For 20 years, many women have been using botulinum toxin injections. This product occupies one of the leading positions in terms of effectiveness and popularity among drugs for wrinkles, including facial wrinkles, since it does not require surgical intervention.
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The original botulinum toxin is produced under the name “Botox”, but the modern pharmaceutical business does not stand still, and every year you can find analogs of a new generation of Botox on the market. All drugs have a number of similar qualities, but also have their own advantages and disadvantages. Read more about the most popular botulinum toxin substitutes below.
Possible complications after traditional injection
We should not forget about the very nature of Botox. After all, it is a derivative of bacteria that cause botulism and can lead to food poisoning. After the injection, the facial muscles partially lose their mobility, making the skin visually appear more elastic and smooth.
But even if we ignore the high cost of such procedures, trying to regain freshness and beauty can have many unpleasant consequences. Among the main side effects of Botox injections, the following should be highlighted:
- swelling around the eyes (due to the fact that the muscles contract less and less, fluid stagnation occurs);
- drooping of the eyelid (occurs if the patient assumed a horizontal position during the first hours after the procedure, and the drug penetrated into the adjacent muscle responsible for raising the eyelids);
- facial asymmetry.
It is believed that such consequences of “beauty injections” are temporary and disappear within 1-2 months. But there is another, no less weighty argument in favor of opponents of Botox - as a result of frequent use of the drug, the face loses most of its facial properties, becomes “lifeless” and looks more like a wax mask.
Existing Alternatives
Among the non-invasive methods of influencing the skin at the moment, there are no ones that could become excellent substitutes for Botox. This is explained, first of all, by the fact that botulinum toxin blocks neuromuscular transmission of the facial muscles. As a result, the tense muscles that formed these wrinkles are smoothed out temporarily until the procedure is repeated. Various non-injection peptide drugs cannot have such an effect on the muscle completely, and therefore are not considered so effective. But there are new generation invasive agents that have surpassed their “parent”.
But still, any alternative to Botox is actively welcomed among the fair sex. This is explained by the large number of contraindications to the drug and the completely natural fear of women before the injection.
Now the most popular means are:
- lantox;
- Dysport;
- xeomin;
- Ulthera System;
- hyaluronic acid injections;
- chemical peeling.
This list contains not only non-invasive products, but also various types of injections. Let's consider each type of correction of facial wrinkles separately.
Amazing properties of a starch mask
First, let's talk about masks. The most popular alternative to Botox at home is a starch mask.
To prepare it, you will need:
- starch (1 tbsp);
- freshly squeezed carrot juice (5 tablespoons);
- bitter liquid sour cream (1 tbsp);
- starch solution (5 tablespoons);
- warm boiled water (1 glass).
This miracle remedy is also very simple to prepare. Starch is dissolved in half a glass of heated water and placed in a steam or water bath. It is advisable to use glass containers. After some time, you need to pour the remaining water into the solution and, stirring constantly, keep the mixture on fire for 10-15 minutes. By this time you should have a kind of jelly. Now all you have to do is wait until it cools down, and then mix 5 tablespoons of the solution with the same amount of carrot juice and a spoonful of sour cream.
Don't forget to stir the ingredients until smooth!
The finished Botox mask at home is applied to the face in several layers. The most convenient way to do this is with a brush. The layers are applied alternately as the previous one dries. You need to keep the mask on your face for 15-20 minutes. After this, you need to wash your face with plenty of warm water and apply nourishing cream or almond oil to your skin. If you choose oil, then after about 20 minutes you will need to remove the excess with a napkin.
Depending on how pronounced facial wrinkles are, you need to use this “Botox” at home from 5 to 10 times, every other day. The finished mask can be stored for 3 days.
Where do expression lines come from?
We all frown, squint, smile, yawn and wrinkle our foreheads from time to time. For a couple of seconds, our skin gathers into folds, so that after a moment it “returns to its original position.” If such tricks are regularly performed even with the most elastic and elastic skin in the world, then sooner or later expression wrinkles will definitely appear on the forehead, between the eyebrows, around the mouth and eyes.
By the way, have you ever noticed that you can easily “read” their character from the faces of older people? You can see from facial wrinkles which of today’s grandparents often smiled or were pleasantly surprised in their youth, which frowned with concern, and which pursed their lips displeasedly and chuckled skeptically.
Theoretically, facial wrinkles can be avoided if you learn to always keep your emotions under control. But, firstly, no one has ever succeeded in this. And secondly, even when our face is relaxed, its muscles are still toned. This means they are quietly laying the “foundation” for future reasons for frustration...
And here the trusty Botox comes to the aid of eternally young beauties. A few injections - and the skin again looks smooth and taut like a drum! There is no trace of facial wrinkles, and the seller in the store, in all seriousness, again calls you “girl.”
Under the influence of botulinum toxin (the active component of Botox), facial muscles relax. As a result, crow's feet around the eyes, wrinkles on the forehead and between the eyebrows are smoothed out, and nasolabial folds are noticeably softened. The visible effect lasts for approximately 4-6 months, after which the procedure must be repeated.
