eyebrows. If your skin’s been damaged by the sun, you have a higher chance of developing lines. Since sun damage breaks down the skin’s collagen and elastin, your skin thins out, making it difficult to maintain a smooth appearance. 

If the thought of wrinkles terrify you, know that there are plenty of preventative measures you can do. Whether it’s pre-juvenation treatments or maintaining a good skincare regime, you can keep those youthful looks if you really want to.

Botox: 3 Problems You Didn’t Realize It Can Treat

Source: SpaMedica. This patient received Botox injections to her crow's feet.

With selfies practically engrained in our culture now, plastic surgeons have seen an increase in patients coming in for non-surgical and surgical procedures over the past year. A study by the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery revealed that 1 in 3 plastic surgeons saw an increase in requests for procedures due to patients being more self-aware of their looks on social media. Keeping these observations in mind, the surgeons also noted an increase in rhinoplasty, hair transplants and eyelid surgery.

People want to look good—for selfies or to just maintain their youth—and they will do what it takes to achieve it. The latest statistics on plastic surgery trends shows that three quarters of all procedures performed in 2013 were minimally invasive. Unsurprisingly, Botox was the most popular non-surgical procedure performed. While most of these injections were most likely for cosmetic reasons, Botox can treat 3 other common problems millions of people deal with.

Botox Treats Migraines

If you’ve ever had a migraine, you know that they’re not fun or pleasant at all. Migraines differ from regular headaches in that the pain is much more intense and can involve nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to sound and light. Migraine episodes can last for a few hours.

The FDA approved Botox as a treatment option for chronic migraines in 2010. According to Healthline, injections can be made to specific points along the nose bridge, temples, neck, forehead and the back of the head. It can take from 10-14 days after the treatments to feel relief. Usually, Botox treatments for migraines are performed once every 3 months.  

Botox Controls Overactive Bladders

Some people have urinary incontinence, which is the loss of bladder control. This problem could be minor or severe. You could cough or let out a sneeze and that triggers urine to come out. Or, you could have a really strong urge to urinate without getting to the washroom in time. Things like childbirth, pregnancy and menopause can cause urinary incontinence. All this means that women are more likely to experience this problem more than men.

Urinary incontinence could be so problematic and embarrassing for some people that treatment is required. Botox injections to the bladder muscle temporarily treat these overactive bladder symptoms. Results last for about 9 months.

Source: YouTube. Dr. Mulholland talks about Botox and performs it on a patient in this clip.

Botox Reduces Your Excessive Sweating

Most of us sweat more than we would want to when it’s summertime. For some people, though, sweating excessively is a problem regardless of the season or weather. This condition is called hyperhidrosis—about 3% of the world’s population lives with this common condition.

Those who sweat excessively can see sweat in multiple areas of their body such as the armpits, hands, feet or forehead. To temporarily treat the sweating, an injection of Botox is inserted to the problem area. By doing this, chemical signals from the nerves that stimulate sweat glands are blocked. This 10-minute treatment can leave you sweat-free in that area for up to 6 months.

Get Free Botox

Botox isn’t just for pretty faces after all. Sure, it can temporarily erase some wrinkles here and there but there are tons of other things Botox can do for you. If you’ve been thinking about getting treatments, now is the perfect time to do it. 

We’re offering free Botox at SpaMedica. Buy any package (they're all 30% off) and receive 30 units of free Botox. This promotion runs until February 15, 2015 so book your appointment now.