What Is Botox®?

Botox® is undoubtedly one of the most popular non-surgical cosmetic treatments in the UK and is often considered one of the best ways to enhance your features and boost confidence. You may use Botox® for many reasons, from minimising the appearance of fine lines to lifting your brow area. It can even prevent excessive sweating on your underarms, in the palms of your hands and at the bottom of your feet.

But what is Botox®? And why is it so effective in reducing signs of ageing? Our guide will run through everything you need to know about this globally recognised treatment.

What Is Botox®? Everything You Need To Know

There are two main reasons why clients choose to have Botox®. Preventative Botox® is best for those in their late 20s and early 30s to help prevent fine lines and wrinkles, whereas enhancing Botox® is used on clients of all ages to tweak areas such as lips, chin and cheeks.

Regardless of whether you have Botox® to prevent or enhance, ensuring you have all of the information you need before booking an appointment is essential. You will be provided with advice during your consultation, but here are some things to consider in the meantime:

• Before Getting Botox®
• When Booking Your Botox® Appointment
• During Your Botox® Appointment
• After Getting Botox®

Before Getting Botox®

Before getting Botox®, it is important to ensure that you know exactly what to expect from your treatment, so you can make an informed decision on whether it is the best route for you. Here is some vital information all clients should know:

What Is Botox®?

To understand the results you can expect from Botox®, it is first essential to familiarise yourself with what the product is. Botox® is a naturally purified protein called Botulinum Toxin that relaxes and temporarily ‘paralyses’ the muscles that cause wrinkles. It is injected directly into the muscle using a very fine needle.

What Is Baby Botox®?

Baby Botox® uses smaller doses of Botulinum Toxin than the traditional procedure (but with the same strength). This allows clients to achieve a more natural appearance, still smoothing fine lines but allowing for more movement. It is most commonly used for younger clients who would like preventative Botox® to slow down signs of ageing.

Is Botox® Safe?

In short, yes, Botox® is incredibly safe and has been used since 1989. It is an FDA-approved product, meaning it has been meticulously analysed, and the benefits have greatly outweighed the potential risks.

Much like any cosmetic treatment, your experience with Botox® will be based on your clinic of choice. There have been many stories of botched Botox® in the press; however, this comes down to a common denominator – the client has chosen an untrained, unregulated practitioner that does not have the correct safety processes in place and does not use approved products.

At LasaDerm, our skin clinic in Milton Keynes is led by highly experienced General Medical Council registered doctors who use only FDA-approved products. We pride ourselves on delivering the highest standards of client care and provide a complimentary follow-up appointment to ensure both you and your doctor are happy with your results. Feel free to contact us to book your consultation.

Does Botox® Prevent Wrinkles From Getting Worse?

Because Botox® temporarily relaxes the muscles, you will not form any new fine lines or wrinkles while the treatment is in effect. Once your Botox® has broken down, the lines you had beforehand will simply reappear. For this reason, most clients book top-up appointments every three to four months to maintain their results and prevent their wrinkles from becoming deeper or more noticeable. If you want to prevent lines from forming altogether, it is recommended to start getting Botox® anywhere from your late 20s to early 30s.

What Are The Benefits Of Botox®?

There are some amazing benefits of Botox® that you can take advantage of when visiting our cosmetic clinic in Milton Keynes. From fixing a concern that lowers your self-esteem to preventing the inevitable wrinkles from appearing, Botox® is one of the best options for multiple treatments. Not only can you benefit from the diversity of this treatment, but you can also take full advantage of the following:

• A natural look can be created
• Less invasive alternative to surgery
• Can be used to stop excessive sweating
• Multiple treatment uses; including wrinkles, drooping eyebrows and more
• Treatment is quick
• The treatment can be fully customised to your needs

Take a look at our previous article for more anti ageing treatments!

When Booking Your Botox® Appointment

Once you have decided that Botox® is the best route, you will need to start planning your treatment. Here is what you should consider:

How Much Is Botox®?

Our Botox® in Milton Keynes prices range from £150 to £395. However, these prices depend on the number of areas and the area to which you are having the treatment. For example, for just one area your price will be £150, for 2 £220 and for 3 £270.

If you’re looking for Botox® under the arms or on the scalp to treat hyperhidrosis, you will be looking at £395, and for bruxism and a gummy smile, your price will be £295. For more information on our Botox® treatment, why not book a consultation with one of our experienced doctors?

Should I Get Botox® Or Fillers?

Many people get confused between Botox® and fillers, but both provide very different results and are used for different treatments. So, let’s answer the question “should I get Botox® or fillers?” by listing the different treatments that they can provide:

Botox®	Filler
Wrinkles	Fuller Lips
Skin Sagging	Fill Shallow Areas
Lazy Eye	Shadow Under Eyes
Prevent Migraines	Soften Scars
Help Skin Conditions	Soften Static Wrinkles

Should I Get Botox® With A Doctor Or Aesthetics Practitioner?

Another factor to consider is who you will book your Botox® injections with. Many professionals, including doctors and aesthetics practitioners, are legally permitted to inject Botox®, providing the relevant training and certifications. Typically, aesthetics practitioners will be cheaper as they do not have the benefit of the extensive medical training that a doctor would.

