Botox Treatment In Southampton

What Exactly Is Botox?

How Does Botox Treat Fine Lines And Wrinkles?

Fine lines and wrinkles are mainly caused by muscle contractions.

For instance, when you are upset or confused, you often draw your eyebrows together and downwards. This causes folding of the skin which results in what is called Frown Lines.

Similarly, when you lift your eyebrows, the skin on your forehead folds, causing Forehead Lines.

When this is done repeatedly, your skin will fold in the very same places. And when you continue to do this over several years, your skin will stop going back to its initial state. Instead, these lines will remain even when you are not making the facial expressions.  

And as we age and continue making the same facial expressions, these fine lines will often turn into more pronounced wrinkles.

Although muscle contractions are normally the primary source of fine line and wrinkle formation, other factors contribute as well. Such as stress, lack of sleep, smoking, pollution, a poor diet, and excessive sunlight.

So what can Botox do?

Botox (or Dysport, Xeomin or Myobloc) is injected into the local muscles that cause the fine lines and wrinkles to appear.

What Botox does is to prevent these muscles from contracting (or make them less able to contract).

Botox disables the nerve cells’ ability to send and receive ‘messages’. Hence, when the muscles don’t receive instructions to act, they are left inactive.

As a result, these muscles will no longer continue to create fine lines and wrinkles because the surrounding skin will stop folding, or fold less.

After these muscles are left inactive and the skin is kept still for some time, the existing wrinkles and fine lines will also be reduced, and the skin will revert back to its initial state.

With time, the wrinkles will often disappear. 

Some people may confuse Botox with dermal fillers.

They are both injected into the skin, however, Botox is used to stop or reduce muscle contractions which again stops wrinkle formation. Dermal fillers are instead applied to increase volume and thereby ‘stretch out’ wrinkles.

However, some people choose to get both Botox and dermal filler treatments, as this combination can produce even better results than either treatment alone.

Before And After Comparison Of Botox 

If you look at prior clients and compare them before and after the treatments, the improvements you will see are typically significant. 

The changes are often mild at first, but as time goes by and the Botox gets time to work, the results are often astonishing.

As the Botox prevents your muscles from making the same facial contractions over and over again, fine lines and wrinkles often start to fade away after just a few days of the treatment.

And after a few months, wrinkles will in many cases start to disappear completely.

How Much Does Botox Cost?

The price of a Botox treatment will depend on the condition you want to treat, and also on the amount of Botox you will need. For instance, men often need more Botox than women, therefore some treatments are slightly more expensive for men.

Our single injection prices start at £100 for treatments of conditions such as Bunny Lines and Marionette Lines. You find a complete Botox price list here.

What Fine Lines And Wrinkles Can Be Treated With Botox?

How Should I Prepare For The Botox Treatment?

For the most part, you can live a normal life and do your regular activities before the Botox treatment. There are however a few things we recommend that you avoid.

It’s a good idea to avoid most painkillers 3 days before the treatment. During these 3 days, you should also avoid anti-inflammatory medications, blood-thinning medication and alcohol.

The reason is that all the above are blood-thinners. If these are taken before the Botox treatment, it may cause bruising and swelling around the injections.

If you smoke, we advise you to cease smoking altogether (or minimize it to the greatest extent possible) prior to the procedure. The toxins in smoke can interfere with both the treatment and the healing process.

We  also suggest that you refrain from consuming highly salty foods in the days leading up to the treatment. Excessive salt intake leads to fluid retention in the body, which can exacerbate swelling.

Lastly, we kindly request that you abstain from consuming alcoholic beverages within 24 hours preceding the treatment.

You can learn more about how to prepare for the treatment here.

What Should I Expect During The Botox Treatment?

When you arrive, we will first make you feel comfortable and calm. We will then explain every step of the treatment, so you understand exactly what will happen.

Before we do the injections, we will cleanse your skin with an antiseptic.

If you want, we will then add a numbing cream to make the injections as painless as possible. Many clients however, choose not to use numbing cream as the pain is tolerable. However, if you are very pain sensitive, this is a good option.

It takes 20-30 minutes for this numbing cream to kick in.

Your clinician will then administer the Botox. This will only take a minute or two.

We will then keep you for a few minutes just to ensure that the treatment went as expected.

That’s it!

To learn more about what will happen on the day of the treatment, you can read this. 

How Long Does The Botox Procedure Take?

The entire procedure from when you first step into the clinic until you are out, should normally take no more than 30-45 minutes.

Hence, you can come for a lunchtime appointment and be done. 👍

Does Botox Hurt?

