This page gives you about Botulinum toxin. Botox is made of purified protein which reduces the activity of the muscles that cause wrinkles. Botox is administered to specific muscle areas by injection. This relaxes the muscles and so reduces wrinkle formation for about 3 months.
Botox and dermal fillers can be used as combination therapy to rejuvenate your skin; dermal fillers would be used for the lower face and Botox will be used for the upper face. Dermal Fillers will reduce wrinkles, folds and augment your lips. Botox will soften and sometimes erase those lines on your forehead and around your eyes which are caused by muscle movement. If you have deep frown lines a combination of botox and dermal fillers may give you the best results.
Botox can only be administered by qualified and experienced medical personnel as it is a prescription only medication. You might experience the following side effects: bruising, swelling, headache. Rarely, botox can diffuse into nearby muscles where its effect is not wanted, causing undesirable cosmetic effects like eyelid drooping. Fortunately this is temporary and can be at least partially treated with special eye drops.
I do provide a free consultation at your first visit, which helps you to familiarise yourself with my clinic and the services that I provide. During your consultation I will be able to advise you about the ways that they can best be used to help achieve the effect that you are looking for. Most people look for a subtle change in their appearance that will smooth away lines and wrinkles but retain a natural expressive look.
Muscle relaxing anti-wrinkle injections will will smooth out lines and wrinkles on your forehead, between your eyebrows (the dreaded ’11′s) and will soften the crow’s feet at the corners of your eyes. The effect lasts 3-5 months. These injections can also be used on the lips to soften ‘smoker’s lines’, in the cheeks to reduce lines and wrinkles, and in the neck to soften the ‘bands’ that can sometimes develop as a result of muscle hyperactivity. They can also be used to reduce the bulk of cheek muscles (masseter hypertrophy) to achieve a more oval and feminine face.
When should I have my next dose of botox?
Thanks Ann Marie. My botox clients often ask me when they should think about having next botox injections. This is a matter of personal preference, and there is no right or wrong time to have the next dose other than to say it’s best to start thinking about it only when there is some clear evidence that the Botox is starting to wear off. Trying to pre-empt the Botox wearing off by using the calendar is probably not such a good idea as it could last a lot longer than you thought, particularly if you are having it regularly as it tends to last a bit longer each time. What kind of evidence should you look for to show you that the Botox is starting to wear off? Well it’s mainly return of movement in the muscle areas that were previously paralyzed. The first area will probably be between the eyebrows if you had that area treated. This is a particularly strong and active muscle area and will show signs of the Botox wearing off earlier than other treated areas in many cases. I’ve written a page with more information about botox cosmetic treatments.