It would seem like an excellent answer to the question: “How to remove wrinkles?” I went to the cosmetologist once every six months for a “technical examination” and until you’re 80 you look 18! Simple, effective, not too expensive and no need to go under the surgeon’s knife!
Did you know about the rejuvenating properties of... tea?
This is another good alternative to Botox at home. This time we will need green tea. You can grind the dry castings in a coffee grinder or immediately buy the product, crushed to a powder.
Let's start preparing the mask. Mix a tablespoon of green tea with a teaspoon of cocoa powder, and pour a little boiling water into the resulting mixture. There are no instructions for the exact amount of water, but in the end you should end up with a fairly thick paste (but not too thick!).
When the mass has cooled down a little, add a small amount of natural liquid honey to it and mix everything thoroughly. An oil solution of vitamin E or lemon juice (a few drops are enough) will help enhance the effect of Botox at home.
A homogeneous mass is applied to the facial skin, after which it is left for 20 minutes. At the end of the procedure, you need to wash your face with cool water and apply moisturizer.
It is recommended to carry out this procedure 2-3 times a week for 2 months.
All drugs are new generation substitutes
Essentially, an alternative to Botox is any other drug based on botulinum neurotoxin. Many modern analogues, both foreign and even domestic, can be considered relatively new. Two foreign products, Xeomin and Dysport, are now very popular.
The first one was released back in 2008 by the Merz company from Germany and, with all German pedantry, passed many medical tests before release. It is positioned as one of the most hypoallergenic, due to the absence of preservatives in the composition and the high degree of purification of the toxin. True, it is effective primarily for combating fine wrinkles, so it is not suitable for everyone.
Dysport as a replacement for Botox in cosmetology is quite effective and gives a beautiful natural result. However, it is quite expensive compared to regular Botox, spending twice as much, but the effect will be faster. An additional component in it is the potential allergen lactose, which should be taken into account when using it.
If you look at what can replace Botox from modern means, then the first thing that comes to mind is:
- Myobloc from the USA;
- Lantox from China;
- Neuronox and Botulax made in South Korea.
The first drug can also be found under the name NeuroBloc; it is produced by several companies. Unlike others, its main active component is not botulinum neurotoxin type A, but B. Lantox injections contain gelatin, they belong to the budget category and have a long-term effect, approximately 8 months. Neuronox, in addition to botulinum toxin, contains serum albumin and sodium chloride , it is closest to Botox. And Botulax is almost similar in characteristics to Lantox.
Among the Russian-made products of the new generation, it is still possible to single out Relatox. It is produced by Microgen and has been on the market since 2014. It is no worse than foreign ones, characterized by a high speed of action and a long-lasting effect of about 8-9 months. It uses animal protein as a preservative.
Using cosmetics with retinol
The beauty industry is now actively developing and replacements for Botox are among fairly mild cosmetics. The most popular cosmetics contain retinol, one of the derivatives of vitamin A. Its main effect is to activate the production of collagen, due to which wrinkles are smoothed out. In addition, the effect of evening out the tone of the skin color is achieved and the likelihood of age-related pigmentation is reduced.
But, like other effective products, retinol requires caution when handling. Therefore, before use, it is better to consult a doctor who will select the dosage depending on the needs of the skin. The effect of it will be in two to three weeks, and during the adjustment period, some people experience peeling and redness of the skin.
Myoblock
This analogue of Botox is produced in the USA, Great Britain and France by different companies, which, however, does not affect the quality of the final product. Its main feature has already been mentioned earlier, it is botulinum toxin type B instead of A. The result of the application is blocking nerve impulses, which relaxes muscles and smoothes wrinkles.
Of course, Myoblock is an analogue of Botox, but they have differences in terms of action. The effect cannot be called long-term; it usually lasts 75-80 days. This indicator is inferior to the average values of other drugs on the market. It is available in a convenient format, as a ready-made solution. True, there are some pitfalls here; it is more difficult to store.
Unfortunately, this alternative has another serious drawback - severe discomfort during injections. Moreover, in other botulinum-containing products this is not so pronounced or is completely absent, which has become the reason for many to abandon it.
Neuronox
This drug from South Korea is considered one of the most similar to Botox. In key parameters it is identical to the original composition, with the exception of lower cost. It can be found on the market not only as Neuronox, but also under the names Meditoxin, Cunox, Botulift and Siax.
In Russia, Neuronox is still a relatively new analogue for Botox, which has a positive effect on its price. The manufacturer specifically holds them back, working for their reputation and future. The downside of the drug is that it requires painful injections compared to the original American Botox, and there is a possibility of discomfort during use.
Xeomin
A Botox substitute from the Merz company, their great hopes were that Xeomin was hypoallergenic. For these purposes, clostridial proteins were completely excluded from the composition, but this did not allow achieving the goals on a large scale. But many doctors still recommend the drug as safer.
In cosmetology and for medical reasons, Xeomin is used similarly to Botox, although it is less popular due to weak advertising. And it is weaker and does not guarantee a long-term effect in the area of large muscles. Therefore, by the way, it can be used in combination with other drugs.
