botox treatments southampton

Botox® is a purified protein that is placed into specific muscles, temporarily relaxing them.

Botulinum Toxin A has been used medically since the early 1970’s for medical conditions including muscle spasms and migraines.

For over a decade, it has also been used cosmetically and is now recognised as a very effective anti-wrinkle treatment. Why? Because it helps to gently relax the muscles that cause wrinkles.

Botox® can treat a number of conditions. 

When used cosmetically, the skin will appear refreshed and smoother, with a decrease in the severity of lines and wrinkles. We aim to provide you with a very natural look.

The most popular Botox® treatments include:

• Forehead creases
• Frown lines between the eyes
• Crow’s feet and laughter lines
• Migraines
• Jaw pain due to clenching
• Underarms for excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis) Botox® can even temporarily relax the muscles around the underarm sweat glands to reduce the amount you sweat!

Botulinum Toxin (Botox ®), when injected into a muscle, temporarily relaxes them by blocking nerve impulses.

As the nerve impulses are blocked the muscle is temporarily unable to contract, meaning dynamic wrinkles are not formed. This gives the overlying facial skin a softer, smoother, and more youthful appearance.

Botulinum Toxin, as a muscle relaxant, has an excellent safety record and a long record of use in medicine. It has been used successfully in adults and children in a variety of medical conditions over the last 20 years.

It has been used cosmetically to treat facial wrinkles for about 15 years and has become one of the most popular and frequently used cosmetic treatments.

Botox® takes an average of 3 to 5 days to start working, although, in some cases, it may take a little longer to see the full effects. The speed of action depends on the strength of your facial muscles and your individual response to the Botox®, however, by 14 days, you will see your beautiful results.

Botox Treatment is suitable for treating wrinkles in men and women, however, men often need slightly higher doses than women.

It should not be used in:

• People with infection at the proposed injection site.
• People who have previously had an allergic reaction to Botulinum toxin type A injections.
• People with muscle problems or chronic diseases affecting the muscles, such as Myasthenia Gravis and Eaton Lambert syndrome.
• Children under the age of 18 years.
• Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

It should be used cautiously in:

(please let the doctor know if the following applies to you)

• People at risk of bleeding as there is an increased risk of bruising post-procedure. These include people who have blood clotting disorders such as Haemophilia and those who are taking treatments with anticoagulant medicines such as Warfarin, Heparin, Aspirin, and Anti-Inflammatory medicines. Certain herbal remedies such as Gingiko Bilboa, St John’s Wort, and Vitamin E
• People with excessive weakness or wasting in the muscle to be injected, such as those patients with history of Strokes or Bell’s Palsy
• People with Chronic Breathing difficulties

Botox injections are relatively painless as the injections are performed using a very fine needle. Patients, therefore, and do not require any anaesthesia.

The full treatment takes about 15-20 minutes to perform, and you are able to drive and go to work the same day.

It can take about 2-14 days to see the full effects after the initial treatment. The cosmetic effects can last up to six months but typically range from three to four months. Eventually, most people require re-treatment as the wrinkles reappear.

However, in some treated areas (such as frown wrinkles), the wrinkles may return less severe after repeated treatments as the unconscious muscle contraction habit is broken. We offer all our patients a free two-week follow-up appointment to assess the effect of treatment and administer any top-up treatments if necessary.

Like all medicines, Botox® can cause side effects.

The most common side effect is mild discomfort as the needle enters the skin. There is also the possibility of mild bruising and mild swelling, redness, or bleeding at these sites.

Very rarely, other side effects include headaches, local muscle weakness, including drooping or heaviness of the eyelids/eyebrows, brow asymmetry, eyelid swelling, skin tightness, tingling sensations, double-vision, aching/itching, nausea, and flu-like symptoms.

For hyperhidrosis (placed in the underarms), side effects can include a perceived increase in sweating in areas other than the underarms, pain at the injection site, hot flushes, and very rarely transient arm weakness.

For the treatment of jaw pain and masseter muscle reduction using Botox®, possible complications include restriction of a smile, transient drooping of local facial muscles, difficulty in chewing hard food substances, transient neuralgia pain, and very rarely parotid duct stenosis.

It is your responsibility to inform the medical practitioner of any medical conditions and any medications you are taking. If you are affected by the following, you shouldn’t have Botox:

• If you have a neuromuscular disease (i.e Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis, Huntington’s)
• If you are pregnant or a nursing mother
• If you are under the age of 18
• If you are taking a calcium channel blocker medication (i.e Amlodipine, Nifedipine)
• If you are taking an Aminoglycoside drug (i.e. streptomycin)
• If you have liver disease or Wilson’s disease
• If you have an albumin or egg allergy

When the effect of the Botox injection wears off, the wrinkles will always return to their pre-treatment state. Treatments can be repeated at a minimum of three monthly intervals, but the effects may last longer for some individuals, especially if they have had previous treatments in the same area.

Botox treatments are designed to smooth dynamic wrinkles on the forehead and around the eyes. They do not affect your facial expression. The final result can be tailored to each patient and can be discussed at the initial free consultation.

Some of the aftercare advice we suggest includes:

• Try to contract the treated muscle areas for up to four hours after treatment, by frowning and lifting eyebrows to allow the toxin to reach all of the treated muscle.
• Avoid rubbing or touching the injected areas and avoid having facials and massages for 48 hours this is to ensure that the treatment remains at the site of injection.
• Avoid vigorous exercise and alcohol-based products on the area treated for 48 hours.
• If bruising develops you can apply Arnica cream
• Paracetamol can be taken for mild pain post procedure