Anti-wrinkle injections, the most common queries regarding the treatment…

Anti-wrinkle injections are fast becoming one of our most popular treatments with many younger patients doing their research and opting for a preventative attitude towards ageing.

The most frequent question we get around botulinum toxin is:

is it permanent?

The short answer is no.

The longevity of ‘botox’ effects varies from patient to patient, and ultimately defends on how your body metabolises the drug. Many factors contribute to this, including how strong your muscles are, how active you are, how well you care for your skin in between appointments and the regular use of an SPF.

Generally speaking, you would expect your botox treatment to last around 3-4 months before full movement returns, with it gradually wearing off back to baseline.

It is best to speak to your practitioner about your expectations and desired outcome to get best results, whether you want to have a more natural result and return to baseline movement or if you would like to have botox within a regular 12 weeks (on average) rotation to keep the lines away!

Is it instant?

Botox is not a treatment that offers instant results, when you leave the clinic you won’t look any different. It takes up to 2 weeks for the product to take effect with results becoming noticeable after the first few days and optimum results showing at 14 days post injection.

You should wait the full 2 weeks before considering a top up dose as the product will not have worked 100% before this time period and you can risk having more than needed. Every body is different and you may have one side of your face that is stronger than the other. That is why we offer a 2 week review so we can asses how the treatment has settled.

Does it ‘get rid of wrinkles’?

Botox is great at softening lines on the skin and works by inhibiting the movement of the muscles, so for dynamic lines this means that they will not form or deepen due to the lack of use. However if you already have deep set lines it can help to soften the look of the lines but would not completely eradicate them.

Which areas can you treat with botox?

Botox can be used to treat many different concerns, both aesthetically and within your lifestyle.

For example if you clench and grind your teeth you may find that not only your jaw can appear more ‘bulky’ from the over used muscles aesthetically, but you may also feel pain and tension within the jaw and the health of your teeth can suffer too with the enamel being worn down over time.

Botox can be injected into the massetuer muscles on either side of your jaw to help relax the muscle, causing a slimming effect and lessening the tension.

The most common and well known use of Botox however is for the upper face to keep the lines at bay, treating the frown, forehead and crows feet.

Other areas that we can treat include:

Bunny lines (the top of your nose)

Chin dimples

Gummy smile

A downturned mouth

Eyebrow lift

And for excessive sweating, having your armpits injected blocks the nerve that causes you to sweat excessively

Can anyone provide Botox injections?

No! And there are many reasons why you shouldn’t. The biggest being that Botox is a branded drug by Allergan and only available to Drs, Dentists and Prescribing Nurses, if you are seeing someone non-medical who is advertising “Botox” it is unlikely that this is the product being used.

The risks are simply not worth it, if you are injecting an unknown product into your face the safety concerns are huge. A droopy eyebrow is the least of your worries…

Does botox freeze you?

You can always start with a lighter dose to ensure more natural results with a little bit of movement if you are worried about looking frozen. Your medical practitioner should always offer you a consultation within your visit to understand your desired result and help manage your expectations.

If you would like to know more about anti wrinkle injections and the treatments we can offer, get in touch for a consultation either via the email nursenina@update-aesthetics.co.uk or on 01872 240167 and our team will help guide you.

Love,

Nina