Botulax
Many analogues of Botox have been known for quite a long time and have been well studied by specialists. But the same cannot be said about South Korean Botulax; the drug is relatively young and was officially certified in our country only in 2020. It was supplied counterfeitly and used in the Russian Federation several years earlier.
Like other Botox analogues, this one copes quite well with its main task, eliminating wrinkles. Data on its effectiveness are limited, but judging by the reviews, 8-9 months of injections are quite enough. True, some people mention severe migraines as one of the disadvantages of the drug. And in general, the statistical basis for use is small, so a preliminary examination by a doctor is recommended.
Botulax is relatively inexpensive, although there are Botox analogues that are cheaper. It is supplied in different release forms of 50, 100 and 200 units, which is quite convenient for consumers and specialists. Human albumin and simple table salt are additional ingredients in the medicine.
Remember the miraculous power of aloe!
In many apartments, aloe is present as a houseplant. Do you also have this prickly “healer”? Great! After all, aloe will help you do facial Botox at home, spending a minimum of money and without harming your body in any way.
To begin, cut a few leaves from the plant, rinse them with water, chop them and squeeze out the juice. Calculate so that you end up with 2 tablespoons of juice. You need to add warm (40 ° C) liquid honey to it. By the way, you cannot overheat honey - this will cause it to lose all its beneficial qualities.
The resulting mass should be applied to the face and neck and left for 15 minutes. After this, you need to wash your face with water at room temperature.
In principle, you don’t have to bother yourself with preparing a mask - simply wiping the skin with cotton wool soaked in aloe juice will be an excellent preventative against wrinkles.
Russian analogue of Botox
Relatox is a Russian-made drug containing botulinum toxin. This drug has been used in cosmetology since 2014 and is popular because of its affordable and budget price. Relatox does not contain sodium chloride and protein, they are replaced with gelatin of animal origin. When producing the Russian analogue, scientists tried to achieve maximum similarity with Botox. The advantages of the drug include:
- lower cost;
- to treat the same area, a smaller dosage is required than when using Botox;
- has a longer effect;
- do not cause painful or unpleasant sensations;
- due to the absence of protein in the composition, Relatox does not provoke the development of side effects;
- bruising and swelling appear less frequently.
But it is worth considering that the Russian analogue is not effective in the fight against purse-string and deep wrinkles, and is also not used in the cheek area.
Non-injection procedures - an alternative to Botox
An excellent alternative to Botox in cosmetology is hardware cosmetology, which is non-invasive.
SMAS lifting
Skin rejuvenation occurs with the help of ultrasonic waves, under the influence of which muscle fibers begin to contract, which subsequently leads to an improvement in facial contour and smooth out wrinkles. In addition, the procedure launches the natural process of elastin and collagen production without affecting skin fiber. The advantages of this method include:
- has no analogues;
- safety and effectiveness;
- It has virtually no contraindications and does not provoke the development of complications.
This alternative to Botox is suitable for people intolerant to botulinum toxin.
Laser correction
During the procedure, several types of laser are used, with the help of a laser beam only the top layer of skin is affected, old cells are removed quickly, without affecting surrounding tissues. The procedure allows you to get rid of wrinkles, preventing their further development by accelerating cell regeneration.
Photorejuvenation
During the procedure, the deep layers of the skin are exposed to light. Flashes of light help restore skin firmness and elasticity, eliminate acne, capillary mesh, pigment spots, and wrinkles. During the procedure, the woman does not experience any unpleasant or painful sensations due to the non-invasiveness and short duration of the session. Photorejuvenation helps get rid of a double chin and sagging cheek skin. Evening out the color and improving the health of the face occurs by refreshing the skin with oxygen and removing toxic substances using beams of light.
Elos procedures
The elos procedure, which involves exposing the skin to current and light, will help get rid of dermatological rashes and wrinkles. Electric current affects only dead cells, without affecting healthy ones. During the session, the patient may feel a slight tingling sensation; the procedure does not cause marks or burns, which indicates its safety. To obtain a lasting effect, it is recommended to undergo at least 5 sessions, and improvements in appearance are noticeable after the first session.
Radio lifting
Helps get rid of wrinkles by exposing skin cells to elevated temperatures. Immediately after the first session, skin elasticity improves and collagen production accelerates. The procedure does not provoke the development of allergies, leaves no marks on the skin and has a minimum of contraindications.
Another alternative to Botox injections is skin resurfacing, which, in addition to eliminating fine wrinkles, makes the epidermis denser and the skin elastic. Various resurfacing methods help eliminate age spots, oily skin and scars.
When choosing Botox injections or hardware cosmetology as an alternative, you should take into account age, skin condition, problems, as well as contraindications and side effects.
What is Botox, how does it work?
Botox is a drug containing the toxin of the causative agent of botulism (botulinum toxin). When administered intramuscularly, it blocks the nerve endings and causes temporary paralysis of that muscle. The muscle stops contracting, and the appearance of wrinkles also stops.
Botox was originally developed for patients with cerebral palsy and strokes who had spastic symptoms. When injected into the facial muscles, an additional side effect was noted - smoothing of facial wrinkles. Thus began the dizzying “career” of Botox in cosmetology. Nowadays it is difficult to imagine a cosmetology clinic without this “youth” drug.
