cosmetic MD



You can obtain more information about anti-wrinkle injections by sending us an email at the
Contact page or call us to arrange a consultation.

What are wrinkles?

A wrinkle is essentially a crease, line, fold or furrow in the skin. There are two main types of wrinkles on the face.

Dynamic wrinkles occur during muscle movement - for example, the area between the eyebrows (the glabella) creases when you frown or the lines at the side of your eyes crease when you smile.

Static wrinkles are present at rest (the is, when you are not moving the underlying muscles). Static wrinkles are formed by repetitive creasing in the skin, from the facial expressions that we make on a daily basis. Over time static wrinkles become deeper due to changes in the skin’s elasticity and thickness.

What are Anti-wrinkle Injections?

The active substance in anti-wrinkle injections is a purified protein. It has been used in medicine for over 40 years and in cosmetic medicine for over 20 years.

How do Anti-wrinkle injections work?

Many people have the impression that anti-wrinkle injections cause paralysis or numb the face. But it is not as scary as it sounds.

Anti-wrinkle injections do not harm the muscles or the nerves. We can target specific parts of muscles with the injections. Simply administering any amount of anti-wrinkle injection does not necessarily cause paralysis of that muscle - the effect depends on the dose (how much is put in).

Your muscles move in response to a signal from the brain that is sent via the nerves. Anti-wrinkle injections work by interrupting the signalling pathway from your brain to your muscles (and individual muscle fibres). If the muscle fibres do not receive that signal, they do not move. As more and more fibres of the muscle are blocked (by an increase in the dose), the weaker the muscles become.

A more complete explanation of what the active substance is, how it works and whether it will be suitable for you in your circumstances will be discussed at the consultation.

What is the effect of Anti-wrinkle injections on the skin?

Basically, anti-wrinkle injections address
dynamic wrinkles. They indirectly improve static wrinkles by allowing the skin to rest. The skin is not being creased as much while the anti-wrinkle injections are working. The static lines soften naturally through the skin’s own mechanical properties.

Anti-wrinkle injections can be used as either or both a preventative and corrective measure to improve the look of moderate to severe facial lines.

A major advantage of anti-wrinkle injections is that they are temporary. The nerves will virtually always recover over three to four months by which time re-treatment is performed.

Who are the best candidates for anti-wrinkle injections?

Generally, anti-wrinkle injections are intended for adult men and women between the ages of 18-65. If you are wanting to preserve your youthful appearance or you want to improve the look of existing fine lines and wrinkles, anti-wrinkle injections may be the solution for you!

What is the cost of Anti-wrinkle injections?

Anti-wrinkle injections are priced per unit. You pay for what you use. The number of units is based on the area that you want treated. At your initial consultation with our physician you will be provided with the exact price of your treatment.

We do run special pricing from time to time - please check our website from time to time for details, or add yourself to our mailing list to be kept updated on specials.

What can I expect?

It is a common misconception that anti-wrinkle injections will erase facial expression and movements all together. The goal of a treatment is to soften facial lines, while still providing you with a natural appearance.

During the consultation at cosmetic MD, our physician will go through your medical history, discuss your concerns and expectations, and then advise on the most appropriate treatment. If it is decided that anti-wrinkle injections form part of your treatment program, it will be explained how many units you will need (the cost), any risks to treatment and what to expect following the injection. Digital photography will be performed to record your baseline appearance and movement and the results of treatment.

The actual injection is performed with a very fine needle and only takes a few minutes, with little or no discomfort.

After the injection you can return to work or home right away. You are advised not to touch or rub the treated area as this can spread the effect of the anti-wrinkle injection to unintended muscles.

Weakening of the treated muscle typically starts around 2 to 4 days and the maximum result is seen at 2 weeks.

Subsequent treatments will be needed at approximately 3 to 4 month intervals.

Is it safe?

The drug in our anti-wrinkle injections has been studied for over 4 decades. It has one of the best safety profiles of all prescription drugs and is considered extremely safe.

Are there any side effects?

Anti-wrinkle injections are generally well tolerated and have few side effects. There is no downtime and it is a safe walk-in, walk-out procedure.

The commonest side effects Include:
  • Redness and swelling in the treatment area, which subsides within a few hours
  • Headache in the frown area or forehead after treatment of these areas, in about 10% of patients
  • Bruising, very uncommon, related to the needle

Much less common side effects include:
  • Dizziness, nausea (usually related to the act of injection)
  • Weakness in an unintended muscle group (for example, a droopy eyelid if the frown area is treated)

How long does the effect last?

The typical duration of action is 3 months. However, there is a range of responses in different people ranging from 2 months up to 6 months or longer.

You will notice that your treated muscles will start moving and gradually return to normal strength. Ideally, we would advise retreating a short time before full movement returns as this is best for maintaining the effect on static wrinkles.

