Frotox or Anti-Wrinkle Injections?
Dr Ayham Al-Ayoubi said: A number of my regular patients have been asking me about the new treatment the media have nicknamed ‘frotox’ which goes by the official name of iovera.
It is the apparent latest ‘big thing’ in aesthetic medicine to have entered the Uk anti-ageing market, so I think it’s time to document a few of my thoughts about this new craze.
Iovera is described by the distributing company as a new toxin-free treatment for those who want to temporarily reduce the appearance of facial wrinkles by using the body’s natural response to cold to relax the muscles that cause facial wrinkles.
I’m sure alot of people have heard of the American FDA (Federal Drug Administration) is an agency responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the regulation and supervision for a lot of things in relation to health issues including ,medical devices.
They insist on stringent testing and comprehensive studies before they give their endorsement ‘stamp’ to any product. As a consumer, you can be assured that if you undergo a FDA approved treatment, it is a bone fide, tried and tested procedure.
Of course possible side effects can still arise, especially if patients place themselves in unskilled hands!
Frotox – iovera was developed in California but is not allowed to be used in the USA for cosmetic purposes even so it has been approved by the FDA for the purpose of treating facial pains and migraines.
Therefore I strongly believe that Frotox like any other new invention should not be used in the UK for cosmetic purposes until it has the official FDA approval for that purpose.
I believe we all have to learn from bad experiences such as the PIP scandal which is a classic example of using a product without FDA approval.
We have to be careful of some manufacturers who sometimes bring their aesthetic/anti-ageing products to the European market first, essentially to trial and gather data in order to present to the FDA decision makers.
As a doctor, it’s my duty to ensure that we are not offering our patients an unregulated treatment which has not been approved by the FDA for specific purposes.
Dr Ayham Al-Ayoubi: For the time being the Anti-Wrinkle Injections (botulinium toxin) is still the safest, simplest and proven treatment to improve and soften dynamic lines and wrinkles in the upper part of the face with the a natural result lasting up to 6-9 months.
Frotox may well work and could give good results that reverse within 3 months, but we should always put our patient’s health and safety before their cosmetic results.
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