Muscle Relaxing Injections With Botox

Muscle relaxing injection uses a natural purified protein known as Botox® which relaxes wrinkle-causing muscles and creates a smoothed, rejuvenated appearance. When injected into a muscle, Botox® temporarily blocks the chemical signals that make the muscle contract.

For Example:

How do Botox® injections work?

A tiny amount of Botox is injected into the hyperactive muscles, which blocks the nerve impulse from reaching these muscles. The muscle simply relaxes or ‘goes to sleep’. This relaxation enables the skin to relax and the lines smooth away.

What happens during a Botox® treatment?

You will be asked to frown or smile to assess your muscle movement and then determine the injection site to achieve the best results for you.

The Botox muscle relaxing injection is then administered by several tiny injections, which feels like a pin prick. Normally no anesthetic is required, but topical anesthetic cream can be applied if you wish.

You can return to work or day to day activities immediately, but will be asked to follow post treatment guidelines.

Is Botox® safe?

• Botox has an excellent safety profile.
• Botox is used in a variety of therapeutic areas. It is one of the few treatments that can be given to treat children over 2 years of age to treat cerebral palsy. Doses often exceed those around twenty times the average cosmetic dose!
• Botox has been actively used for over 10 years in tens of thousands of patients worldwide. There are over 20 different licenses in over 70 countries worldwide.
• Botox has U.S. FDA approval

Pre-treatment advice

Contra-indications 7 days before muscle relaxing injection treatment:

1. CACI or any electrical beauty treatments
2. Microdermabrasion
3. Facial electrolysis
4. Facial laser treatments
5. Glycolic or fruit acid chemical peels

When will Botox® start to work?

From 2 -7 days in most patients, but some can take up to 14 days to see the full effect.

Are there any side effects from a Botox® treatment?

Side effects are rare and normally resolve within a very short time, but the most common ones are:

• Bruising at the site of injection
• Ptosis (droop) of the muscle
• Headache

(NB: This usually resolves within a few days. Interestingly, Botox is a recognized treatment for headaches as it helps relax the muscles that are associated with headaches.)

How long will my Botox® treatment last?

Results can last from 3 to 4 months following initial treatment. Subsequent muscle relaxing injection treatments can last much longer, but this does vary in individual patients. It is, however, widely accepted that after the first year or so you may need less frequent visits e.g. only twice a year.

Will my lines look worse if I do not continue my treatment?

No. Should you discontinue treatment your lines will gradually revert to their pre-treatment appearance.

Post-treatment Advice

The following precautions are to be observed immediately following the injection of Botox®. These precautions limit the spread of the muscle relaxant from the site of injection.

1. Do not shampoo the hair or have a scalp massage.
2. Do not wear anything tight on the head (hats, caps, hair bands etc.).
3. Do not lie on the treated area for 3-4 hours.
4. Do not rub or massage the treated area.
5. Do not apply pressure when cleansing the skin. Use only gentle upward strokes.
6. Avoid leaning forward and bobbing up and down (cleaning, which may involve a lot of bending, clothes shopping in dressing and undressing).
7. Do not have a facial massage or treatment of any kind.
8. Do not take any form of exercise or yoga.
9. Do not take any aspirin or drugs containing aspirin, e.g. Nurofen.
10. Do not take vitamin E.
11. Do not consume alcohol.
12. Do not take long haul flights for 24 hours.