Botulinum Toxin A Injections
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Botulinum Toxin A is a neuroprotein that temporarily blocks nerve signals to muscles by stopping the release of a chemical messenger (acetylcholine). This prevents the target muscles from contracting resulting in a temporary relaxation of the muscles. Botox, Bocouture and Dysport are all brands of Botulinum Toxin A that work in the same way but might kick in and last slightly different lengths for different clients.
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Botulinum Toxin A can be used for both cosmetic and medical reasons including easing lines and dimpling in the face (forehead, frown, crows feet), eyebrow lifts, bunny lines, gummy smiles, down turned mouth corners, lip flip, dimpled chin, a partial neck lift and jaw definition, teeth grinding and jaw clenching and excessive sweating. See below for more detail on the treatment areas available.
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After your initial consultation with Dr Chloe where you will discuss your treatment goals and come up with a tailored treatment plan, Dr Chloe will discuss each treatment, the risks involved and take you through the consent form. Dr Chloe will take ‘before’ photos and clean your skin before marking up injection points. The needle is very small and the toxin being injected feels like a small ant bite that lasts for a few seconds. Depending on areas being treated the injections themselves will take between 2 and 5 minutes. Dr Chloe will go through after care instructions with you again and take photos post treatment. You might get little red spots/blebs where the toxin has been injected but these tend to settle within minutes to a few hours.
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The Botulinum Toxin A starts to work around 5 days after injection and the peak effect on muscles is 14 days later. This is when you will have the least movement which will then slowly return to normal from this point. The effects tend to last up to 3 months but this can be shorter or longer depending on metabolism, smoking, sun exposure, alcohol, exercise and other lifestyle factors. After the Botulinum Toxin A has worn off your muscle activity will slowly return to pre-treatment levels. If you have more fixed/static lines then it is best to have treatments every 12 weeks to help soften the fixed lines by preventing muscle movement underneath the skin. Sometimes deep fixed lines might ease with 2-3 sessions, occasionally needing other aesthetic treatments in addition to Botulinum Toxin A to help ease the line.
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pain, swelling, redness of bruising at the injection site
headache or neck ache for around 24 hours which is more likely after the first treatment and can be eased with paracetamol
heaviness of eyebrows
facial asymmetry
temporary drooping of eye lid or eye brow (ptosis)
allergic reaction
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avoid touching the treated areas for 4 hours and wait at least 4 hours before applying skin products or makeup
avoid heavy exercise and excessive sweating for 24 hours
avoid alcohol for 24 hours as this can increase the risk of bruising
avoid heat (saunas/steam rooms/hot tubs/hot showers) for 24 hours
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Botulinum Toxin A is generally very well tolerated but should be avoided in clients who are pregnant or breast feeding, those with an allergy to Botulinum Toxin A and those with certain neuromuscular diseases (Myasthenia gravis, Lambert-Eaton syndrome or ALS).
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No! Dr Chloe prides herself on natural results no matter the treatment so no client will leave the clinic looking ‘fake’ or over done, but a more youthful, refreshed version of you.
Botulinum Toxin A treatments done well do not make your face look ‘fake’. There is no gel substance left in the skin unlike filler so you will not be adding any volume to your face with Botulinum Toxin A etiher.
Dr Chloe will discuss your desired outcome and tailor the treatment to you as some clients want to maintain some movement in their face whilst others prefer zero movement at all. When done well, Botulinum Toxin A injections should result in a more youthful, smoother version of you.
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Dr Chloe prefers clients to come to her with the area of concern rather than the treatment in mind to fix it. With her expertise she will discuss different options available to treat the area and come up with an individual treatment plan for you. Please book an initial consultation to discuss any questions with Dr Chloe and talk through any treatment concerns you might have
Forehead lines
Injecting Botulin Toxin A into various points across the forehead prevents the frontalis muscle from fully contracting, helping to smooth out forehead wrinkles and prevent worsening of the lines. With time and repeated treatments even static lines (lines that are there even when not raising your eyebrows) may fade. Each face is different with different proportions and eyebrow position so Dr Chloe will discuss what your preferences are with regards to level of movement and eyebrow position.
Crows Feet
Injecting Botulin Toxin A into various points around the lateral eye orbit help to reduce the appearance of crows feet, or ‘laughter lines’ by stopping the orbiculares oculi from fully contracting. These injections done slightly more towards the outside of the eyebrow can help to open up the eye giving an eye brow lift.
Dimpled Chin
An overactive mentalis muscle (the muscle in the chin) can cause a dimpled, orange peel appearance of the chin. Botulin Toxin A injections into this muscle can prevent the overactivity and result in a smoother appearance of the chin.
Jaw clenching/teeth grinding
The masseter muscle is a large muscle between the ear and angle of the jaw on both sides of the face that helps to close the jaw, eg when chewing. This muscle can be overactive and can get very large causing a more square appearance of the face. Injecting Botulin Toxin A into this muscle on both sides reduces the activity of the muscle and so with time reduces the size of the muscle, resulting in a more slimline facial shape.
This is also the muscle that is often over active in people who suffer from teeth grinding and jaw clenching which can lead to jaw / temperomandibular joint pain and headaches. Injecting this muscle and reducing its function can help treat teeth grinding and jaw clenching.
Gummy smile
An overactive upper lip muscle can result in the upper lip being pulled up towards the nose particularly when smiling giving a ‘gummy’ smile. Injecting the upper lip can help this muscle to relax so the upper lip does not rise as high and expose the gums.
Bunny lines
Botulin Toxin A can be injected into the sides of the bridge of the nose to help soften the lines created in those areas when you laugh and smile.
Frown Lines
The frown lines, sometimes called ‘11’s’ are the lines between your eyebrows caused by frowning. These tend to worsen in the summer when people squint more in the sun. Botulin Toxin A injections here are often used in combination with the forehead injections to create a balanced upper face. ers of the mouth to be slightly lifted resulting in a happier, more youthful appearance. It also helps prevent worsening of jowls with time.
Down Turned Mouth Corners
Injections of Botulin Toxin A in the depressor anguli oris muscle ( the muscle that goes from the corner of the mouth down to the jawline on both sides of the face) stop the pulling down of the corners of the mouth. Treating these causes the corners of the mouth to be slightly lifted resulting in a happier, more youthful appearance. It also helps prevent worsening of jowls with time.
Lip Flip
Injecting a small amount of Botulin Toxin A just outside the vermillion border of the upper lip can help soften ‘smokers lines’ and can help relax the orbicularis oris which prevents the upper lip curling under when smiling. This results in a more visible upper lip when smiling without adding volume using filler.
Nefertiti Neck Lift
Botulin Toxin A can be injected into the jawline and neck to relax the platysmal bands. Platysmal bands are part of a thin sheet of muscle that goes from the collar bone up to the jawline and when active, help pull the lower half of the face downwards contributing to jowl formation as we age and the horizontal wrinkle lines in the neck. By reducing the activity of these muscle bands with Botulin Toxin A, there is less pulling down of the face, resulting in unopposed upward lifting of the lower facial muscles providing a lifting effect on the jawline and neck of up to 15%.
Hyperhidrosis/Excessive sweating
Botulin Toxin A can be used to treat excessive sweating, most commonly in the armpits, by blocking the signals reaching the sweat glands that instruct them to produce sweat. The treatment involves a series of injections very close to the surface of the skin and takes around 30 minutes to perform. It takes around 7 days to notice an improvement and the treatment tends to last around 5 to 6 months but can vary person to person.