Tiny amounts are injected in and around the area. There is a stinging sensation with the procedure, which is very short lived. The procedure itself usually takes less than 10 minutes, and you can go straight back to work afterwards if needed.Within a few days the effects start to become noticeable, although the peak of action may not occur for 1 to 2 weeks. Over a period of 3 to 4 months the effects gradually wear off and to continue the effect, repeat injections are required. Repeat injections over time may lead to longer intervals between treatments, but it is unlikely that it will ever be permanent.
No. A very small proportion of patients have pre-existing antibodies which renders the substance ineffective. Unfortunately there is no way of identifying this small group of people beforehand.
Anti-wrinkle injections start to work 2-3 days after the injection and reach their full effect within 7-14 days. The effects can typically last for up to 3-4 months depending on the individual.
General after effects:
- Bruising. This is temporary only.
- Pain or headache. This passes quickly.
Upper face injections:
- Ptosis or weakness of the upper eyelid.This causes drooping of the eyelid and occurs in less than 1% of patients. This may last up to four weeks but is minimised by not lying down for 4 hours after treatment, and not massaging the area.
- Overuse in the forehead can result in 'heavy brows' or an excessively frozen look to the forehead.
- 'Peaky' eyebrows - this can occur when the frown area is treated due to compensatory overactivity of the outer forehead muscles.
- Double vision related to treatment under the eye. This is very uncommon but will usually disappear within two weeks.
- "Bags" under the eye. May appear more prominent in susceptible persons.
Other areas:
- Neck weakness(where injected into platysmal bands)
- Difficulty with swallowing, whistling and speaking(around mouth)
- Asymmetrical smile(treatments around mouth)
Wrinkle relaxer injections are not recommended for:
- Pregnant or breastfeeding women
- Patients with Multiple Sclerosis or Myasthenia gravis
No. Your safety is our main concern and for this reason, we do not treat patients who are pregnant. We advise against all cosmetic injectable treatments whilst pregnant simply out of precaution and due to the lack of information available on cosmetic injectable treatment effects on the fetus.