ANTI WRINKLE TREATMENTS
Botulinum toxin remains the single most popular treatment in the UK to prevent the overworking of facial muscles, which creates and deepens fine lines and wrinkles.
We use leading pharmaceutical suppliers of botulinum toxin anti wrinkle injections.
Muscle relaxing injections have been around for over 100 years, with extensive clinical studies to support their efficacy and safety. They are also used for a plethora of medical conditions such as muscle spasm, bladder problems, migraines and hyperhidrosis.
Botulinum toxin is a prescription medicine that is injected into muscles and used to improve the appearance of moderate to severe frown lines between the eyebrows (glabellar lines) and the area around the side of the eyes to improve the look of moderate to severe crow’s feet lines in adults for a short period of time (3-6 months).
The procedure takes around 20-30 minutes and its relatively painless.
A pre-treatment consultation is required for all patients prior to undergoing this treatment in order to assess suitability to the drug and whether the desired effect can be achieved.
Frequently asked questions
Even when treated by highly qualified practitioners, results are temporary, and treatment is on-going. Patients usually have an injectable treatment every 3-4 months.
Prior to treatment to ensure your safety, a medical history will be taken, and a mandatory consultation provided. The procedure itself should be virtually painless.
Results should be visible in 5-7 days. If after 14 days our patients wish to return for a follow up, we are happy to add a small quantity if required.
While there is no real downtime or side effects associated with anti-wrinkle injections, it is important to note that you may encounter some slight bruising and swelling directly after treatment, due to the needle.
This can easily be masked by makeup. Some mild discomfort may be felt during treatment, but we use ultra-fine needles, and the treatment is complete relatively quickly.
There are no long-term side effects of having wrinkle injections, meaning patients can resume their usual activities straight away, and can also fly post-treatment. For best results, avoid massaging the area that has been treated and avoid exercising the area for 2-4 hours after treatment.
We’re now seeing an increasing number of male patients and, when we look at the results, we can see why. Ultimately, this treatment comes down to who is injecting it, so we can give a very subtle treatment, or a stronger one.
Most men are nervous about having cosmetic injections, but we tend to go very light and natural with the male patient, so all we are doing is softening the expressions, rather than freezing them, which is what a lot of patients, both men and women, are worried about.
Many patients will questions whether they are too young or too old for treatment but we don’t feel there is any right age. We have to remember that people will display the signs of their expression at different ages.
Sometimes, we see women in their 40s and 50s with very few expression lines, and conversely, we may see a 21-year-old patient with very deep expression lines. We are always looking at the patient and their concerns rather than their chronological age.
One of the biggest concern’s patients come into the clinic with is whether they will be left with a shiny or fake-looking forehead. With anti wrinkle treatment, it’s important to remember that the results are dose-related.
Accordingly, if we put too much product in, all expression will be blunted, and the skin may develop a very smooth, shiny appearance. That being said, the vast majority of patients want a natural result, so we insert less product, therefore retaining some expression, and avoiding that shiny appearance.
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We will never treat somebody who is pregnant or breastfeeding. We would also discourage patients who have neurological conditions/diseases such as myasthenia gravis multiple sclerosis, Labert-Eaton syndrome, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
The idea of a prescription is that the necessary dose to a person is dependent on the size of the effect wanted, the individual’s reaction to the drug and the type of drug prescribed. For this reason, we cannot provide an exact costing for this treatment until we have made a detailed assessment of you.
Anyone providing prices without the appropriate assessment is not properly prescribing in our opinion and risks administering too much or too little. Who would like this to happen in their face? For this reason, we are offering a no obligation free facial aesthetic assessment.
Who will carry out your treatment?
This treatment can only be legally prescribed by people who possess a current prescribing licence. It is best utilised by people who are very familiar with the anatomy of the head and neck and for this reason, we recommend plastic surgeons and dentists as they are most qualified.
Which areas can be treated?
Wrinkles and fine lines can be identified in two ways: expressive or static. Expressive lines are those which are evident when expressing emotion. Static lines are those which remain evident even when the face is relaxed.
The main areas that are affected by expressive and static lines and may benefit from an anti-wrinkle injection are as follows:
Lateral Obicularis Oris – Crows’ Feet
This is a concern many of our patients have. Many believe the eye (and lip) area to be the most obvious sites for ageing.
Frontalis – Forehead Horizontal lines
The forehead is an area that we tend to get both expressive and static lines. The use of botulinum toxin relaxes the area to stop over-expression.
Glabella – Frown lines
The Glabella is the area between your brows. Over time, some may find that there is a deep line that becomes quite prominent. Treatment here can not only relax the muscle to stop you overworking that area but also reduce the appearance of that static groove.
Nasalis – Bunny Lines
These are wrinkles in dorsolateral aspect of the nose which due to activity of nasalis muscle, exaggerated during
laughing/squinting
Occularis Oris – Smokers Lines
Perioral lines are created by the activity of the orbicularis oris that encircles the mouth. Deeper/static lines in this region may require dermal filler treatment
Superior Orbicularis Oris – Eyebrow Lift
Botulinum Toxin can be used to perform chemical eyebrow lift
Mentalis – Chin Dimpling
Contraction of the mental muscles in the chin can create this dimpling/pebbling effect
Levator Labii Superiorirs
Excessive Gingival Display – Gummy Smile
A gummy smile can occur through over activity of levator labii superior and zygomaticus minor.
Masseter Muscle
Masseteric Hypertrophy – Jaw Sliming
Anti wrinkle treatment can reduce the strength and bulk of the masseter (chewing) muscles to reduce the width of the jaws.
Platysma – Nefertiti Neck Lift
This technique relaxes the muscles are bands of the platysma muscle which can exaggerate the jowling effect and create the turkey neck appearance.
Palms (Hands) and Axillae (Armpits)
Hyperhidrosis – Excessive Sweating
Treatment temporarily blocks cholinergic stimulation of apocrine sweat glands, giving up to ‘6 months’ of relief from excessive sweating
Pre-Treatment Information
- All make up must be removed before treatment to minimise infection risk.
- Please avoid aspirin and ibuprofen in the days leading up to treatment as this can increase the risk of bruising.
- Please avoid caffeine intake on the day of treatment as this will reduce the risk of bruising.
- If you have a needle phobia or have fainted when having an injection in the past, please make your practitioner aware.
Post-Treatment Information
What we typically want patients to do is avoid excessive blood flow to the face, so we recommend they do not bend over for long periods of time, engage in strenuous exercise, consume alcohol, or go to steam baths or saunas.
We don’t want the products that we have inserted into very specific places to spread around. That being said, we often advise patients – especially if it’s close to the weekend – that if you want to have a small glass of wine, by all means, go ahead.
- Patients are able to resume their normal activities immediately but should refrain from strenuous exercise and excessive alcohol for 24 hours.
- If you require a review you will be told this on the day of treatment and advised when to book in.
- If possible, makeup should be avoided for 12 hours post treatment but can be applied after 2 hours if necessary.
- Facials, facial massage and other cosmetic treatments such as ultrasound and radiofrequency should be avoided for 1 week after the administration of botulinum toxin.
After any treatment which involves injections into the face, we would always recommend refraining from touching the area for at least 4 hours, although preferably waiting until the following day.
It’s safe to clean the area, but we advise against the application of cosmetics until 24 hours after treatment, at which point it is perfectly fine to use light makeup.
