Frequently Asked Questions – Frown line reduction

How does Botulinum Toxin work?
Botulinum Toxin blocks impulses from the nerve to the tiny facial muscles that are related to expression lines. Botulinum Toxin relaxes the muscles so that they do not contract. After treatment, the overlying skin remains smooth and unwrinkled while the untreated facial muscles contract in a normal fashion, allowing normal facial expression to be unaffected.

Are Botulinum Toxin treatments safe?
Botulinum Toxin injections have been used safely for over twenty years to treat many neurological and ophthalmological disorders. Each year tens of thousands of patients receive Botulinum Toxin for relief from a variety of conditions and it is quickly becoming a popular treatment for reversing the visible signs of aging.

What is the treatment like?
Cosmetic “denervation” with Botulinum Toxin is a simple and safe procedure. Using a tiny micro-needle, a very small amount of Botulinum Toxin is injected very precisely into several locations on the face. The needle is so fine and only a small amount is used, therefore the pain associated with the injection is minimal. Most patients compare the sensation to a mosquito bite. No sedation or local anaesthetic is required. You can resume normal activities immediately afterwards and even drive yourself home or back to your place of work.

Are there any side effects?
Some patients experience a slight temporary bruising at the injection site. This may be covered up with make up. In some cases, the toxin can migrate and cause temporary weakness to nearby small muscles. In rare cases there can be drooping of an eyelid or asymmetry of facial expression. The risk of any side effect depends upon the muscles injected. Your doctor will discuss this with you in detail before the treatment. Because the effects of Botulinum Toxin are completely reversible, any side effects are temporary, lasting only a few weeks.

What results can I expect?
If dynamic wrinkles make you look older than you are, cosmetic “denervation” can smooth these out and give you a more youthful and pleasing appearance. However, this treatment cannot improve wrinkles due to aging and sun-damaged skin since they are unrelated to facial muscle contractions. Muscle relaxing injections will not improve sagging skin or replace the need for a facelift or browlift.

What are the limitations of Botulinum Toxin?
Unfortunately, Botulinum Toxin injections are a temporary solution for the treatment of dynamic wrinkles. The effects of the injections last from three to six months. You will need to have injections about two to three times a year. The early clinical studies indicate that the duration of the treatment benefits is increased over time so that you should require fewer injections in the future. The duration of the effect varies from patient to patient and may be less effective for those over 65 years of age.

Is Botulinum Toxin used to treat other symptoms?
Yes, Botulinum Toxin has been used for over twenty years on thousands of patients to treat blepharospasm associated with dystonia.