The lines on the face are usually caused due to the contractions of delicate underlying facial muscles — every time we smile, laugh or frown. These formed lines give out an angry, tired or sad appearance. Until now, Botox aka Botulinum toxin injection was the only way these lines could be reduced and the forehead could be made to look clean and blemish-free. But the latest breakthrough in the field of beauty and cosmetology is the Notox treatment – that's quite changing the face of surgical treatments. Celebrities like Renee Zellweger and Donatella Versace have allegedly undergone the procedure. This completely non-invasive technique corrects your facial expressions, without the injection of toxins. The procedure entails the usage of radio frequency (RF) to attack the nerve, triggering the muscle movement that gets disrupted and prevents contraction of muscles. Since no toxin is injected into the skin, a large number of people are giving their nod to this procedure.
How different is this from botox? Botox is a neurotoxin produced by a bacteria Clostridium botulinum. This acts at the nerve muscle junction to prevent nerve stimulus reaching the muscle thus paralysing them. On the other hand, Notox involves first assessing the muscles, which need to be paralysed. Then a low dose electric current is used through a needle to identify the nerve supplying the particular muscle. Once the nerve has been identified, a controlled dose of radio frequency (RF) energy is administered to a portion of the nerve, disrupting its ability to send a signal to the muscle. Moreover, notox-based procedures such as Skinbreeze, which is a facial that includes a combined micro-dermabrasion and LED light treatment, are gaining traction. This procedure is followed by an oxygen infusion of neo-peptide rich serums, thus inhibiting muscle responses. Under such techniques, only specific muscles can be targeted leaving the other muscles intact.
The effect of Notox lasts for about a year. The caveats,though, include the fact that the process is more invasive and painful than using a toxin. This means that local anesthesia is an integral part of the procedure. The effects can be disastrous if nerve fibers supplying surrounding muscles get traumatised. So, it is imperative that a prior consultation with your cosmetic surgeon is done before settling in for the same
— The writer is a cosmetic surgeon
