Wrinkle Reducing & Muscle Relaxing Injections
What are wrinkles and how do they form?
We are all familiar with wrinkles or expression lines on the face and, the more expressive we are, the deeper these lines become with increasing age as collagen production and repair naturally slows down.
What is Botox?
Botox or Botulinum Toxin Type A is a therapeutic muscle-relaxing agent derived from the bacterium Clostridium botulinum and its many medical uses (e.g. muscle spasms and excess underarm sweating ) have been well-known for decades.
However, it now also provides a safe, effective and non-surgical treatment for facial lines and wrinkles.
How does it work?
Botox works by temporarily blocking the nerve endings to the facial muscles, thereby relaxing them and reducing muscle movement. Thus, the skin stops being creased and is allowed to recover. This means the lines become softer and gradually fade away. In fact, over time, patients can retrain the facial muscles to be less expressive and break their habit of subconscious overuse.
What can I have treated?
The most successful areas for these injections are crow’s feet around the eyes, frown lines above the nose (glabella) or worry lines on the forehead.
What does the treatment involve?
You will require very small doses of Botulinum Toxin Type A to be injected using an extremely fine needle into the appropriate areas. Thus, there is sometimes a brief stinging sensation but this is so mild and minor that anaesthesia is not usually required. You can return to normal activities immediately after the procedure. A whole session should last no more than 15-30 minutes depending upon the surface area being treated.
What about afterwards?
You may return to work immediately but you should avoid exercise or massaging the area for at least 4 hours to limit any possible spreading of the injected agent.
How quickly does it start to work?
You may notice some early benefits after only 2-3 days but the maximum wrinkle reduction is achieved after about 2 weeks. The final end result may even take up to 30 days, particularly in men with strong facial muscles.
How long does the treatment last?
The effect of wrinkle reduction following a single treatment of Botox will normally continue for approximately 3-6 months. You will notice a very gradual fading of its effect and at that point you may wish to return to our clinics for your next treatment. However, the response varies considerably between individuals and thus the degree of relief and duration of effect is never the same between two people.
Is it safe?
Botox has been used in many medical applications and also for cosmetic reasons for decades and it is extremely safe and effective.
Are there any side-effects?
Yes, Botox can have side-effects just like all active medications. Minor side-effects such as mild swelling, bruising or redness can occur in a small number of patients but these are always fully reversible within a few days. This can also be camouflaged if necessary using Jane Iredale mineral makeup.
Occasionally, there is a temporary drooping of the eyelid when injecting forehead wrinkles but this also resolves within a few weeks.
Finally, in very exceptional circumstances, patients can develop antibodies to the Botox after repeated injections such that subsequent treatments become ineffective, although this is seen more commonly in other medical applications where higher doses are used than in our cosmetic procedures.
Are there any other alternatives?
We can make many other suggestions, including medical peels, dermal fillers, camouflage cosmetics, radio-frequency skin tightening, microdermabrasion and even surgical face-lifts. During your free initial assessment we will advise on which method might be most suitable for your particular type of wrinkles.
What are the costs of Botox?
Our rates tend be from:
| How many areas? | Price |
| 1 area | £225 |
| 2 areas | £275 |
| 3 areas | £325 |
Please phone now to arrange a free, no-obligation assessment of your needs.
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