Botulinum Toxin Type A (otherwise known as Botox), uses the toxin produced by the bacteria responsible for botulism in food poisoning. The amount of toxin used in aesthetic practice is small and well tolerated in clinical trials.

As Botulinum Toxin A is a Prescription Only Medicine (POM), it is a legal requirement to have a face to face consultation prior to treatment. Treatment will not be carried out if you are pregnant or breast feeding.

 The muscles of the face used for expression are temporarily weakened by the toxin. This rejuvenating treatment will give you a rested and more youthful appearance. Facial lines that are static e.g. those caused by sun damage, generally don’t respond to treatment with botulinum toxin as they are not caused by muscle activity.

Botulinum Toxin A is most commonly used in aesthetics to improve expression lines and wrinkles to the upper part of the face. However, due to the muscle relaxing properties of the drug there are conditions in the lower face that can be treated with Botulinum Toxin A. Some examples are gummy smile (where excessive gum tissue is exposed above the upper teeth when smiling), bruxism (grinding teeth), dimpled or pebbled chin, lack of jawline definition, wrinkled/sagging neck, loose jowls. These conditions (and more) can be treated with Botulinum Toxin A.

The treatment starts to take effect from around day 3-5 then continues to take effect for 14 days. During this time, you will notice a reduction in the strength of the muscle contraction. At 14 days, this is the optimum of the treatment effect. If the results haven’t achieved the desired effect agreed at consultation, this would be the point for the treatment to be reviewed by your practitioner and adjustments made if your practitioner deems it necessary to adjust. Catherine will offer the review appointment and adjustment as complimentary.