Tips on Setting Patient Expectation
Static vs Dynamic facial lines – It is so important to have a full understanding of facial line and wrinkle formation and to understand the difference between a Static and a Dynamic facial line – this explanation must be explained to your patient in simple understandable terms. This is so important in setting treatment expectation.
Dynamic facial lines can be treated and diminished with the first Botox treatment but Static etched in lines are going to require a minimum of 3 consecutive Botox treatments to soften and Patients must understand this.
Facial Line Formation
When we are younger hyper functional facial lines begin as transient dynamic facial creases which are formed when a muscle contracts but diminish when the muscle relaxes.
Over time as we age repeated action of these muscles in combination with depleting collagen and elastin in the skin contributes to the formation of etched in static lines, these lines are present on both muscle contraction and remain when the muscle relaxes.
New Patient - Treatment Expectation
When new Patients present with etched in static upper facial lines, they believe that one treatment of Botox will erase these lines, but as we know these static lines are etched-in lines on the skin created over years of repetitive muscular movement accompanied by the declining elasticity of the skin and are most often evident on patients in their 40s, 50s and beyond. These static lines will require several Consecutive treatments of Botox to ‘soften’, the best recommendation to present is generally 3 consecutive treatments across a 12 month period.
When the facial muscle is relaxed with Botulinum toxin for a period of 12 months, the treated muscle will be unable to clench within this period, the associated static lines created by the clenching action of this muscle over the years, can now start to repair themselves, this repair can be aided and accelerated by medical grade skin treatments when the muscle is in this relaxed state.
Setting Treatment Expectation increases Patient Satisfaction
So remember when new patients present for upper facial Botulinum toxin treatment it must be explained that Dynamic movement/lines can be diminished with the first Botox treatment but any associated Static lines will require a minimum of 3 consecutive Botox treatments to soften.
Such education will greatly increase the patient’s understanding of treatment expectation and greatly increase patient satisfaction.