If you decide not to continue with anti-wrinkle injections, your muscle movement will return to normal and your wrinkles will reappear. They will not be worse but your static wrinkles will then start deepening again.

Can I receive (or continue to receive) anti-wrinkle injections during pregnancy?

At this time, we do not recommend treatment during pregnancy or while breast-feeding.

I am in my 20s, is that too young to start anti-wrinkle treatments?

There is a stigma that anti-wrinkle injections are only for “older” men and women. This is simply not the case. Anti-wrinkle injections are approved for adults between the ages of 18 to 65 and we know treatments can be a preventative measure.

It can be beneficial to start anti-wrinkle injections before wrinkles have the chance to set in. By keeping the skin from creasing you are maintaining a smooth, youthful appearance. This can help in the battle against the ageing process. Of course it is up to the individual to decide when they want to start their anti-wrinkle treatments. Patients either want to start when dynamic expression lines have become prominent and bothersome, or patients want to start at a young age to help prevent lines from forming.

If you are reading this page, it is likely that you have already developed an interest in anti-ageing treatments, and want to smooth out any mild-to moderate facial wrinkles. Simply put, if you are bothered by signs of ageing, and want to prevent wrinkle formation the 20s is not too young to start. We will discuss this at your consultation.


To find out more about anti-wrinkle injections, go to our


The active agent in anti-wrinkle injections has many other uses apart from softening dynamic wrinkles.

The major non-wrinkle uses we can address at
cosmetic MD are jawline contouring (by shaping the masseter muscle), excessive sweating and migraine.

Jawline contouring

When it comes to our perception of beauty and what attracts us, an attractive female face is defined by such features as large bright eyes, a small nose and clear skin.

The overall shape of the face is that of an inverted triangle or heart, where the top of the face gradually tapers off into the chin. This is similar across most cultures, whether Caucasian, Asian or African. A squarer jaw line is considered more of a masculine feature.

The masseter muscle sits at the angle of your jaw. In some people, it is larger than usual and protrudes outwards giving the face a boxier shape. This is common in many people in East Asia (such as Korea and China) but can occur across all races. The master can also become larger through “overuse” such as teeth grinding (bruxism).

Using anti-wrinkle injections in the masseter muscle decreases its bulk and weakens it. This has the effect of slimming the jawline and stops most cases of teeth grinding.

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Jawline, before treatment

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Jawline, before treatment

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Jawline, after treatment

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Jawline, after treatment

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Excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis)

Hyperhidrosis is more commonly known as excessive sweating. It is estimated that approximately 3% of the world's population suffer from this condition.

The cause of hyperhidrosis is unknown but it is thought to be due to abnormal thermal regulation or a problem in a part of the nervous system that is responsible for regulating the sweat glands. Bouts of sweating may be triggered by a variety of things such as exercise, spicy food, and anxiety.

Primary focal hyperhidrosis is sweating that occurs in the absence of another medical condition or medication. Generally, the condition develops at an early age and lasts for life. Those patients with primary focal hyperhidrosis experience excessive sweating on certain parts of the body, such as the face, hands, feet and underarms - areas that normally have a high concentration of sweat glands. The sweating that occurs can be a considerable source of anxiety or embarrassment for the patient, because of the appearance of wet stains on clothes, sweaty palms or body odour.

The reason why the active agent in anti-wrinkle injections works in hyperhidrosis is that the nerves supplying the sweat glands uses the same signalling mechanism as the muscles and can be blocked the same way. After treatment with anti-wrinkle injections, there is usually a noticeable reduction in the amount of sweat produced. There may be complete absence of sweating in some people but many see a significant reduction their sweating. The full effect may take up to 4 weeks to occur.The duration of action is typically around 6 to 9 months but can be as little as 4 months or as long as a year.

To find out more about treatment for hyperhidrosis, go to our

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Migraines and more severe headaches are experienced by millions of people worldwide. It more commonly affects women than men and is seen in people from about 10 to 50 years old. Migraines can be triggered by specific factors including hormonal changes, stress, depression and light exposure. The exact cause is unknown.

Migraines can be severe enough to immobilise sufferers, making them unable to even get out of bed. Migraines are often associated with other symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and light sensitivity.

An aura, also known as a warning sign, may be present up to a half hour before a headache is experienced. An aura is visible or a sensation. If it is visible, it is described as a shimmering light perceived around objects in a sufferer's field of vision. As a sensation, it includes dizziness and numbness of the extremities or face. Migraine sufferers tend to learn their individual warning symptoms and can often prevent an attack by taking migraine medication before the headache starts.

The active agent in anti-wrinkle injections has also been shown to improve migraines with a resultant headache free period for around 3 months. If effective it can be a significant life changing treatment for many sufferers.

To find out more about treatment for migraines, go to our

*Under Australian law, anti-wrinkle injections are prescription-only medicines, and therefore we are unable to name the products that we use.