Are Botox Injections Safe?

If you’re someone who prefers to read, keep scrolling!

Thanks Dr Ahmed for talking to us about Botox. You and I both know that Botox is just a brand name for Botulinum Toxin, yet it’s become ubiquitous with antiwrinkle treatments and the default generic term. Because of this, few people understand it’s a brand name – everyone just searches Google for Botox believing that’s what the treatment is called! We believe it's essential people can find the answers to their questions, and are properly informed before they even book a consultation, so we’ll call it Botox. Let's crack on with the top questions people have about this treatment...

Is Botox safe?

In the right hands when administered correctly, yes, it is.

Are Botox injections painful?

Not at all, we use teeny tiny needles, that are used for babies sometimes, to administer Botox, so they’re extremely thin and you can barely feel it.

Click on the image to expand

^{Even if you hate needles, you've nothing to fear! You must always have a consultation with a medical pro before any treatment takes place.}

Are Botox top-ups free?

They should be and are in my clinic!

Can Botox go wrong?

Yes, it definitely can. If Botox is administered in the wrong area, into the wrong muscle, it can have the complete opposite effect. If, for example, you’re using it to remove the lines in your forehead (like mine!) but it’s injected too low down, you may get a droop in your eyebrow – and that’s not a look you want! (You can read more about this complication called Ptosis here)

Can Botox cause headaches?

I tell my patients to avoid lying down for the first 4-6 hours afterwards, as this may cause a headache. But actually, on the flip side, we use Botox very regularly to treat migraines. A lot of migraines are caused by tight muscles around the head and the neck, so if you help those muscles relax it will massively improve those symptoms of headaches.

Can Botox lift eyebrows?

Yes, it can. If administered correctly you can get a nice subtle eyebrow lift and that may help massively with hooded eyes as well.

Which Botox is best?

There are many brands but I prefer the original, Botox, made by Allergan.

(Glowday says, there aren’t different types of ‘Botox’, Botox itself is one type of Botulinum Toxin -other practitioners may prefer brands such as Azzulure, Xeomin, Dysport and Vistabel – check which one your practitioner uses and don’t be afraid to ask them why!)

How long does Botox last?

On average we always say Botox lasts around 3-6 months on the face, for other areas - like when used for hyperhidrosis or in the jaw for excessive grinding (Bruxism) , it can last for a bit longer. Up to 12 months.

Why doesn’t Botox work on me?

To be honest, Botox will work on most people. When it doesn’t work for certain people it’s because they’ve not had enough – perhaps if they have bigger muscles. There has been some reports of some people have certain antibodies which means Botox doesn’t work for them – but that’s extremely rare.

When Botox wears off, will my wrinkles be worse?

No. And actually, because of the Botox effect on the muscles and skin, they will be a lot better than they were before.

Where can you have Botox?

Botox can be injected anywhere that has a muscle essentially, most commonly it’s used in facial aesthetics to smooth wrinkles and slim the jawline. It’s also used to reduce sweating in the armpits and hands and feet. It has lots of medical uses.

Click on the image to expand

Where is Botox injected for migraines?

For migraines there are certain spots we inject in. We usually inject in the frown lines in the forehead and potentially the crows feet if you have a lot of tension there. It could be injected along the temporalis muscle, the traps, and maybe even the shoulders.

Who can inject Botox?

In my opinion only medically qualified people can inject; doctors, dentists, advanced nurse practitioners, pharmacists etc - people who are medical. But unfortunately, in the UK we do get a lot of beauticians and non-medically qualified people injecting, which is often disastrous.

Who shouldn’t have Botox?

There are many contraindications, like being pregnant, breastfeeding or having a neuromuscular condition – such as Myasthenia Gravis. There are a variety of other contraindications (things that mean you are not a good candidate for it) and this is something you need to explore, in quite a lot of detail, in your consultation with your injector.

Click on the image to expand

^{Dr Ahmed from The Aesthetics Doctor Leeds, Cheshire and London.}

Can Botox help with undereye bags?

In essence no. Because usually a lot of these bags are either hollowness that’s created a volume in the under eye or a problem that requires surgery – so either way Botox is not the one.

Will Botox help with jowls?

The short answer is no. Jowls are usually because of skin laxity or lack of volume and Botox doesn’t help with either of these.

How much does Botox cost?

Well – it really depends where you are in the UK! It could be in the low hundreds in the North, or it could be in the high hundreds in London. In my clinic the range is between £250 and £350.

How often will I need Botox?

Depends on where you have it done. 3-6 months for certain areas of the face, longer if it’s in the jaw area – maybe 9 months there – and around 12 months for hyperhidrosis. So we love it!

We hope that’s answered all of your questions. If you’d like to book a consultation for the treatment of lines and wrinkles, click here

You can also find the wonderful Dr Ahmed's clinic here , a consultation will be conducted before any treatment.

^{Dr Ahmed gives us the Glowdown on all things Botox!}