Anti-Wrinkle Treatments

Botox® is the brand name for a licensed botulinum toxin medicine, also called a neurotoxin. It is a purified protein that temporarily relaxes muscles, reducing the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines. It is a popular non-surgical cosmetic treatment used to smooth facial expressions and create a more youthful appearance. It can also be injected into the skin in the armpits to reduce the amount of sweat produced by sweat glands and treat excessive underarm sweating.

Botox® works by temporarily and partially blocking nerve signals to targeted muscles, preventing them from contracting excessively. The relaxation of the muscles, including muscles around the eyes and forehead, helps soften existing wrinkles, including crow’s feet and frown lines, and prevents new lines from forming.

Injecting it into the underarm area temporarily blocks the nerve signals that stimulate sweat glands, reducing sweat production.

Subject to a medical consultation to determine your suitability for treatment, we use Botox® to treat the current licensed indications of:

• Forehead lines
• Crow's feet (lines around the corner of the eyes)
• Frown lines (vertical lines or eleven lines between the eyebrows)
• Neck lines or platysma bands
• Axillary hyperhidrosis or excessive underarm sweating

Dr Annette Phillips leads a team of highly qualified doctors and nurses at Forever Facial Aesthetics, who specialise in undertaking treatments to reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles while preserving a natural look.

You must undertake a medical consultation to discuss treatment for crow’s feet, forehead lines, neck lines, or frown lines. During this consultation with one of our prescribing practitioners, you will consider and learn about various treatment options, and depending on your suitability, this may or may not result in a recommendation for treatment with a prescription for Botulinum toxin (Botox®).

We must ensure you receive a safe, high-quality treatment with us. By undertaking a medical consultation, you can make an informed decision about the recommended treatment. If you require time to think about this decision, you are welcome to go away and consider it before booking in for treatment. This is known as a cooling-off period.

Most side effects from treatment are mild and temporary, but may include:

• Redness, tenderness, swelling, or bruising at the injection site (this is mitigated with the use of ultra-fine needles)
• Headache or flu-like symptoms for 24-48 hours after treatment

Rarer side effects are less common when the procedure is performed by a trained and qualified medical professional, but may include: ptosis (a temporary drooping of the eyelid or eyebrow); an asymmetry in facial expressions, usually corrected with a modified dose.

As a prescription-only medicine, Botox® is well-studied and regulated for safety and efficacy. It must be prescribed within a medical consultation by a medical practitioner, such as a doctor or prescribing nurse.

In the UK, Botox® is currently licensed for use for the temporary improvement in the appearance of vertical lines between the eyebrows seen at maximum frown, fan-shaped lines from the corner of the eyes seen at maximum smile (crow’s feet), forehead lines seen at maximum raised eyebrows, vertical bands (platysmal bands) connecting the jaw and neck seen at maximum contraction when the severity has an important psychological impact in adult patients.

Similarly, in adults, Botox® is licensed for injection deep into the skin and can work on sweat glands to reduce excessive sweating of the armpits, where the condition affects the activities of daily living and other local treatments do not help.

At the discretion of the practitioner, it can also be used off-licence, where safe and discussed appropriately.

You will be contraindicated for botulinum toxin treatment, meaning alternative treatment options will be discussed and recommended during your consultation, if you:

• Have a known allergy or hypersensitivity to botulinum toxin type A or other ingredients in the medicine
• Have an active infection at the site of injection
• Suffer from chronic diseases that affect your muscles or nervous system, including myasthenia gravis or Eaton Lambert Syndrome

Treatment cannot be recommended if you are currently pregnant or breastfeeding due to a lack of safety data.

Recovery is typically quick, with minimal downtime. To ensure the best results, follow these aftercare tips:

• Do not immediately apply makeup after treatment to prevent adverse effects from spreading.
• Avoid touching, rubbing, or massaging the treated area for at least 24 hours to mitigate the risk of introducing infection or adversely increasing the spread of the effect.
• Refrain from intense heat exposure (e.g., saunas, steam rooms, hot tubs, or sunbathing) for 24 to 48 hours.
• Refrain from strenuous exercise for 24 hours.
• Do not lie down in the first 4 hours after treatment; aim to keep your head upright during this time.
• Avoid alcohol consumption and blood-thinning medications like aspirin or ibuprofen for a few days (before and after treatment) to reduce the likelihood of bruising. Do not stop blood-thinning medication, like aspirin or warfarin, if medically necessary; discuss this with your practitioner.
• Do not wear tight-fitting hats or headgear that can compress your forehead for 24 to 48 hours.
• It can help to do gentle facial exercise or exaggerated facial expressions (like frowning or raising your eyebrows) for about an hour post-treatment to help distribute the product evenly.
• Avoid having other aesthetic or beauty treatments for a minimum of 2 weeks whilst the treatment is activating.

You may start to notice minor changes and a sensation indicating activation of the medication within 24 to 48 hours, but it can take up to two weeks for the full muscle relaxing effect to develop.

The effects of anti-wrinkle treatment vary by patient, typically lasting 3 to 4 months, depending on the area treated, your metabolism, and the dosage.

Treatment for excessive sweating typically lasts 6 months.

Regular maintenance treatments are recommended to prolong results, and an individual dosing strategy and schedule will be discussed.