Even as early as in our twenties, dynamic wrinkles and expression lines can start to appear. This happens as the facial muscles, when producing expressions, create ‘wear and tear’ on the skin, and lines such as forehead lines, crow’s feet, Glabellar lines (the two vertical lines between the eyebrows) and even lines down the sides of the nose can start to make us look older than our years. Dr Amy Law has been practicing non-surgical cosmetic treatments for years and one of the mainstays for her patients is anti-wrinkle injections (or Botox® as it is more commonly referred to).
Botox® is actually the brand name for a substance called Botulinum Toxin Type A. This neurotoxin has been used for many years in medicine and helps with concerns such as muscle spasms, migraines, excess sweating and even bladder problems.
When it was being used for eye spasms by ophthalmologist Jean Carruthers and her husband Alistair. The couple pioneered the cosmetic use of Botox® in the late 1980s.
Since then, thousands of people have benefitted from this simple procedure, for the temporary reduction of expression lines and dynamic wrinkles and is used by cosmetic doctors all over the world.
After completing some standard consent forms and cleansing and sterilising your skin, Dr Amy will ask that you create several facial expressions, so that she can mark out your muscle position using a special white pencil.
This pinpoints where the Botox® injections should go. After which, she will inject tiny amounts of specially prepared Botox® into the areas of concern. This takes a matter of minutes and should not be painful, as the needles used for Botox® are extremely fine.
Once the treatment is complete, you can return to your daily activities, although you will need to adhere to some simple but important aftercare instructions.
Before your Botox® treatment with Dr Amy can go ahead, she will request that you attend a no obligation consultation and facial assessment. It is at this meeting that you can discuss your concerns about your wrinkles as well as the treatment in detail.
Dr Amy will also check your medical history to ensure that there are no contraindications to prevent the treatment from being safely carried out. Once this meeting is successful, you can book your Botox® treatment.
Before your Botox® treatment with Dr Amy can go ahead, she will request that you attend a no obligation consultation and facial assessment. It is at this meeting that you can discuss your concerns about your wrinkles as well as the treatment in detail. Dr Amy will also check your medical history to ensure that there are no contraindications to prevent the treatment from being safely carried out. Once this meeting is successful, you can book your Botox® treatment.
There is no clinical downtime, meaning you won’t have to take time off work. However, there could be some mild side effects, such as very slight bruising, a mild headache or tenderness in the injection sites for a few hours after your Botox® treatment. These are all very temporary and quite normal.
It’s a myth that the results from Botox® can be seen immediately and in many cases, optimum results will be experienced one to two weeks following the treatment. It is at the two week stage that you can return to the clinic to discuss your results and have any alteration treatment if required.
Usually Botox® lasts between 4 to 6 months and some patients can even report results lasting up to 8 months. However, we would estimate that you will need to return to the clinic two to three times per year to maintain your results.
• Pregnancy/ breastfeeding
• Active infection
• Keloid scarring
• Neuromuscular disorders
• Allergic reaction to Botulinum Toxin Type A
• Amyotrophic lateralizing sclerosis myopathies
• Body dysmorphia
• No bending forward, rubbing or touching the area for 4 hours
• No exercise for 48 hours after the treatment.
• Avoid alcohol for 24 hours if you are susceptible to bruising
