Neurotoxin

Neurotoxin is a purified protein (commonly known by brand names like Botox® or Dysport®) that temporarily relaxes specific facial muscles to reduce wrinkles, improve facial balance, and prevent new lines from forming.

Like any product you can buy, neuromodulators are made by various different brands. Botox was the earliest, and has the highest name-recognition (like Kleenex). Dysport was developed shortly after, and is also produced by a reputable pharmaceutical manufacturer. The key real-world difference is onset – Dysport comes on a few days earlier than Botox does. From a patient perspective, they’re otherwise the same in terms of the average number of effective units and the duration of treatment. Because Botox has the brand recognition, it is costlier to source, which is why it’s more expensive than Dysport. At Park, we only carry Botox and Dysport; we’ve found that the difference between brand is usually most related to the injector’s familiarity with that brand’s nuances – particularly how it spreads and how deeply to inject the product – so we only carry two brands: Botox, for people who prefer the original brand, and Dysport, because we have the most familiarity and have seen the best results with it.

We commonly treat the forehead, glabella (11s), crow’s feet, lips (lip flip, gummy smile), chin, jawline (masseter), DAOs (downturned mouth), and trapezius muscles. Not sure if your concern is treatable? Just ask our team and we’ll walk you through your options.

Yes - when performed by trained professionals. At Park, all injections are performed by doctors and nurses with extensive anatomical training and complication management expertise. Common risks include bleeding and bruising, which we minimize by using the smallest needles possible. Weakening a nearby muscle is the biggest risk of neurotoxin treatments, which is why it’s important to know that you’re being treated by an experienced, professional injector who understands the dynamic three dimensional anatomy of the face. 

Absolutely. Our goal is always to enhance your natural expressions, not erase them. We listen closely to your goals and come up with a treatment plan that matches how much movement you want to maintain and ensure the result is balanced and symmetrical. 

Most clients find the treatment very tolerable, similar to acupuncture. We use ultra-fine needles and techniques that minimize discomfort. Any post-treatment tenderness is typically mild and short-lived.

You may start to notice changes within 3–5 days, with full results developing by 2 weeks. We’ll see you at that point for a follow-up to assess your results and make any adjustments if needed.

Most clients enjoy results for 3 to 4 months, depending on how strongly the muscles were treated, baseline metabolism, and other factors like physical activity and stress. Consistent treatments will improve results and wrinkle prevention in the long term.

At Park Medical Aesthetics, we design treatments based around your anatomy and your goals; we do not use a one-size-fits-most template. That said, most people will need at least 10-15 units per treatment area, depending, again, on how strong they want their treatment to be, how strong their muscles are, and whether lines have already set in or not. Masseter and trap tox follow an entirely different dosing philosophy than other parts of the face – these areas have a minimum effective dose, where most of the face doesn’t. This means that reducing the number of units, sometimes even by just a few, could be the difference between a great result and nothing happening at all; that’s why a “baby botox” approach doesn’t work, and we always start at a minimum number and adjust based on response. Lip flips also follow a different logic – the difference between a good result and a temporary but very annoying change in lip function is very narrow, so we strictly cap how many units we use in the lip; if our maximum wasn’t enough, we recommend against doing lip flips altogether, and if lip volume is an important goal, lip filler may be a more effective treatment.

This depends very much on your own goals, but if you really want help trying to decide when to start, Dr. Shoghi at Park recommends the contract-and-watch test: look in a mirror with good lighting, and contract the muscles of the face – bring your eyebrows together, raise your eyebrows up, squint – as hard as you can. You will make lines when you contract those muscles. If fine lines persist for a few seconds after you stop contracting the muscle, now would be a good time to start thinking about preventative neurotoxin treatments.

Yes, men absolutely get botox. Everyone eventually gets wrinkle formation from repetitive muscle contraction, and anyone who wants to look a little fresher a little longer would benefit from neurotoxin treatments. A good provider will know how to perform the treatment in a way that avoids feminizing the face – pointy eyebrows are usually a dead giveaway that we avoid in a masculine face.

Some redness, swelling, or tenderness is normal and usually resolves within a few hours. Rarely, small bumps may appear at the injection sites a few days later. We’ll review everything with you at your follow-up and are always here if you have questions.

The best clinic is the one that listens to your goals, adjusts treatments based on your desired outcome, and offers treatments with experienced, talented injectors using legitimate products. Spending very little time explaining your treatment, or drastically changing the number of units with little explanation, is usually a sign that your injector is not basing your treatment on your goals. Also be suspicious of exceptionally low prices – if the treatment is priced too good to be true, it probably is. If you’re a busy working professional and considering efficiency of getting to your visits, Park Medical Aesthetics is a great option if you live in Dundas West, Queen West, Liberty Village or Roncesvalles.

No; unlike filler, neurotoxin does not migrate. The active ingredient absorbs within minutes to hours of injection, and cannot move once it’s absorbed. When clients say “migration,” they usually mean one of those things – the product affected a muscle that was not meant to be treated, or a muscle was overtreated, usually the forehead, causing brow heaviness or ptosis.

Neurotoxin may not be suitable if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, have a neuromuscular disorder, or are taking certain antibiotics (like tetracycline or aminoglycosides). If any of these apply, let us know and we’ll discuss alternative options.

Neurotoxin also has limitations – it is not able to treat deep, static lines, and won’t correct collagen loss over time. A part of the consultation process is to understand your expectations and ensure the treatment will provide the result you want; sometimes, expectations don’t match what neurotoxin can do, and a different treatment modality altogether may be more effective.

The main difference between preventative and corrective neurotoxin treatments is in the ultimate goal of the treatment. Preventative botox, sometimes called “baby botox,” aims to reduce how strongly certain muscles contract so you don’t develop lines over time. Preventative botox is done earlier – in your 20s and 30s – and sometimes, but not always, involves fewer units. Corrective botox treats lines that have already formed by reducing how strongly those muscles are able to form them. This reduces both the lines made when you actively contract a muscle, and the resting tone of that muscle, making the skin look smoother. Corrective botox sometimes needs more units than purely preventative botox. Neurotoxins often aren’t able to fully eliminate the appearance of wrinkles that have already formed, so pairing corrective tox treatments with a collagen-activating treatment like microneedling will get you much better results. 

Neurotoxin treatments need very little in terms of up-keep between treatments. Using regular SPF and skin care that supports your ultimate goals is the best way to get the most out of your tox treatments: 

• If you love the glass-skin appearance you get from neurotoxin, the P-TIOX serum contains peptides, exfoliants, and laminaria extract that will provide that smooth appearance to the full face, not just the areas treated. If you prefer, it also comes as a cream. 

• To boost your skin’s collagen, the A.G.E serum or cream contains fruit extracts that protect your collagen from glycation, helping keep it elastic, preventing wrinkles and maintaining skin tightness. 

• Of course, skin care staples are also important – ensure you have a high quality antioxidant serum, exfoliation routine, and retinoid to protect your skin’s health and longevity.