BOTOX® (Botulinum toxin A)
BOTOX® Cosmetic is a prescription medicine that is injected into muscles and used to temporarily improve the look of moderate to severe forehead lines, crow’s feet lines, and frown lines between the eyebrows in adults.
Allergan BOTOX®
Botox injections use a toxin called onobotulinumtoxinA to temporarily prevent a muscle from moving. This toxin is produced by the microbe that causes botulism, a type of food poisoning. Botox injections block certain chemical signals from nerves, mostly signals that cause muscles to contract. The most common use of these injections is to temporarily relax the facial muscles that cause wrinkles in the forehead and around the eyes.
What is Botox®?
Botox® is a trademark of Botulinum toxin A which is a muscle relaxant. Once injected in the face it will temporary soften the wrinkles. There are several other brands similar to Botox® as Bocouture®, Azzalure® and Dysport® that are made of the similar molecule and work in the same way.
Where can Botox® be injected?
Botox® can be injected in the following areas:
Forehead wrinkles
Frown line
Crow’s feet (wrinkles around the eyes when smiling)
Fine lines under the eyes
Bunny lines
Gummy smile
Masseter hypertrophy (jawline slimming)
Smoker lines
Sad smile
Chin dimpling
Under armpit for excessive sweating (Hyperhidrosis)
Is Botox® painful?
Botox® is not painful since we mix Botox® with a special solution to decrease the pain. Most patients report no pain since we use fine needles and inject Botox® superficially in the skin.
Is there a risk of bruising?
Bruising is rare since the needles are extremely fine and Botox® is injected superficially in the skin.
How long does it take for Botox® to work?
Botox needs 2 to 14 days to start working.
How much Botox® do you need?
No need to worry about how much Botox® you need, as we charge per area. All what you need to do is to mention how many areas you need to treat and we will take care of the rest. We’re happy to answer all your questions in the consultation if you need to know more specific details.
Pricing
Forehead, Brows & Eyes:
1 Area - £140
2 Areas - £160
3 Areas - £180
Men may need to pay a supplementary £30 per area for more product and a better effect.
Lower face and Body:
Lip Flip - £130
Bunny Lines - £130
Gummy Smile £130
Pebble Chin - £130
Neck Bands - £280
Jawline Slimming (Gentle) - £200
Jawline Slimming (Strong) - £300
Underarm hyperhidrosis - £300
Do we offer free Botox® top-up?
Yes, we do offer free Botox® top-up on follow up. As mentioned before, Botox® needs 2 to 14 days to work, therefore you need to wait at least 2 weeks before knowing if you need a top-up. If top-up is required, you will just need to get in touch with us and we will book you in for free in our next clinic.
How long is the procedure for one area?
The length of the procedure depends on the area and the amount of Botox® injected. One area takes around 5-10 mins.
How long Botox® last?
Botox® lasts 3 to 4 months. Individuals with higher metabolism (for example men and athletes) will need more often Botox® injections.
What are the side effects?
Occasionally a small bruise at the site of the injection can occur and disappear a few days later. A small minority of people report mild headache for a few hours and heaviness in the eyelid/mild lid drooping, which will eventually resolve spontaneously after one week. This later can be avoided if the proper dose is injected in the proper location.
Can everyone have Botox®?
Botox® is a safe product however there are few people who need to avoid it:
Allergy to Botox® (also known as Botulinum toxin type A) or similar drugs to Botox®.
Allergy to human albumin.
Active infection or inflammation in the skin area to be injected.
Patient with droopy eyelid.
Pregnant and breastfeeding women (best to be avoided despite no real evidence)
Patients with bleeding and blood disorders/leukaemia/lymphoma. (You need clearance from your haematologist before proceeding, as the risk of infection is higher)
Patient on chemotherapy or immunosuppressant. (You need clearance from your haematologist/oncologist before proceeding, as the risk of infection is higher).
Patient with neuromuscular disease (for example Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis also known as ALS, Myasthenia gravis, Lambert-Eaton syndrome)
Patient taking the following medications: aminoglycosides, penicillamine, quinine.
Aftercare instructions for Botox®.
Avoid applying makeup over the injection sites for 12 hours. This is to reduce the already small risk of skin infection.
You will likely have small bumps underneath the skin at the sites of injection. These should be gone within one hour. This is just the Botox beneath the skin.
Results of your treatment may take up to 14 days to take full effect.
If you need Botox® top-up, just get in touch with us and we will book you in for free in the next clinic.
If your eyebrows arch more than you would like this can usually be treated easily at the follow-up appointment.
If your eyebrow or eyelid droops following treatment, get in touch with us as there are several steps that can be taken to correct this rare complication.
Bruising is the most common complication of treatment- although still relatively rare. You can reduce bruising by applying ice; it is ok to cover up bruising with concealer/ make-up the next day.
Headaches occasionally occur following Botox® treatment. This is normally only on the night you receive treatment. In this case take painkillers as you would with any other headache.