The Botox boom… Why everyone’s having ‘tweakments’
After more than a year with no ‘tweakments’, Lesley Reynolds explains why Botox is in high demand post-lockdown and how it can make you look years younger in days…
L
ooking for a post-lockdown pick-meup? You’re not alone. It’s estimated that six million Brits are booking cosmetic ‘tweakments’, with the biggest in demand being Botox – the ultimate quickfix for smoothing out lines and wrinkles. Here’s what the buzz is all about. WHAT IS BOTOX? Full name Botulinum Toxin, Botox is a drug made from a toxin. In fact, it’s the same toxin that causes a type of food poisoning called botulism. Much like skincare, there are many brands of Botox, including Azzalure, Vistabel, Bocouture, Dysport, to name a few.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
When injected into your skin, Botox blocks the signal from the nerve to the facial muscle. This muscle then becomes relaxed, and stops the muscle contracting (and it’s this muscle movement over time that deepens lines).
Preventing the muscle contracting is what helps smooth out the wrinkles, but if lines are noticeable when the face is resting, they may not completely disappear with treatment.
IS THERE A RIGHT AGE FOR BOTOX?
My advice is to consider having the treatment when it’s right for you. However, Botox should not be used for cosmetic reasons on people under the age of 18. In fact, a new law banning under-18s from having cosmetic Botox or fillers received Royal assent in April this year. The average age of patients at my clinic is around 35, and there’s no upper age limit. In fact, many women continue having regular top-ups in their 60s and 70s, although some start as early as their late 20s as a preventative measure to stop wrinkles occurring during their 30s.
WHO CAN’T HAVE IT?
Botox injections are not recommended for women who are pregnant, breast-feeding or for those with neurological disorders. Always check with your GP to ensure you’re a suitable candidate for Botox, especially if you’re on any kind of medication.
WHAT RESULTS CAN I EXPECT?
Skilful use can make your face look years younger, softer and relaxed. It can smooth fine lines, give a gentle lift to the jawline, erase crow’s feet and frown lines, shrink pores and open up the eyes. It can also be used to
smooth vertical bands on the neck, lift droopy corners of the mouth, reduce a gummy smile, upturn the tip of your nose and help to control excessive oily skin. After treatment there are no scars to worry about, no downtime and it takes minutes to perform. Results are seen after three to five days, with best results after two weeks. Even better, results can last from three to five months, making it one of the most cost effective and easiest treatments to choose.
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER TREATMENT?
You will be able to resume normal activities immediately after the procedure, but avoid any vigorous exercise or heavy gym sessions and alcohol for at least 24-48 hours, to give the treatment time to settle in. You can lightly cleanse in the evening but don’t rub too hard. Mineral make-up can be used but do not apply too much pressure to ensure Botox stays put.
Avoid facials, facial massage sessions or using home facial electrical gadgets, including rollers or gua stones, for a week or so. Botox is usually ‘bound’ to the muscle after a couple of hours so keep upright for the first four hours. If you have the treatment later in the day wait at least four hours before sleeping and avoid lying on your face to avoid migration. You may notice some redness, minor swelling or bruising, or numbness around the injection sites. If you receive injections in the forehead region, you may, very rarely, also experience a headache. However, these and other symptoms are generally minor and should resolve within a few days. If you’re booked in for your Covid vaccination, wait for seven days until you have any Botox.
CAN IT BE USED FOR ANYTHING ELSE BESIDES WRINKLES?
Yes! Doctors inject in small doses to treat many health problems, including severe underarm sweating, migraines, jaw grinding, eyelid twitches, squints and irritable bladder.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE BOTOX WEARS OFF?
Your facial muscles will function as they did before the treatment. This means that the wrinkles you smoothed or reduced will slowly begin to appear again; no new wrinkles will form due to the treatment, you will simply be witnessing old wrinkles reappearing.