Wrinkle Relaxing Frequently Asked Questions

What is a wrinkle relaxing injection?

Wrinkle relaxing injections contain either Botox, Vistabel or Dysport, which are derived from a very pure protein, Botulinum Toxin Type A, obtained from the bacterium Clostridium Botulinum grown under modern methods of cultivation.

How do the wrinkle relaxing injections work to reduce wrinkles?

Wrinkle relaxing injections relax the muscles that cause those lines to appear over time. By binding with the receptors on the muscle fibres preventing the muscle fibres from receiving the chemical signals that usually cause them to contract.

What is involved in wrinkle relaxing injection treatments?

Over the course of 10 to 15 minutes a few tiny injections are made in the area to be treated. Immediately after treatment the areas involved may appear ever so slightly swollen or red, but this quickly disappears, allowing you to return to work or collect the children immediately after treatment.

What is the post treatment care for wrinkle relaxing injections?

Wrinkle relaxing injection treatments start to take affect 7 to 10 days after treatment when the skin around the treated area looks smoother than before. The full effect will take 2 weeks following treatment. Other areas of the face are unaffected and respond to normal muscular movement. The result may last between 3 and 6 months and are enhanced by further treatments.

What side effects can occur in wrinkle relaxing injections?

Side effects, if they occur, are usually temporary and mild to moderate. Most side affects experienced by patients are short-lived and are linked to the injections e.g. pain on injection, redness, swelling and bruising. Other side effects such as ptosis (drooping of the upper eyelid), whilst still temporary in nature can be caused by a spread of the injection into nearby muscles.

Do the wrinkle relaxing injections hurt?

The needles used are very fine so most people experience only mild discomfort. However, a topical anaesthetic cream can be applied for cosmetic treatments (40 minutes in advance of treatment) to numb the skin to help you to feel more at ease. You can continue with your normal routine immediately after the therapy.

Are wrinkle relaxing injections safe over the long term?

Botulinum Type A has been used in patients to manage various conditions for over 10 years in the UK and for well over 15 years around the world. A recent analysis of Botox studies has followed over 2000 patients for an average of 12 years of treatment and has concluded that Botox has a favourable safety and tolerability profile.

Who should not have wrinkle relaxing injections?

You should not have wrinkle relaxing injection treatments if the following apply:

you think you may allergic to Botulinum Toxin
you are pregnant, thinking about becoming pregnant or breast feeding
you suffer from any muscle problems
you are using any antibiotics or drugs to relax muscles
you have had any problems with past treatments
you must inform us if you have had surgery to your the areas to be treated

Who can legally administer wrinkle relaxing injections?

Doctors, Dentists and Independent Prescribing Nurses are able to recommend and prescribe wrinkle relaxing injections. Botulinum Toxin made by Allergan and Ipsen are licensed in the UK for the treatment of hyperhidrosis. In March 2006, Vistabel was granted a licence in the UK from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for the "temporary improvement in the appearance of moderate to severe glabellar lines (vertical 'frown' lines between the eyebrows) in adult women and men aged 65 and younger, when the severity of these lines has a psychological impact for the patient".

Under the current UK medicines legislation it is against the law for nurses who are not independent prescribers to administer Botox under their own initiative, or give directions for someone else to do so.