Tips and Tricks for Facial Toxin Injections with Illustrated Anatomy

Abstract

Learning objectives: After studying this article, the participant should be able to: 1. Recognize facial muscle contraction direction and muscle morphology based on skin surface movements and facial rhytides. 2. Classify different muscle contraction patterns and target respectively with the recommended dosage and injection technique. 3. Apply the presented injection techniques to the patients' individual anatomy with greater precision and without affecting adjacent muscles or causing other adverse events.

Summary: Facial muscular anatomy has recently gained increased attention, with new investigative methodologies and new injection techniques arising on the market. These recent advancements have increased our understanding about the functional anatomy of facial muscles and have changed the way health care professionals see and understand their interplay during various facial expressions and in determining facial shape. This new anatomical understanding of facial muscles and their interaction has resulted in superior neuromodulator treatment outcomes with fewer side effects and with increased precision. The latter is of greatest importance, as all facial muscles act as a unit and connect with each other. It is therefore paramount to target during neuromodulator treatments only the muscle responsible for the aesthetic effect desired and not other adjacent muscles, which can have different or even antagonistic effects. Conventional anatomy was previously limited to two-dimensional explanations of muscle locations without incorporating their detailed action or their three-dimensional location of extent. The "new" anatomy incorporates those novel concepts and, once understood, will help health care providers to understand better and to "read" the underlying muscular anatomy based on the wrinkle status and based on the change in skin surface landmarks based on the actions of the underlying musculature. The following article summarizes tips and tricks, pearls and pitfalls, and dos and don'ts during facial neuromodulator injections along with a guide toward adverse event management and patient outcome assessment with special focus on the underlying anatomy.