Botox - Anti-ageing Injection

What is it?

Botox is the leading brand of injectable botulinum toxin type A and has become known as a 'friendly poison' because it's related to botulism, a form of food poisoning.

Botox works by blocking signals to the muscles, stopping them contracting. It's used in tiny quantities with high margins of safety and affects only the muscles - it has no effect on the central nervous system.

It was originally used as a medical treatment for patients with crossed eyes. Then an ophthalmologist noticed that her patients' wrinkles disappeared when treated for eyelid spasms. Soon, it became the hottest cosmetic wrinkle slayer on the beauty menu.

Botox works by interfering with the muscles' ability to contract. Not only does it smooth existing lines but, over time, it appears to prevent new ones appearing.

Medically, it's also used to control excessive sweating - which makes it a popular treatment among A-listers on red carpet duty - and to relieve migraines.

What can it do for you?

Botox can be used to soften and smooth expression lines and wrinkles around the eyes and mouth, across the forehead and between the eyebrows.

Although it's no substitute for a surgical facelift, the results can be amazing. For example, when it's injected into the muscles above the brow, any excess skin around the eyes will lift.

New uses for Botox are being discovered all the time. A number of women have been treated with Botox in the neck and chest area.

The decolletage area is particularly prone to sun damage and injections can be administered to soften the crinkled look. The neck can also be treated with Botox to smooth ageing lines and improve the angle of the jaw.

Other uses, include the treatment of wrinkly elbows. It's the latest craze in Brazil.

The procedure

Before starting, the doctor should spend time observing the dynamics of your face to determine which areas need the most work.

Using a very fine needle, the Botox is then injected into the muscle, often in several places. Some doctors may apply a local anaesthetic cream first.

The treatment takes around 10 minutes. It can take around 48 hours for the first effects of Botox to be seen. The complete effect is often visible after a week.

Cost

From approximately £200 per session.

Recovery time

Botox isn't known as a lunchtime fix for nothing - those who've undergone the treatment can carry on as normal afterwards. The only signs of treatment may be slight bruising or redness at the site of injection, but this should quickly fade.

It's important to remain upright for four hours after the injections - so no lying down or bending over. You shouldn't massage the area or exercise during this time, either. These precautions limit the spread of Botox from the site of injection.

What can go wrong?

Done well, Botox can wipe years off your face without it looking like you've had any 'work'. Done badly, it can put years back on or leave your face looking unnatural and expressionless.

Among the more alarming possible side effects are drooping of the brow and eyelid. Either can happen when the Botox is injected in the wrong place or in the wrong amount. You may also end up 'freeze-framed' - when your face can't form any expressions.

Other possible, but rare, side effects include transient headaches and numbness.

How long does it last?

The effects of Botox last between three and six months for most patients. Further injections are recommended every three to four months to keep the muscles inactive and allow the lines to remain smooth.

Clinical studies have shown that subsequent injections last progressively longer, owing to muscle weakening and breaking frowning habits.

Once satisfied with an area, patients need only return for further injections when they notice muscle movement again - and this may not occur for up to a year.

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