Botulinum toxin injections, known as Botox, relax the muscles in your face to smooth out lines and winkles, such as crow's feet and frown lines. Wrinkle relaxing botulinum toxin type A injections 'neurotoxins' are the most common non-invasive aesthetic procedure. While they are commonly called 'Botox', there are actually four different FDA-approved neurotoxins: Botox, Dysport, (Azzalure), Jeuveau, and Xeomin (Bocouture).

It is administered via a series of painless, super-fine injections into muscle tissue in the areas of the face where wrinkles most commonly form. Botox works by preventing the injected muscle from contracting, allowing wrinkles in the skin to relax and soften leading to an overall smoothing effect.

Botox can dramatically smooth frown lines on the forehead, crow's feet around the eyes and prevent puckering and dimples on the chin. Botox can also be injected into the neck to delay the need for a neck lift. It can also effectively treat cosmetic concerns in the lower face, including areas around the mouth, jawline, chin and neck. The use of Botox above the lips can be used to soften 'lipstick' or 'smokers lines'. When injected along the upper lip in the right areas Botox can also create the appearance of more volume in the upper lip, known as a 'lip flip'.

The effects of Botox are not immediately visible; typically it takes several days for the initial effect to become apparent and can take up to two weeks before Botox takes full effect.

The timeframe varies from patient-to-patient. As a general guide, the effects of a single Botox treatment will last between three and six months.

Before and after the procedure, your doctor will clearly explain any aftercare instructions to you. Botox treatments, however, are fairly straightforward with hardly any associated risks, so aftercare is minimal and there is little to no downtime expected after the treatment

Avoid rubbing, massaging, or applying any pressure to the treated area. These actions can cause the Botox to spread to other areas of the body which could negatively affect your results. When being injected between the brows, do not lie down or bend over for three to four hours as doing so may cause the botox to slip under the orbital rim an possibly cause an eyelid droop.

Some patients may experience minor bruising at the sites of injection, but this can be easily covered with makeup. You will be able to resume your normal activities immediately after the procedure has finished.

Minor bruising or discomfort may occur, but should improve within a few days. Other side effects may include swelling or drooping in eyelid area, tiredness, headache, neck pain, double vision, dry eyes, allergic reactions such as rash, itching or asthma symptoms. Contact the clinic immediately if any of these side effects occur.