What is Botox and How does it work?

Botox (onabotulinumtoxinA), also called botulinum toxin type A, is an injectable treatment made from highly purified toxins from the bacteria that causes botulism.

Botulinum toxin blocks nerve activity in the muscles, causing a temporary reduction in their movement. As many of the fine lines and wrinkles on our faces are caused by the repeated contraction of our facial muscles, Botox can significantly reduce their appearance.

What happens during a treatment?

We’ll remove any make-up around the area to be treated and then get you to make certain facial expressions so that we can mark the points on your face or neck that we plan to inject. Once this is done, we will use an incredibly fine needle to inject small amounts of Botox into the targeted muscles.

There should be little to no signs of botox treatment other than mild swelling until the product injected has settled; this doesn’t take long. Other than that there may be a bit of redness and, in rare cases, some mild bruising. You should be able to leave and continue with your day as normal.

What can it be used to treat?

You may be bothered by deepening horizontal lines on your forehead, vertical frown lines between your eyebrows, crows’ feet, smokers’ lines, neckbands, or lines that are beginning to appear and pull down the corners of your mouth. We can use the wrinkle treatment to drastically improve any or all of these problem areas.

It also offers a highly effective treatment option for excessive sweating because it can be injected into the sweat glands to reduce sweat production by up to 90%. If you suffer from hyperhidrosis, this treatment can be life-changing.

We are also able to use the treatment to relax your jaw if you’re someone who grinds their teeth.

Will my treatment hurt? Can baby botox be used?

Cosmetic injections for wrinkle treatments typically feel like a pinprick and you won’t need an anesthetic. If you are worried at all, please let us know as it is possible to apply an anesthetic cream to more sensitive areas. We can also look at starting out with small amounts of the treatment (known as baby botox).

How long will my treatment take?

You may have heard Botox wrinkle treatments referred to as a ‘lunchtime’ procedure – this is because the injections can be done relatively quickly. Naturally, it depends on the size of the area being treated but treatment usually takes less than 30 minutes.

Of course, we’ll never rush your treatment. We want you to feel relaxed, informed and in safe hands every step of the way.