BOTULINUM TOXIN THE ALLY OF BEAUTY AND YOUTH

Dr. Giulio Borbon, a natural look and botulinum toxin, what's the connection?

In my clinical experience, explains Dr. Giulio Borbon, I have noticed that the reaction of patients to the word "botulinum toxin" ("Botox") is always one of distrust, as well as of genuine fear. Upon closer examination, the association usually triggered at an unconscious level is "botulinum toxin = paralysis, unnatural face, lack of expression".

In short, it is usually a completely negative connotation. Unfortunately, this is a misconception, since the extensive scientific literature shows that botulinum toxin is one of the most widely controlled drugs, therefore, just as in clinical practice, it represents an excellent treatment option – in the hands of an aesthetic surgeon – to act on expression lines and signs of ageing, in particular on the upper third of the face.

And it is precisely the reliability of botulinum toxin which makes it possible to extend its use to new areas of the face. In this case, therefore, the commitment of the doctor and the surgeon is twofold: not only must the treatment be applied competently, but the product characteristics must also be correctly explained.

First of all, it must be understood that botulinum toxin is a non-harmful drug, which doesn't hurt, even if the word "toxin" hardly helps the patient's perception. Botulinum toxin is a product which, if injected properly, ensures maximum patient satisfaction.

I, continues Dr. Giulio Borbon, proceed first of all by tracing on the face the points where the botulinum toxin is to be injected; this can also be diluted, depending on the specific needs and the areas to be treated. It is true that sometimes we see "visible" damage from botulinum toxin, but only as a result of incompetence or inexperienced hands as, when properly administered with a correct technique, a good sense of aesthetics, combined with adequate doses, it can guarantee an extremely pleasant and natural effect. It is absolutely not true that it paralyses the muscles. Instead, it relaxes them, in a selective way.

Relaxing some muscles eliminates certain expression lines, giving a very natural effect. I, specifies Dr. Giulio Borbon, tend to advise my patients not to completely eliminate all wrinkles from the face.

There are expression lines that can also add an interesting look and do not change your overall expression. For example, horizontal wrinkles are not necessarily unpleasant because they do not change your expression. It is the vertical wrinkles that I recommend removing, as these are the ones responsible for giving the face a tired, wrinkled expression, and a weighed-down look. By working in such a way as to keep all these factors in balance, you can achieve a result with a very natural expression.

New targets and new users: today the male clientele no longer seems resistant or indifferent to aesthetic medicine. Is this a trend that you also feel you can confirm?

Certainly, continues Dr. Giulio Borbon, today even men are more concerned about their appearance than in the past. It must be said that men are also taking more care of their bodies and above all it is no longer a taboo or something to hide. Of course, aesthetic medicine certainly follows different therapeutic paths between men and women. And the aesthetic doctor's approach must also be different.

And so, Dr Borbon, what are the treatments most in demand by men?

I would like to point out that a man's face tends to get away with a few more lines than a woman's face. And this must be taken into account during the request for treatment. I, for example, also treat the male face with botulinum toxin. Men are increasingly asking to smooth out their look, to have a fresher face, and we are certainly not going to work on volumes. I believe that it is always good for both women and men to maintain the typical Italian aesthetic tastes , the sense of beauty, the relationship between proportions, the sense of harmony and balance. Without forcing it.

What will be, in your opinion, the evolution of aesthetic medicine?

Patients come in with a request and via Google search they often already arrive with the answer. And this is wrong, explains Dr. Giulio Borbon, because it is the doctor, the specialist, who must advise the type of treatment to be performed or how best to intervene. Sometimes it is also necessary to know whether to stop and refuse to perform certain interventions.

Absolute symmetry on a face can very often be much less interesting than personal and distinctive details that can add character to a face. The sense of aesthetics is not about perfection, but harmony. Nature is an example of this: nature is perfect in its non-symmetry. So sometimes saying no is not only advisable, but absolutely necessary to distinguish the mark of a professional, because the results remain on the patients' faces and they reflect us as doctors and our modus operandi.

The future of medical aesthetics is already evolving into what is now called "regenerative" medicine and more generally into the global care of the individual where many aspects such as a person's diet and lifestyle are brought together, including the psychological interconnections that are so subtle but so fundamental in terms of a person's entire image.

You also refer to psychological aspects, and this brings to mind an aspect that is related to the age of the patients that seems to be getting younger and younger...what are the "instructions for use" that the professional has to give?

Yes, I can confirm this trend too, and it's worth giving it some thought. Both female and male patients always turn first to aesthetic medicine professionals and this has inevitable repercussions also on the ethics of our work. By this, I am referring to patients who, precisely because they come to our offices at a young age, very often approach aesthetic medicine and surgery with requests that are too "exuberant" and excessive.

This is why, concludes Dr. Giulio Borbon, it is essential to turn to a competent professional, who knows how best to advise and educate without exaggeration. I consider the American concept of "Ageing Management" useful, which focuses on a "management" of the ageing process rather than on the tendency to excessively counteract the ageing process, which is uncontrollable but can be managed in a harmonious way. It is a process that requires ongoing education, and which begins early through a correct lifestyle, to lengthen one's youth and active age.