Our Guide to Allergy Season
Hay fever season can herald puffy faces, red eyes and runny noses and may feel like the least glamorous time of the year for some of us. We have a few helpful tips and tricks au Formulaire to help you survive the season beautifully.
We all know (and love) botulinum toxins / wrinkle relaxers for their refreshing effect on the skin, but did you know these powerful potions are also used widely in medicine to help secretory disorders? Autonomic secretory disorders such as hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating), as well as hyperlacrimation (excessive tearing) and sialorrhea (excessive saliva production) have all been successfully treated with Botulinum Toxin A (BtXA) in multiple studies. (1)
You may be wondering how this little medicine can do so much for us, and it all comes down to how BtXA works. We can accrue muscle relaxing benefits as well as reducing glandular output due to the fact that this molecule works at the neuromuscular and neuroglandular junction at the nerve ending. At the presynaptic terminal (i.e. the endplate of the nerve), BtXA reduces the release of acetylcholine. This temporary reduction in acetylcholine reduces the stimulus to the gland or the muscle, hence the lovely relaxed smoothening of the skin as well as the reduction in sweating. All powered by the same drug.
With this knowledge in mind, attention has turned to the use of botulinums in other secretory disorders. Most recently, hay fever (known medically as allergic rhinitis) has garnered much attention due to the emerging evidence demonstrating the benefits of BtXA for the most annoying symptom – the runny nose. Allergic rhinits is a nasal hypersecretory disorder. In allergic rhinitis the nasal glands in the mucosa react after exposure to environmental allergens. The use of botulinums is believed to reduce this secretory reaction. (2) Botulinum Toxin A has also shown benefit in non-allergic rhinitis. (3)
Rather than inject the toxin like we see in other treatments, BtXA is dispersed into the nostrils using an atomising device - much like a nasal spray. Making the treatment quick, comfortable, and with no downtime whatsoever. Like other botox treatments, HayTox should last 3-4 months, making it the perfect treatment to fend off the frustrating symptom all summer long.
Of course, the other symptoms should not be overlooked and indeed not everyone experiences a runny nose. Other common symptoms include itchy, dry eyes, post nasal drips, sneezing and rashes of the skin. These pesky problems not only effect your activities of daily living, but can additionally affect the ageing of the skin due to the long-term inflammation. We will discuss the concept of “inflammageing” in a dedicated article but the elevated levels of pro-inflammatory messages in our tissues accelerates changes associated with ageing. A frequent cosmetic example of the effects of inflammation, is the fact that itchy, dry eyes can lead to post inflammatory hyperpigmentation around the eyes leaving people with redness or darkening of the thin skin in this region.
Not all hope is lost for allergy season and we have a few tricks up our sleeves to help you. Here is the formula we recommend at Le Formulaire to keep hay fever season under control:
· Shower before bed – including the dreaded hair wash. This reduces the allergens coming to bed with that you have accumulated throughout the day
· Change pillowcases regularly for the reasons listed above and it reduces allergen build up in your bed linen.
· Eye drops – keep them in the fridge and be diligent about using them.
· Taking anti-histamines regularly when appropriate. Ideally you should consider taking allergy medication prior to coming into contact with the allergen, sometimes it’s even best to take antihistamines before bed the night before allergy exposure. Always talk to your GP/pharmacist for personalised advice.
· Cold compresses AM and PM (we keep a silk eye mask in the fridge – we know we are very bougie!)
· Allergens can find their way into our homes easily and whilst it is more of an investment for allergy sufferers, it may be wise to invest in an air purifier.
· In-clinic treatments can help a great deal with symptoms and cosmetic concerns.
o Intransal BtXA also known as “HayTox” can help reduce the runny nose symptoms.
o Polynucleotides have powerful anti-inflammatory action to help keep skin and undereyes hydrated, calm and reduce the skin thinning associated with inflammation and chronic eye-rubbing.
o Undereye NCTF can deliver brightening and hydrating antioxidants into the the skin around the eyes.
We are here to help keep you fresh throughout allergy season.
1. Naumann, M. and Jost, W. (2004), Botulinum toxin treatment of secretory disorders. Mov. Disord., 19: S137-S141. https://doi.org/10.1002/mds.20067
2. Ozcan, C., Ismi, O. Botulinum Toxin for Rhinitis. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep 16, 58 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11882-016-0636-3
3. Rohrbach S, Junghans K, Köhler S, Laskawi R. Minimally invasive application of botulinum toxin A in patients with idiopathic rhinitis. Head Face Med. 2009 Oct 16;5:18. doi: 10.1186/1746-160X-5-18. PMID: 19835591; PMCID: PMC2770996.