You can get a botulinum toxin touch-up injection after a few months to maintain the botulinum toxin results. The botulinum toxin wears off a few months after injection, leading to the treated signs reappearing. The ideal time to do touch-ups is at least two months after injection or the last touch-up.
Getting botulinum toxin touch-ups is the best way to maintain botulinum toxin results. Botulinum toxin starts to wear off a few months after injection, and if you do not do a touch-up, the treated signs of ageing will reappear. The skin develops signs of ageing at points of skin contractions where your skin has been folding over the years. Wrinkles, frown lines, and crow’s feet become more pronounced when it drops. Other clients may want to enhance their beauty; anyone above 18 years old with good health and realistic expectations can get botulinum toxin.
What is Botox?
According to Satriyasa (2019),botulinum toxin or commonly referred to as Botox by clients, is used for cosmetic purposes to smooth wrinkles and treat frown lines, fine lines, and crow’s feet around the eye. The botulinum toxin is injected into the chin, forehead, and around the eyes. The injection stops muscle movements that cause facial contractions when making facial expressions.
Procedure for Botox
Understanding the botulinum toxin procedure is key when getting the botulinum toxin injection. Your cosmetic doctor will explain the process for botulinum toxin and tell you about the possible side effects and complications. You will also discuss the precautions and measures to prevent these side effects and complications.
During injection, the cosmetic doctor will mark areas of injection to help figure out what you will look like after the procedure. The procedure is not painful, even though you may initially feel discomfort. The use of anaesthetics is unnecessary in clients who are comfortable with injections. The cosmetic doctor will inject you with your choice’s botulinum toxin. The results will depend on the cosmetic doctor and the type of botulinum toxin used.
How Long Does Botox Take to Kick in?
Botulinum toxin treatment does not have immediate results like other cosmetic procedures. You can see results after three or five days.According to Carré et al. (2022), the botulinum toxin binds with SNARE, a protein that sends signals from the nerves to the muscle stopping the communication between the nerves and the injected muscles. The binding is immediate, but it takes a few days for the SNARE to shut down completely.The volume injected, and the area treated also determine how soon you will see the botulinum toxin results.
How Long Does the Botox Last?
Like any injectable cosmetic product, botulinum toxin also wears off. Botulinum toxin can last for three to five months, depending on the type of botulinum toxin and the rate of metabolism. Some areas, like around the eye, need less botulinum toxin, which means the results will not last long. Other factors include the amount injected, the area treated, and the technique used. Botulinum toxin in clients who have a higher metabolism rate last for a shorter time, unlike those with a slow metabolism.
How Often Should You Get Botox?
When you get botulinum toxin touch-ups, they will maintain the botulinum results. When the botulinum toxin wears off, the treated signs of ageing reappear again. You can do botulinum touch-ups a few months after the injection, usually after two months. The results will not be affected much after the botulinum starts to wear off, but the touch-up will help maintain them.
What is the Cost of Botox?
The average cost of botulinum toxin is £500, depending on the type. Medical covers do not cover cosmetic procedures; this can also explain the high price of botulinum toxin. The cosmetic doctor’s experience and location, the number of injections, the area of treatment and its complexity will determine the cost of getting a botulinum toxin injection. The total cost of getting botulinum toxin can start from £1000.
Side Effects and Complications of Botox
According toWitmanowski & Błochowiak (2020),botulinum toxin injections are safe when done by qualified personnel. You can experience some bruising, nausea, headache, and flu-like symptoms. The side effects last a few days but not more than two weeks. See your cosmetic doctor if you experience side effects for more than two weeks.
Botulinum toxin complications are rare, but you can experience complications if the botulinum toxin spreads beyond the treated area. In such cases, you can experience botulism-like signs and symptoms like slurred speech, difficulty swallowing and breathing problems. You can avoid such complications by avoiding touching, rubbing, massaging, or sleeping on your face for at least a week.
Frequently sked Questions about Botox
What Should I Not Do Before Botox?
At least a week before your injection, avoid taking any thinning medications. According to Ausen et al. (2022), thinning medications make it hard for blood to clot, which can make bruising worse. If the thinning medications are prescribed, then inform your cosmetic doctor. You should also avoid alcohol at least 48 hours before injection since it is a vasodilator and a blood thinner.
What Are the Dos and Don’ts after Botox?
Keep your head upright after injection for at least 4 hours
Do not apply ice to the treated area; botulinum is a sterile procedure, and the ice might introduce bacteria to the treated area.
After injection, make vigorous frown expressions to increase the effectiveness of the treatment; after that, do not make extreme facial expressions for at least 12 hours.
Do not rub, massage, or sleep on your face for at least a week.
Is Botox Painful?
The botulinum toxin procedure is not painful, you may feel some discomfort initially, but it will go away. Also, the use of anaesthetics is unnecessary in this procedure.
How Does Botox Work?
Botulinum works by stopping nerve signals to the treated muscle, which in turn stops muscle movements. Muscle movements lead to signs of skin ageing, like wrinkles.
Conclusion
You can do a botulinum toxin injection touch-up to maintain its results. The botulinum toxin wears off after a few months; even though results are not affected immediately, the treated signs will reappear. The best time to touch-up botulinum toxin is at least two months after injection. Botulinum toxin works by stopping communication between the nerve and the treated muscle, thus preventing muscle movement. Botulinum toxin last for three to five months depending on the type of botulinum toxin amount injected, the area treated and the metabolism rate. Botulinum toxin is safe with minor side effects like bruising and nausea. Complications with botulinum toxin are rare.
References
Carré, D., Martin, V., Kouidri, Y., Morin, R., Norlund, M., Gomes, A., … & Lezmi, S. (2022). The distribution of neuromuscular junctions depends on muscle pennation, when botulinum neurotoxin receptors and SNAREs expression are uniform in the rat. Toxicon, 212, 34-41.
Satriyasa, B. K. (2019). Botulinum toxin (Botox) A for reducing the appearance of facial wrinkles: a literature review of clinical use and pharmacological aspect. Clinical, cosmetic and investigational dermatology, 12, 223.
Witmanowski, H., & Błochowiak, K. (2020). The whole truth about botulinum toxin – a review. Postepy dermatologii i alergologii, 37(6), 853–861. https://doi.org/10.5114/ada.2019.82795
Ksenia Sobchak enjoys blogging on fashion, style, lifestyle, love and CBD areas. Prior to becoming a blogger, Ksenia worked for a renowned fashion brand. Ksenia is a contributing author to leading fashion, lifestyle and CBD magazines and blogs. You can bump into Ksenia at her favourite cafe in South Kensington where she has written most blogs. Ksenia is a staunch advocate of CBD and its benefits to people. Ksenia is also on the panel of CBD reviewers at CBD Life Mag and Chill Hempire. Her favourite form of CBD are CBD gummies and CBD tinctures. Ksenia is a regular contributor at leading fashion, lifestyle as well as CBD magazines and blogs.
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