Move over Botox, there’s a new wrinkle-smoothing injectable on the block. It’s faster and cheaper – but is it a good thing? Our beauty director finds out
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When it comes to making wrinkles magically disappear (temporarily at least) and preventing them from getting deeper, toxin injections like Botox have always been your best bet. However, they take 10 days to two weeks to install and work, plus they only last about three to four months. But now there’s a new toxin injection on the adaptation block that addresses both of these issues: Relfydess.
Relfydess freezes your facial muscles in hours, not days, and clinical trials have shown that results last about five to six months, about two months longer than Botox.
His credentials are outstanding. Manufactured by Galderma, the leading Swiss dermatology company that makes other well-known injectables such as Sculptra and the filler Restylane, as well as high street skincare, Cetaphil, Relfydess has significant research and development behind it, not to mention meeting safety standards.
When I heard that Dr. Ahmed El Muntasar switched to Relfydess, I was curious. GP, beautician and owner The Aesthetics clinic he has given me toxin injections in the past and I have always been happy with the results. So I made an appointment at his clinic in London to try it out.
SJ with Dr. Ahmed El Muntasar
What is Relfydess?
Relfydess, like Botox, is a toxin injected into the skin, directly into the facial muscles. It then attaches itself to the nerve endings attached to the muscle, blocking the messages between the nerve endings and the muscle fibers, causing the muscles to freeze and remain smooth and wrinkle-free.
So how does Relfydess work faster than other toxin injections? “It’s unique because it comes in a ready-to-use liquid form, whereas most other botulinum toxin brands come as a powder that needs to be mixed with saline prior to treatment,” explains Muntasar. If you’ve had toxin injections before, you probably didn’t know it, as it’s usually mixed and prepared as you sit in the chair.
“Galderma used a patented Pearl technology for Relfydess, which is a specialized cleaning and manufacturing process,” he says. “It makes it very stable but also a much more stable product. Because, with other toxin injections, you have to mix the powder with saline, you can’t control the potency level in each drop, it’s beyond what even the most skilled professional can do. However, because Relfydess has gone through this amazing purification process, every drop of Relfydes works that much faster.”
Galderma has put it through clinical trials and reports that 40% of patients can see results within 24 hours. A statistic Muntasar tells me he has seen with his own clients.
What is it like to have Relfydess?
The experience is identical to any other toxin injection. My appointment with Muntasar starts with me frowning and smiling too much so he can see where my strongest lines and wrinkles are. And then he starts injecting.
It feels the same as any injectable, although a little more scratchy and “bad” in areas where there is less fat on your face. I take a few deep breaths, and it’s all over in seconds.
Results and downtime
As with any other toxin injection, there is zero downtime. You leave the clinic just as you did when you came in – no redness, bruising or swelling.
It’s what happens the next day that marks the real difference. With previous toxin injections I’ve had, it took about 10 days to feel the first signs of “tightness”, which is the feeling you get when your muscles start to freeze (similar to the feeling you get with the onset of a headache) and two weeks for it to take full effect.
With Relfydess it took 36 hours. By day 3, I had the look I wanted – about 80 percent frozen muscles in my forehead with little movement left (but that’s down to Dr Ahmed’s injection specialist skills and not the product itself). This is revolutionary, especially if you’re the type of person who wants results as quickly as possible (aren’t we all like that these days?), but also if you want to look fresh for an event or special occasion, but didn’t have the foresight to book an appointment weeks in advance.
It’s only been a few weeks since I had the injections, so I can’t report on its long-term staying power, but Galderma’s trials have shown that 75 percent of patients have results that last up to six months. Anecdotally, Dr. Ahmed hears from clients that this happens as well. Three to four months is the typical time frame for toxin injections to last for me, so if it lasts longer I’ll be thrilled as it means less travel to schedule into a busy schedule. Currently, Muntasar charges the same for Reflydess as his previous toxin injection, but even if the price increases slightly, with the need for fewer appointments it becomes more affordable.
If, however, you’ve never tried toxin injections before but want to dip your toe in, I’d recommend starting with Botox instead of Relfydess. This is because if you don’t like the result, it will wear off faster. If an adjustment is going to take six months, it’s important to go with a professional whose work you like.
Relfydess is available in selected clinics in the UK. To find a reliable professional, visit British College of Aesthetic Medicine.
Relfydess with Dr Ahmed at The Doctor of Aesthetics it costs £295 for one area, £345 for two areas and £395 for three areas.