Regardless of the option you choose, it is vital to ensure that you conduct in-depth research into experience, qualifications and safety procedures – this will be key in preventing complications. There are a whole host of potential problems you could face when choosing a poor-quality practitioner:

• Increased chance of side effects
• Possibly hitting a nerve
• Poor quality products
• Unsanitary premises and tools
• Unnatural results

Having spent more than ten years in the aesthetics industry, we would strongly recommend booking Botox® with a registered doctor. This will give you the peace of mind that you are visiting a sterile clinic whereby the highest safety protocols are followed, approved products are being used, and your doctor has a strong medical background.

During Your Botox® Appointment

Whether you know exactly what areas you want to treat using Botox®, or you need a little more information before going ahead, we have put together some details on what you can expect during your appointment.

Where Can You Have Botox®?

During your initial consultation, your doctor will discuss your desired results and from here, recommend which areas of the face would benefit from Botox®. Some of the most popular areas are the following:

• Frown Lines The vertical lines between the eyebrows are known as frown lines and can start appearing in your late 20s. As you can imagine, these lines are created by frowning, which is extremely hard to prevent.
• Forehead Lines: Also known as ‘surprise lines’, forehead lines can be caused by sun damage, genetic ageing and smoking. If you start experiencing forehead lines in your 20s or 30s, we recommend that you speak to our professional team about preventative treatments.
• Eyebrows/Hooded Eyes: Drooping eyelids or eyebrows can make you look older and drastically change your facial expressions. By lifting the eyebrows with carefully placed Botox®, you can see an instant lifting effect on the face and a brighter, more youthful appearance.
• Wrinkles Around The Eyes: Wrinkles around the eyes are most commonly referred to as crow’s feet, and is by far the most common reason for clients to book Botox®. Crow’s feet are mainly caused by smiling, but can also be due to squinting.
• Under The Eyes: Wrinkles and fine lines under the eyes can appear very young, with some clients in their 20s booking to soften under the eyes. Placing Botox® under the eyes can smooth fine lines while softening dark circles for a brighter appearance. It is important to note that this area should be approached with caution, as the muscle being injected controls the lower lid; again, we advise seeking a professional’s help rather than opting for the cheaper alternative.
• Lipstick Lines: A common sign of ageing, particularly in those that smoke, is fine lines around the lips. Although Botox® can help with this issue, we often advise that our client’s book our dermal fillers in Milton Keynes. Why? Because dermal fillers give the mouth area more movement while also subtly plumping the lips to mask thinning.
• Chin/Jawline: Unlike other areas of the face where the main concerns are fine lines and wrinkles, the chin and jawline can experience sagging as you age. This is most commonly caused by genetics, weakened collagen and overworked facial muscles. Botox® can help to relax your muscles to create a lifting effect. Although Botox® is an option for targeting this issue, we do recommend that you consider a non-surgical facelift as an alternative and more effective method of reducing the appearance of sagging.

Does Botox® Hurt?

Typically, a topic anaesthetic is applied at the beginning of your appointment then your doctor will discuss the treatment with you and answer any questions while the numbing kicks in – this makes the Botox® injections themselves painless. Even if you were not to use a numbing agent, the needle used to inject Botox® is so small that all you will feel is a slight pinch.

After Getting Botox®

Like any cosmetic treatment, Botox® comes alongside strict aftercare recommendations that speed up the healing process and maximise your results. Some of the most common questions asked after a Botox® appointment are:

Are There Side Effects Of Botox®?

There are a few minor side effects that you are likely to experience in the days following your Botox® appointment. These subside naturally with time and include the following:

• Redness
• Swelling
• Slight bruising
• Mild headache

If your side effects continue for weeks after your treatment or you experience complications, you must contact your doctor. Rare side effects include muscle weakness, vision problems and issues with breathing. Read more about this topic on the Mayo Clinic website.

How Long Does It Take For Botox® To Work?

As Botox® blocks the signals that cause the muscles to contract, the results take time to develop. While it is possible to begin noticing a difference after 24 hours, Botox® usually takes three days to start paralysing the muscle. By day ten, the benefits of your Botox® injections should be in full effect.

How Long Does Botox® Last?

This differs from client to client and is also based on what Botox® has been used for. When used to reduce fine lines and wrinkles, Botox® can last anywhere between three to four months, with top-up appointments recommended to maintain results. If a client has opted for a hyperhidrosis treatment (Botox® to prevent excessive sweating), then results can last up to nine months.

What Not To Do After Botox®

After your Botox® appointment, the treatment area will likely be tender for a few days; however, this is totally normal, and you are free to continue your day as usual. There will just be a few aftercare recommendations to speed up the healing process and prevent complications, such as:

DO NOT:

• Touch, rub or apply pressure on the area
• Lay down for the first 4 hours
• Exercise for at least the first 24 hours
• Wear makeup for 24 hours
• Sleep on your face for the first night
• Sit in direct sunlight or use a sunbed for at least 48 hours
• Book any face treatments for at least 2 weeks (i.e. facial)

When booking our Botox® in Milton Keynes, a complimentary follow-up appointment will always be booked two weeks after your initial treatment. This allows your doctor to review your results and tweak or top-up where necessary.

Is Botox® Right For You?

If you have been considering Botox®, we hope our guide has given you reassurance and a better understanding of the treatment. Much like when booking any cosmetic treatment, research will always work towards your advantage.

At LasaDerm, we schedule an initial consultation with all clients to discuss their desired results and medical background. You will be paired with a registered doctor who will happily answer any questions you may have to ensure you are 100% confident in your decision. Feel free to contact us to book a consultation at our cosmetic clinic in Milton Keynes.