Botox™ is a brand name for botulinum toxin, a protein compound that is injected with a fine needle into specific areas of the face or body in order to paralyze tiny muscles local to that area. It is an effective way of eliminating the appearance of wrinkles from a variety of areas; amongst the most popularly treated are crow’s feet, forehead lines, frown lines and nasolabial lines (the lines that run from your nose to your mouth).
During the procedure
Botox appointments can take practitioners can treat clients in as little as fifteen minutes. If you’re getting multiple areas done or it’s your first ever appointment, then your treatment time could creep up, but it would be rare not to be able to be in and out on your lunch break. You won’t be under anaesthetic because the injections themselves only take a matter of minutes, so most people find any discomfort manageable. After the procedure, you may experience some bruising at the site of the injections, and a small number of people experience headaches lasting a day or so, but aside from this, you should be able to continue on with your day as normal. It is wise to avoid alcohol for the week leading up to your appointment, and aerobic exercise is discouraged for two days following.
Recovery and results
Many people are delighted with the softening of their wrinkles that can be seen as early as 2-4 days following Botox treatment, with the full results visible at around two weeks post-appointment. How long the results last depends on the area treated, but they are usually sustained for around 3-6 months. Some wrinkles take longer to reappear than others; crow’s feet have been reported to stay away for as long as twelve months in some patients. Thankfully, once Botox treatment begins, wrinkles will often be less severe when they return, as they haven’t been deepened by further months of expression. This makes the same areas easier to treat with each subsequent session.
Prices
General anaesthetic – from £350
This treatment is offered by our non-surgical cosmetic clinic, Bristol Aesthetics. You can read more about this treatment on their website.