Yes, if you choose to move forward without numbing cream (as most clients do), you will probably feel some degree of pain when the needle penetrates your skin. However, this discomfort is tolerable by most people.

But if you want, we can apply a numbing cream to the area(s) where the injection(s) will be made. This will numb your skin so that you shouldn’t feel any pain.

You will still feel the pressure from the needle, but there should be no or minimal pain.  

How Soon Will I See Results From Botox?

The average patient will normally start to see results after 1-3 days.

Although Botox has an almost immediate effect, it takes a little time for your skin to ‘settle’. When your skin has received a ‘break’ from the usual folding for 1-3 days, it will normally already start to show signs of improvement. 

However, the results will be more and more pronounced during the next weeks and months. 

How Long Does Botox Last For?

After this period, the muscles that were treated will normally start to regain activity. If you are happy with the new look and you want to maintain this, you should consider treatments 2-3 times a year.

Also, with repeated treatments, many patients experience that they need less frequent injections.

Are There Any Side-Effects From Botox Injections?

It is normal to experience some side-effects. However, the good news is that they are normally mild, and that they typically go away within 48 hours.

These are typically bruising, redness, or swelling where the injection was administered.

Should you experience any other side effects, or if you experience bruising, redness, or swelling for several days, please contact us. 

Is Botox Safe?

Botox is a toxin and it is highly potent even in small doses. However, the doses that are administered contain mostly salt-water and only a very diluted amount of the toxin.

When given by a licensed and certified professional, Botox is considered a very safe treatment.

Botulinum injections is one of the most extensively studied medical aesthetic treatments worldwide, and is approved for cosmetic use in about 100 countries. It has also been evaluated in more than 500 peer-reviewed articles in scientific and medical journals.

Will I Be Able To Move My Face After The Botox Treatment?

Yes, you will be able to move your face.

However, the local muscles that are injected with Botox will become fully or partially relaxed, meaning that the movement of these specific muscles will be reduced.

However, all other areas of your face will be just like before.

Does Botox Look Natural? Will My Face Look Frozen?

If administered by a licensed and certified professional (like the staff at TreatMyWrinkles Southampton), the Botox treatment should not change your natural face or give you a ‘frozen’ look. 

You will only lose movements of that tiny part of your face that causes the wrinkles.

Keep in mind that we do this to improve the look of your face, and therefore we will ensure you keep your natural look. 👍

What To Do (And Not Do) After The Botox Treatment?

After the treatment, you should be able to resume your day as normal.

However, there are a few ‘things’ you should be careful with.

We recommend that you avoid painkillers, certain medications and alcohol, for about 2 days after the treatment. This is to avoid prolonged bruising and swelling.

And we recommend that you are careful with touching the areas where the injections were administered. Particularly, we urge you to avoid rubbing or massaging the treated area for about a week.

We also advice you to avoid facials, chemical peels, microdermabrasions, etc. for about a week.

In addition, we recommend that you avoid strenuous physical activity for about 48 hours.

We also recommend that you don’t wear tight caps or hats, if this puts pressure on the area that was treated. This is to avoid that the Botox moves from its intended location.

In addition, we urge you to not scuba-dive or fly during the 2 days following treatment. Changes in pressure can potentially move injections to unintended areas. Also, a tight scuba-diving mask around the injection can have a similar effect.

And lastly, be careful with strong direct sun exposure and high heat (sauna, very hot showers, etc.) for the next 48 hours.

You can learn more about aftercare here. 

How Many People Get Botox Treatments?

How Long Has Botox Been Used For?

Botox has been used medically since the 1970s for conditions such as crossed eyes. It has been used for treating fine lines and wrinkles since 2002. It has seen a rapid growth since 2002 and is today one of the preferred methods for treating fine lines and wrinkles.

Who Is Botox Appropriate For?

Contact Us Today For Any Botox Questions 👍

Our Southampton clinicians are more than happy to meet with you, or speak with you on the phone, to assess your situation. All free of charge.

We will talk together about any concerns you have about your skin, what you want to achieve and then find the right treatment. We will discover whether Botox could give you more vitality and a fresher look, or whether another treatment is more appropriate.

Our clinicians in Southampton have performed thousands of Botox injections and are not only highly skilled, have all required accreditations and certifications, but are also super friendly.

We love helping our clients to achieve the look they want and to a happier life. Please ask for a free consultation if you want to discuss your situation.

Feel also free to email or call us with any question. 👍

You find more information about Botox in Southampton on our Google page.