The cosmetic possibilities of botulinum toxin were first realised in 1987, when an improvement in the expression wrinkles of the brow was noted after treating a patient with blepharospasm, though the first publications on the treatment of wrinkles on the glabella and the peri-ocular region did not appear until the start of the nineties3, and subsequently its usefulness was demonstrated on other areas of the face and neck4. However, there are adverse local effects as a result of puncture (pain, erythema, oedema) and diffusion of the toxin (ptosis of the eyelids and eyebrows, asymmetry of the smile, flaccidity, difficulty in speaking)5.
The search for new compounds to prevent or attenuate skin aging and enhance self-image6 is a priority of current research on active cosmetics.