Posts

Botox, Dysport and Xeomin - what's the difference?

Image
There are 3 brands of botulinum toxin available in Australia: Botox – produced by Allergan - the American brand. Dysport – produced by Galderma - the European brand. Xeomin – produced by Merz - the German brand. The similarities and differences between these products will be outlined below. Botulinum Toxin Type A Botox, Dysport and Xeomin all contain the same active ingredient: botulinum toxin A. Click here to learn how botulinum toxin works to paralyse muscles. Botox was the first of the 3 to gain approval for use - in 1999 in Australia - and almost 30 years ago in the USA. Since then, Botox has become synonymous with erasing wrinkles. Dysport then came along as a slightly cheaper alternative and has steadily gained market share. Xeomin is the newest brand of botulinum toxin on the market. Accessory Proteins and Resistance While Botox, Dysport, and Xeomin are all made up of botulinum toxin type A, their composition differs in the amount of accessory proteins that su
Read more

How popular is botox?

Image
Botox is the most popular non-surgical cosmetic procedure in the world - with over 6 million procedures having being done in 2018. The most popular surgical procedure was breast augmentation (a bit shy of 2 million procedures globally). The International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons ( ISAPS ) compiled these statistics during a global survey in 2018. International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons - 2018. Botox  was also the most popular cosmetic procedure for men.  In Australia, there were over 41000 botox procedures performed, with the numbers growing yearly. Fillers came in second, accounting for around 29000 procedures, followed by breast augmentation, with 17000 procedures. People aged between 35 to 50 years accounted for 46% of botox procedures. Interestingly, people aged between 19 to 34 years made up 22% of botox procedures, indicating the popularity of preventing lines whilst still young. 
Read more

Gold Coast botox clinics

Image
Here is a list of clinics on the Gold Coast providing Botox, Dysport and Xeomin - although it should be noted that some clinics will only offer 1 brand. This was compiled from publically available information. Unregulated practitioners may be administering Botox, so it is important that you check their qualifications . This website was created as an independent site to help educate new and existing users of botulinum toxin (referred to as Botox). We hope this demystifies the process of getting  botox on the Gold Coast . All information on this website is for informative and educational purposes only. We do not provide nor profit from cosmetic injectibles. We do not accept payments for links or listings. Doctors: Clinic:  Rejuven8 Cosmetix Contact: 07 5593 3388 Location: Robina Doctor: Dr Lindsey Hooke and Dr Douglas Grose + nurse injectors + dermal therapists. Pricing:  Botox, Dysport and Xeomin Clinic: GC Injectables at Chevron Advanced Medical Centre Contact: 07 5
Read more

Let's talk about fillers

Image
Dermal fillers are becoming more and more popular as a cosmetic injectable. They can help you achieve fuller looking lips, erase deep lines and plump up your cheeks. Fillers can even be used in nose shaping, chin augmentation and jaw definition. However, unlike botox , fillers can have permanent side effects that can be dangerous. You should be fully informed about the risks of each procedure before proceeding. More and more filler to reduce wrinkles does not make a balanced face. There are 3 main types of fillers: temporary fillers, permanent fillers and biostimulators. Temporary fillers comprise of hyaluronic acids. These are temporary as the hyaluroic acid gel is slowly absorbed by the surrounding tissue and disappears in a process called iso-volumetric degradation. Permanent fillers either consist of silicon or permanent hydrogels. These cannot be degraded or absorbed by the surrounding tissue. Generally speaking, permanent fillers = permanent problems. The third type of
Read more

Botched botox

Image
Although risks and side effects of botox are low, they still exist. A myriad of side effects have been reported. These include: Headache Neck pain Back pain Dry eyes Double vision Dizziness Drowsiness Lethargy Allergic reaction Flare up of cold sores Flu-like illness Difficulty swallowing Shortness of breath Urine infection Infection Swelling Pain Bleeding Bruising Rash Itch Reduced sweating in some areas Increased sweating in other areas Dry mouth Nausea Loss of appetite Abdominal discomfort Diarrhoea There have been no reported cases of death from the use of Botox Cosmetic since it's inception. Specific risks of botulinum toxin include: Eyelid droop: the Paris Hilton ptosis effect. Although in her case, it is due to a medical condition. Eyebrow droop: in this example, this woman's right eyebrow is significantly lower than her left. Frozen face: Nicole Kidma
Read more

Who can inject botox?

Image
Before undergoing your cosmetic procedures, please make sure you check your injector's qualifications and that they are registered with AHPRA - just enter the injector's name and state (for example, QLD). They must be a registered doctor, registered nurse or dental practitioner. You can find a list of registered clinics performing botox on the Gold Coast here. Botulinum toxin is a Schedule 4 medication in Australia. This means that it is a prescription-only medication. It is required to be prescribed by a registered medical doctor or dentist. A registered nurse can inject botox, but only under the supervision of a doctor. That is why you may have had to have a video conference with a doctor prior to your nurse injector doing the injections. If you did not meet a doctor and didn't have a video conference prior to your treatment, the doses of Botox being injected will be unregulated and you may not know if it has been mixed in the correct strength or diluted. It is also
Read more

How many units of botox do I need? How much does it cost?

Image
This is a tricky question and the answer depends on a few different factors: - Whether you are male or female. Males generally reqiure higher doses. - The strength of the muscle being targeted. A strong frown will require higher doses. - The amount of paralysis you wish to achieve. A frozen face will require higher doses. - Whether you have developed any antibodies to Botox or Dysport. If you have developed antibodies, you will need higher doses to achieve the same effect. This is not recommended as you will eventually develop immunity to botulinum toxin. There is less risk of this happening with Xeomin. Lets recap the equivalent doses of the 3 brands of botulinum toxin: 1 unit of Botox = 1 unit of Xeomin = 2.5 units of Dysport. If you haven't already read this, you may be interested in what the difference is between Botox, Dysport and Xeomin . Frown lines Women will typically require 10 to 30 units of Botox or Xeomin for their frown lines, which is equivalent to 25
Read more