Neurotoxins are oftentimes the first injectable for many who are dipping their toes into the large pool of aesthetics. Getting a neurotoxin injection, whether it be Botox Cosmetic, Dysport, Xeomin, Jeuveau or Daxxify, has practically become a rite of passage into adulthood. With its use increasing neurotoxins have solidified their place as a go-to cosmetic treatment for millions of patients. The concept of once you start, it’s hard to stop, extends past neurotoxin injections, with new statistics suggesting that many patients who go into their providers’ offices for neurotoxin injections are often back soon for other injectables and aesthetic treatments.
Ahead, we spoke with dermatologists about the concept of neurotoxins as an entry point to more engagement and awareness within the aesthetics sphere.
Featured experts
- Dr. Shereen Teymour is a board-certified dermatologist in New York
- Connie Yang, MD is a board-certified dermatologist in New York
Neurotoxins as a patient’s first treatment
Statistics show that getting injected with a neurotoxin not only leads to getting more, but that people are more likely to get hyaluronic acid filler at future appointments. “The first treatment is always the hardest step, and neurotoxins happen to be the easiest entry point for many patients,” explains New York dermatologist Connie Yang, MD. Once patients see results and love them, they’re often more willing to explore other treatments, she adds.
According to an Allergan Aesthetics online survey, 85 percent of patients who receive Botox Cosmetic will either immediately or within one to six months after treatment receive filler. Additionally, Allergan reports that Botox Cosmetic patients who get treated three or more times a year are 44 percent more likely to add filler to their treatment plan. “In my experience, after a full cosmetic consultation, many patients choose to start with Botox Cosmetic [or another neurotoxin] and then plan for more involved treatments later on. It often feels like the most approachable entry point because it’s familiar, relatively low-commitment, and widely accepted,” says Dr. Yang.
Neurotoxins open the door to more aesthetic treatments
Neurotoxin injections open up the door to more aesthetic experimentation. “Neurotoxins [are] often a gateway treatment because it’s low-risk, temporary, and comes with virtually no downtime. It has far less stigma these days and since it feels like a relatively easy, low-commitment way to dip a toe into cosmetic treatments, many people start with it,” explains Dr. Yang.
New York dermatologist Dr. Shereen Teymour agrees, adding that once patients realize that aesthetic procedures like neurotoxins can be subtle, allowing patients to still look like themselves, they may become more open to other treatments like filler, biostimulatory injectables, lasers or skin tightening. “I do see neurotoxins acting as an entry point into aesthetic dermatology. Many patients come in initially wanting just neurotoxins and once we start discussing the face more globally, they often realize that the concern they are seeing may not be fully addressed by them alone.” Though neurotoxins can soften movement lines, they won’t replace volume loss, improve skin quality, treat sun damage or tighten laxity. “That is where conversations about lasers, fillers or collagen-stimulating treatments naturally come in,” she adds.
Dr. Yang thinks that neurotoxins serve as a gateway to greater awareness. It’s more about familiarity, she says. “It can increase patients’ understanding of what’s possible and make them more engaged in their overall aesthetic goals.”
Once someone has a positive experience with neurotoxins, that fear of the unknown tends to fade. They become more familiar with the process, build trust with their provider, and realize that cosmetic treatments can look natural. At that point, they’re usually more open to considering other treatments that they may have previously viewed as too extreme or intimidating.
