How Long Does Wrinkle Relaxing Last?

Whether you’re thinking about having your crows feet smoothed, you’ve already started your anti-wrinkle treatment journey, or you’re just Bo-curious, it’s important to know that it’s a treatment that needs to be repeated in order to maintain the great effects it can have on our dynamic lines. So, how long does it last? How often should you go and get topped up? And how much is too much when it comes to the anti-wrinkle injection? Let's take a look...

How long does wrinkle relaxing last?

As we’re all so different, it’s impossible to say exactly how long botulinum toxin - more commonly referred to as Botox - will last for you. It really comes down to how quickly your body metabolises it, which could be faster or slower than your best friend, sister or next door neighbour. Botox is broken down naturally in the body and metabolised through the liver and kidneys.

However, generally speaking, brands of botulinum toxins like Dysport, Vistabel and Botox last anywhere from 3-6 months. But you might find that its effects last longer or shorter for you. It also depends on the amount you’ve been administered and where on the body. So, I don’t want to go all “How long is a piece of string?” on you, but until you’ve had your first treatment, you won’t know for sure.

It’s also worth noting that it is not an immediate fix - and it can take up to a couple of weeks before you really notice any difference. Having said that, once it kicks in, you’ll likely be blown away by the results.

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^{A before and after photo of the antiwrinkle injectable treatment. You must always seek a consultation before any treatment and see a medically qualified practitioner, search here for wrinkle relaxing near you.}

How much is too much?

Here at Glowday, we’re all about treatments that are able to enhance our skin rather than dramatically change the way we look, so we recommend starting off slowly when it comes to wrinkle smoothing treatments. Find a great medically qualified practitioner who really knows what they’re doing, look at their Botox before and after images, and listen to their recommendations about how much of the anti-wrinkle solution to use to get the best results for you. Your session should be tailored to you, and you should start off with a low amount of the botulinum toxin - because you can top it up, but you can’t take it away!

Botox can be very obvious if you have too much, resulting in the dreaded frozen face, so keeping it simple and just slightly pepping up your already beautiful skin is all you really need to achieve great results. Anti-wrinkle injections should be subtle and still allow you to show expression - which we all need to do on a day-to-day basis. We have another great article that explains how to avoid the frozen look, which is worth a read.

Generally, as your Botox wears off, you will, slowly but surely, regain movement. Some people don’t even want to risk any movement, so they book in every 12 weeks, religiously. Some like to nip the movement in the bud as soon as they can raise an eyebrow, while others prefer to go back to a fully natural look before they get their next dose. None of these is ‘the right way’ - your practitioner can advise which approach is best for you.

How much does it cost?

The price of wrinkle realxing varies across the UK. It also depends on where on the face you're having it, how long the treatment will take and how much Botox is needed. You'll often see it priced by 'area', so 1,2 or 3 areas. Area means part of the face. So 1 area usually means treating one of the following areas:

• Forehead lines
• Bunny lines (the cute lil' lines either side of your nose when you scrunch it)
• Crow’s feet (around your eyes - the bits that crinkle when you smile)
• Marionette lines (the lines that run vertically between your mouth and chin - think of a puppet on a string!)
• Neck lines
• Chin dimples
• Gummy smile
• Mouth droop
• Lipstick lines
• Eyebrow lift
• Frown lines/11s

Some clinics will provide prices for 'areas' or will specify the problem you want to address, for example, gummy smile, and give a specific price for that. On Glowday you can find practitioners who charge £80 for a lip flip (to reveal more of the top lip without the need for filler) up to £400 for hyperhidrosis (using botulinum toxin to treat excessive sweating). The average price for 1 area on Glowday is £175, but this will depend on location!

The important thing to remember is not to be sucked in by offers, discounts and social media 'cheap deals'. These are almost always being offered by non-medically qualified people, and Glowday strongly urge you to only see a medically-qualified practitioner for this treatment - you can find and book one near you right here . Your face is too important to risk for a cheap deal from an inexperienced person.

Can anyone offer wrinkle relaxing treatments?

In the UK, ANYONE can administer injectables. It can be given by anyone. There is no regulation at all, which is terrifying! There are no requirements for them to have been trained appropriately and many beauty salons, hairdressers and nail clinics will offer injectables alongside its beauty treatments. But here's the pinch. Botox (and other brands of botulinum toxin) is a prescription only product, and anti-wrinkle treatments require a thorough face-to-face consultation with a prescriber. If the person is giving you treatment is not a prescriber, or offers you wrinkle relaxing injections without consulting a prescriber, this is a HUGE warning sign to not go ahead. You have no idea what product they are using (fake toxins with all sorts of dangerous stuff in it is rife!) where they have got it from (they could have bought it from a dodgy supplier on eBay) and if they actually know what they're doing. Do you want to risk blindness? A droopy face? Or something even more serious? No. So don't. Pick a medically qualified professional, such as a nurse, doctor, pharmacist or dentist - the only folks who we allow on Glowday.

Following this consultation, your practitioner will determine the appropriate treatment for you. Your practitioner may suggest an alternative treatment that is better for you.

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^{A before and after photo of antiwrinkle injections in the forehead.}

Interested in having a consultation to learn about options to tackle frown lines, bunny lines, crow's feet or forehead lines? Why not book a consultation with a medically qualified practitioner in your area? Get glowing!

_{Botox, Dysport, Vistabel and Xeomin are registered trademarks}