When you smile, laugh or frown, the muscles under the skin contract and gradually wear away the underlying supporting structure known as collagen.

This causes the overlying skin to sink and wrinkles to appear. Unfortunately, the more you use a muscle the deeper the wrinkles and lines are going to be. Botox® products can soften wrinkles and help to alter habits that cause the wrinkles to appear in the first place.

Wrinkles are also caused by lifestyle factors such as sun exposure damage and the natural ageing process.

Botox® or Botulinum Toxin is a naturally occurring protein product produced by the bacterium Clostridium Botulinum. It was discovered in 1895 and the botulinum toxin type A was identified in the 1920’s as having medicinal properties. It is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration and has been used safely all around the world for over 20 years to treat a variety of medical conditions and the hugely popular anti-wrinkle treatments.

Any procedure carries small risks but Botulinum Toxin is a very safe anti-wrinkle treatment if carried out by highly trained medical professionals in a safe clinical environment.

Allergies and side effects are extremely rare. There may be a mild swelling after the treatment which fades after 30 minutes and in some cases patients can experience a ‘droopy eyelid’ which can be easily corrected.

There are no known long-term effects of using Botox® products.

Botox® injections are used for wrinkles produced by movement of the muscles on the face or ‘dynamic’ wrinkles, rather than wrinkles caused by sun damage or sagging skin.

The most popular treatment areas on the face include: forehead lines, frown lines and the ‘crows feet’ lines around the eyes.

The extent to which your facial movement will be affected will depend on the location and the amount of product used.

Here at ‘Facial Aesthetics’ we favour the ‘natural’ look with a partial reduction in muscle activity which subtly smooths the appearance of the lines and wrinkles to make your face look younger.

After the treatment your normal expressions such as smiling and frowning will be unaffected.

At your consultation appointment, which will last 20 minutes and cost £75, we will discuss your concerns and offer treatments to ensure that we achieve the results you require. Our consultations are no obligation and we aim to help you understand the anti-wrinkle treatment and its effects to help you improve and ultimately prevent your fine lines and wrinkles.

The treatment is carried out in relaxed surroundings and you will be seated in a comfortable reclining couch. A very fine needle and syringe will be used to administer the product. You may feel a scratch like feeling and have a small raised, red area for a few minutes at the site of the injection.

You will be provided with after care instructions and a care pack to take away with you.

You can return to normal activities after the procedure.

We will normally book you in for a review appointment after 2 weeks.

We will assess the effects of the treatment and discuss follow up care.

You may begin to notice some changes after 3-4 days and the full effect takes up to 2 weeks.

It varies from person to person and if you have had repeated treatments. Generally, it ranges from 4-6 months.