Why do we get wrinkles?
As we smile, laugh, frown and raise our eyebrows, the muscles in our face contract – these repeated facial expressions cause the skin to contract and lines and wrinkles to appear.
Types of wrinkles:
Dynamic Wrinkles are lines that appear on facial movement e.g. when frowning and raising eyebrows – they are not visible when your face is at rest. By injecting specific facial muscles with Botulinum Toxin (muscle relaxant) movement is temporarily reduced. This in turn prevents the formation of lines/wrinkles and subsequently static lines.
Static Wrinkles are lines that are visible when your face is at rest. These lines are deeply engrained. It is important to recognise that these lines will not disappear – they will soften and treatment will help to prevent them from becoming more prominent. Botulinum Toxin is a muscle relaxant and therefore does not fill out static lines/wrinkles.
* Please note that some static lines may require alternative treatment options such as Dermal Fillers *
What is the best treatment?
The best treatment for fine lines and wrinkles is Muscle Relaxing Injections, also known as an Anti-wrinkle Injections – the UK’s most popular cosmetic procedure.
Low doses of the neurotoxin Botulinum Toxin Type A are administered via a series of small injections directly into specific facial muscles. This temporarily relaxes the muscle and reduces its movement which prevents dynamic lines appearing. This creates a softer facial expression, reversing signs of ageing. The overlying skin is left smooth and unable to create lines as muscular activity is reduced.
How does it work?
Chemical messages are sent between the nerves and muscles causing facial muscles to contract. Repeat contractions cause lines and wrinkles to become engrained. Treatment will block the signals between the nerves and muscles, causing the muscle to temporarily relax and stay at its resting state. On average recovery of these ‘messengers’ takes approximately 12 weeks.
Are there any side-effects?
Common side effects occur immediately after treatment and consist of redness, swelling and bruising at the site of injection. These are normal and generally resolve within a couple of days.
More serious side effects are exceptionally rare – treatment will only be carried out following a thorough medical consultation with our Advanced Nurse Practitioner/Independent Prescriber. This allows for more serious side effects to be discussed in detail before treatment is commenced.
Which areas can be treated?
- Forehead lines
- Frown lines (in-between the eyebrows)
- Crows feet lines (sides of the eyes)
- Cheek lines (extended crows feet lines into the cheeks)
- Bunny lines (top and sides of the nose)
- Gummy smile (lowers the top lip when smiling)
- Lip lines (smokers lines/ peri-oral lines)
- Eyebrow lifting
- Neck bands
- Teeth grinding
- Masseter reduction
- Nose tip repositioning
- Chin Dimpling
- Hyperhidrosis (excessive underarm sweating)
Does the procedure hurt?
We take all necessary precautions to ensure the treatment is as pain free as possible – the needle used is extremely fine and we offer FREE local anaesthetic cream (available on request) although most clients report injections cause very little discomfort and can be well tolerated with no anaesthetic.
When will I see results?
The effects are gradual. Improvements are often noticeable within 2-3 days and by 2 weeks the full effects of the treatment are visible.
How long will the treatment last?
On average results last up to 12 weeks and are dependent upon individual characteristics. We recommend that you visit us 3-4 times per year to ensure we maintain your desired results.
How long does the procedure take?
The procedure will take up to 30 minutes.
A complimentary follow up appointment is offered 14-21 days after the initial treatment to review and tweak the final result if needed.