How safe is Botox®?
In high concentrations botulinum toxin is a potent poison. However, Botox® used in minute doses, as it is in cosmetic therapy, has a very high margin of safety.
What areas or conditions can be treated with Botox?
Botox is a medication that has been used to treat different neuro -muscular disorders . It is used within the NHS on children of the age of two who suffer from the previously mentioned conditions.
In Aesthetic Medicine Botox has been widely used since 2000. It is effective for active dynamic lines (those which occur while we express our face), frown lines, forehead wrinkles, crows feet.
It is also used on the lower face for conditions such as smoker lines, jaw line reduction, Nefertiti neck lift (known as a non-surgical neck lift) .
Botox is used on people who suffer with excessive sweating – known as hyperhidrosis . On there armpits, feet and hands.
What happens during treatment?
The procedure of administering Botox takes only 5-10 minutes. The practitioner will ask you to use certain muscles of the face to observe how they work. An extremely fine, short needle is used to inject the Botox into the appropriate area. This may cause some slight but brief discomfort. The area may have some minor redness and swelling, which normally resolves in an hour or two. After treatment, you should not massage the injected area. You should not lie down for four hours after treatment.
The treatment normally starts to take effect 4 to 14 days after Botox has been injected, but this may vary slightly with some individuals. The effects will normally last between 2 and 6 months, after this time, you will begin to start and notice an ability to move the muscles more freely.
Are there any side effects?
Side effects of this treatment are rare. Most people find that the injection causes only mild discomfort. Immediately after the injection there may be mild swelling, which usually subsides in 48 hours.
Occasionally, a temporary drooping of the eyelid can occur. This may last a few weeks, but will always resolve. Special eye drops can be prescribed during this time to help lift the lid back into the normal position. In extremely rare cases patients have developed an allergy to the treatment, while others have shown resistance, i.e. it causes little or no effect on the treated muscles.
If you are pregnant or a nursing mother, treatment is not recommended.
