Fix your wrinkles, boost your brows: It’s Botox for beginners
Botox is often hailed as the “fix it” for wrinkles and signs of ageing but how do you know if it’s for you? Cosmetic physician, GP and founder of Luxe Skin, Dr Usman Quershi (aka Dr Q) gives us the lowdown...
What is Botox?
Botox is a neuromodulator that temporarily relaxes the muscles to prevent movement – when injected, Botox can help smooth out lines and wrinkles and prevent new lines from forming. It is most commonly used to prevent skin ageing.
How does it work?
When injected into the targeted areas, Botox will block chemical signals from the nerves that cause the muscles to contract. Botox can also be used for non-cosmetic reasons, such as treating excessive sweating, reducing teeth grinding and treating migraines.
How do I know if it’s for me?
I recommend visiting an aesthetic clinic but, generally, you’d be a good candidate for anti-ageing Botox if you have moderate lines and wrinkles on your forehead and frown lines or if you have crow’s feet around your eyes.
What does it involve?
Getting Botox is a quick and easy procedure. The practitioner will determine where you need Botox during the consultation by looking at your face.
After a consultation, your practitioner will sterilise and mark the areas to be injected. You will receive tiny injections into the marked-out areas. Results can take up to two weeks to settle but you will usually see a difference within a few days. Your practitioner will book you in for a follow-up appointment around the two-week mark.
How invasive is it?
Botox is considered a non-invasive treatment. It has minimal downtime and minimal risk of adverse effects.
In some cases, there can be a minor swelling or bruising where the injections were made after the treatment; however this is rare and goes away quickly.
How long does it take?
Overall the entire procedure should take 30-40 minutes, including consultation.
Do I need to top up after the first time? How often?
With regular Botox, we would recommend coming in for a top-up every 3-4 months – after this time, the effects will start to wear off. Maintenance will vary from person to person.
As told to Tracey Bryce