Rise in BRIDETOX disasters

Dr Vivek Eranki (pictured), founder and CEO of Australia’s leading national brand of cosmetic, beauty and injectable clinics, Cosmetique, has warned ‘BRIDETOX’ disasters are on the rise and he is encouraging brides-to-be to avoid drastic Botox treatments before their wedding. Typical wedding season in Australia stretches from September to May.

According to Dr Vivek Eranki, Cosmetique clinics are experiencing a rise in the number of women coming in for help to undo bad injectable treatments in the lead up to their wedding day.

“Our doctors and nurses are seeing a concerning rise in the number of women coming in to our Cosmetique clinics for help because they have had Botox and filler treatments for the first time or they have been talked into having excessive Botox in the lead up to their wedding day and their face has not turned out how they expected,” Dr Eranki said.

“Understandably, many women are distraught. For example, one bride-to-be looked as though one side of her face was drooping compared to the other. Another woman presented with filler in her face that looked uneven.

“Another bride-to-be found that one of her eyebrows had lifted quite considerably while the other side had not and it made her look half surprised.

“While we are able to fix many issues, my strong advice to brides-to-be is if you want to get Botox before your wedding, make sure you go to a reputable clinic and secondly, this is not the time to be undertaking drastic treatments. Just aim for minimal treatments.

“If you want to achieve drastic results, start 12 months in advance so you can manage the results and adjust if needed.”

Dr Eranki’s top tips to avoid BRIDETOX

Do your homework

“Always book in with a good injectables clinic.  Not all clinics are the same and not all technicians are the same. Our team includes nurses and on top of their extensive training, we also provide ongoing mentoring and coaching. This helps to ensure we deliver the best results possible,” Dr Eranki said.

“Do your research and look up reviews. If a clinic is promoting a special offer and it seems too good to true, then it probably isn’t. Good quality Botox is not cheap. Don’t risk putting something into your body that is not of the highest quality.”

Start well before your wedding day

“An experienced skin care and injectables clinic will recommend that you undertake Botox treatments six to 12 months ahead of your wedding day. This is certainly what our clinics recommend,” Dr Eranki said.

“While you can start earlier, the important point is to book in with a highly skilled technician. Don’t risk your big day with a clinic that doesn’t have the required experience or skills.

“Everyone reacts differently to Botox. There are many variables involved including quality of product, volume and placement. On top of this everyone reacts differently so it is important to understand how your face may respond.”

Avoid smoking, vaping and weight loss

“If you have undertaken a Botox treatment, it is important to avoid certain things including vaping and dieting,” Dr Eranki said.

“Both will hasten the breakdown of Botox in the body which means it will not last as long. The reality is that most brides-to-be are trying to lose weight before their big day. This needs to be taken into consideration when you undertake Botox treatments.”

Drink more water and stay out of the sun

“The skin is the body’s largest organ and it requires hydration to function. Vaping and cigarette smoking dehydrate the body. Ensure that you are hydrating your body as much as possible to counter the impact of nasty habits like vaping,” Dr Eranki added.

“Dehydration impacts the longevity of treatments such as Botox and fillers. Sunburn damages the skin and also dehydrates the skin, so best to try and stay out of the sun as well.”

Consider supplements

“It is important to support your Botox treatments with good health and wellness decisions. Some research has shown that if you want to make your Botox last longer you could take a zinc supplement, because botulinum toxin requires zinc to function,” Dr Eranki said.

“In one small study, most participants who took 50mg of zinc and 3,000 PU of phytase (an enzyme) saw a 30 percent increase in how long their Botox lasted.”