Botox by Beautology in Bristol

Before and After Photos

Botox is used here to relax the muscles on the forehead and soften lines and wrinkles. Botox is a great preventative treatment.

Botox was used here on the frown, forehead and crowsfeet areas to achieve this fresh, more youthful appearance.

Botox used on the neck to soften the platisma bands and results in a smooth, more youthful appearance.

Botox® is a trade name for botulinum toxin A. Botox is a highly diluted and purified form of the nerve toxin which causes botulism, a serious (and sometimes fatal) paralytic illness. Injected in tiny quantities, Botox works by temporarily blocking the action of a chemical which normally interacts between nerve endings and muscles, causing them to flex. Botox was first used in the 1970s to treat children’s squints. Its cosmetic potential was then recognised, and it has been used to treat wrinkles since 1990. It is now probably the top-ranking non-surgical cosmetic treatment in the UK, also finding a use in controlling excessive underarm sweating.

Why do we get wrinkles?

Every time we frown, squint or smile the skin is creased in the areas of greatest use. The more expressive you are the deeper the lines become. These expression lines include crow’s feet, worry lines and frown lines. As we age, collagen production slows down and the problem accelerates as we are less able to repair the damage.

How does Botox work?

Botox temporarily blocks the nerve endings to the facial muscles relaxing them. By reducing muscle movement, the skin stops being creased and is allowed to recover, causing the lines to soften and fade away. Over time the patient can retrain the facial muscles to be less expressive by breaking the habit of subconscious overuse.

Is Botox safe?

The cosmetic benefits of Botox® were discovered in 1990 and it has been used effectively and safely ever since.

What happens during Botox treatment?

The treatment involves injecting very small doses of Botox® via an extremely fine needle into the appropriate area. This sometimes causes a brief stinging sensation. Discomfort is so mild that anaesthesia is not required. Normal activity can be resumed immediately after the procedure.

Are there any side-effects?

No serious side effects have ever been reported, when using Botox® for cosmetic treatments. Minor side effects occur in a small number of patients and are always fully reversible within a few days to a few weeks. Immediately after the injection there may be mild swelling and redness which subsides within a few days.

Bruising at the injection site may occur, this can be covered with makeup if needed. Rarely a temporary drooping of the eye lid may occur, this resolves within a few weeks. Very rarely following repeated injections the patient may develop antibodies to Botox®. This makes subsequent treatments ineffective.

Is Botox related to Botulism?

Yes. Botox is one of the neurotoxins produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. Clostridium botulinum bacterium can cause botulism (food posioning).

How does Botox Work?

Botox Cosmetic works by blocking the transmission of acetylcholine from the nerves to the muscle. When acetylcholine is blocked, the muscle is paralyzed and cannot contract.

Why is Botox Prescribed?

Botox is prescribed treat conditions that involve involuntary spasms. It is often prescribed to treat blepharospasm, strabismus, and cervical dystonia.

Botox Cosmetic has been prescribed to treat severe frown lines. It is approved for use in adult patients up to 65 years of age. When Botox Cosmetic is injected into the muscles surrounding the brow area, the muscles in the frown area are paralyzed for a period of time. When the muscles around the frown area are paralyzed, the frown lines temporarily go away.

The Botox procedure

The Botox procedure is very simple and takes a few minutes. No anesthesia is used, nor is any required. During the procedure, Botox will be injected into specific muscles using a narrow gauge needle.

Some common complications of botox are:

• temporary bruising
• headaches (usually go away within 24 to 48 hours)
• eyelid drooping

What is a Botox Treatment?

Injections that temporarily smooth frown lines and wrinkles by paralysing facial muscles.

Timings

Treatment takes 10-15 minutes. Wait 1 week for full results to show. Lasts up to 6 months.

What Botox can do.

Wrinkles develop where muscles contract frequently, so paralysing facial muscles and preventing those contractions makes the area look smoother and less wrinkled. Botox is usually used on the upper third of the face, to tackle frown lines, forehead creases and crows’ feet around the eyes. Lines around the lips and corners of the mouth are also treatable. Untreated areas of the face aren’t affected, so you can still smile and frown, but the skin on the treated areas won’t wrinkle as much as usual.

What Botox can’t do.

Botox can’t correct fine lines caused by the sun, or natural, age-related skin sag. For very heavy lines, you may need more than one treatment.

What happens during the treatment?

As with any cosmetic treatment, you should consult a qualified practitioner before deciding to go ahead. Beautology, Bristol’s leading Beauty and Aesthetic Clinic uses fully qualified medically trained nurses to administer Botox

There’s no need for sedatives, or local anaesthetic. Botox is injected in several places with a very small needle, directly into the muscles being treated. There may be some bruising afterwards. Treatment takes about 10-15 minutes, and you can go back to normal daily life immediately.

Botox Results

You’ll start to see results 24-72 hours after treatment, but the main effect appears after about a week. Results last for three to four months and fade gradually. You can then have another treatment.

Benefits of Botox

Your face will look smoother, younger and more relaxed. If you have repeated treatments, you may find that lines and wrinkles in those areas become less deep, and you can leave longer intervals between treatments.

Risks of Botox

There have been no severe complications or allergic responses reported by botox users. However, you shouldn’t use botox if you are taking muscle relaxants, are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a bleeding disorder or have any inflammation or infection near the spot where injections would be given. Ask your practitioner for advice if any of these are a concern.

Very occasionally injected muscles become too weak, which could result in droopy eyelids, difficulty in raising the eyebrows, or drooling from the corner of the mouth, depending on where the Botox was injected. This effect corrects itself as the botox wears off.

People who use botox too often may develop an antibody to the toxin, so treatment stops working.

Where to get treatment

Botox injections are available from our cosmetic nurse at either of our Beautology clinics in Bristol. Beauty therapists can’t give Botox, as it is only available on prescription.

Areas that can be treated

Suitable areas for treatment include crows’ feet, forehead lines and frown lines.