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Cosmetic Injections
Treatment for Wrinkles
BOTOX
Consultation and treatments from £250
A non-invasive treatment without the need for surgery, Botox is one of the best known and popular remedies for reducing the appearance of facial lines and wrinkles.
When injected in small doses Botox relaxes the muscles beneath the skin, visibly smoothing and improving the contours of your face and giving you a more youthful look. Botox can also be used preventively to preserve a youthful complexion and delay the appearance of crow’s feet, frown lines and wrinkles.
Santi is one of London’s leading Botox clinics in so you can feel assured you will be treated by an expert with extensive Botox experience.
What is Botox used for?
Botox can be used to smooth the appearance of crow’s feet, frown lines and wrinkles by relaxing the muscles beneath these areas. It can also be used preventively to delay the signs of ageing. Other more advanced uses include providing a defined eyebrow arch, improving the oral commissures and enhancing the skin in the neck area. Botox is also commonly used to treat excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis) and chronic migraines.
Interested in finding out more? Call to book a consultation or read more on botox!
What is Botox?
Botox® is the trade name for Botulinum Toxin, made by Allergan. Botox has been used for treating wrinkles since the 1990s and is the most common cosmetic procedure in the world. The effects of injecting Botox were first discovered by Canadian doctors, a husband and wife team who were using it to treat strabismus, orcrossed eyes. When they discovered the end result included an improvement in facial wrinkles, Botox® was born.
What happens during the procedure?
After a thorough consultation regarding your specific requirements we will advise you on facial symmetry and the dynamics of facial muscles. This will make you better aware of the results that can be achieved. Our approach is always gentle, and our policy is not to over-treat. Onceyou are happy with the results we can enhance the treatment protocol upon future visits. Please allow 45 minutes if this is your first visit and 30 minutes for follow up appointments.
What are the side effects or risks?
Side effects are rare, but some clients may experience redness or bruising at the injection site. Occasionally the area might temporarily ache.
What results can I typically expect?
It usually takes between 5 and 10 daysfor the full effect of Botox treatment to become visible. You are welcome to come in for a further top-up treatment around the 10-day mark at our clinic in Chelsea. After that you will typically come in every 3 to 4 months for further treatments. To maintain the effect of Botox we strongly recommend skin peels or laser light treatments to enhance the appearance of the skin further.
Botox Aftercare
You can return to normal activities immediately but avoid rubbing the treated area or lying down flat in the initial 4 hours after Botox treatment.
OUR BOTOX TREATMENTS
Frown Lines
When administered to lined or furrowed areas on the forehead, Botox relaxes the facial muscles and smooths the skin. It can help to reduce the appearance of fine lines and dynamic wrinkles – and provide a defined eyebrow arch.
Dynamic wrinkles are the creases in the skin that are caused by underlying muscle movement, e.g. frown lines. These creases are part of our facial physiognomy and in youth disappear when the face is at rest. Later, often from the mid to late twenties, these creases begin to persist and become typical ageing flags like furrowed frown lines, glabellar lines between the eyebrows and crow’s feet.
Excessive Sweating
Hyperhidrosis is a condition characterised by excessive or abnormal sweating. Excess or drip sweating is most common under-arms but it can also occur on the extremities – soles of the feet and palms of the hands – as well as the face.
Botox has been approved as a treatment for severe under-arm hyperhidrosis when prescription anti-perspirants have failed. Botox works by inhibiting nerve function or interrupting communication between the brain and the sweat glands – effectively preventing perspiration. There is little if any down-time and results should be almost immediate.
Chronic Migraines
Botox has been approved for the treatment of chronic migraines since 2010. The FDA has stated that Botox injections can be effective in preventing migraines, characterised as debilitating headaches that result in intense pulsing or throbbing pains.
Migraines are also referred to as ‘sick headaches,’ as they generally occur with nausea and sensitivity to sound and light. Interestingly, Botox has only proven to be effective in chronic cases – where 14 or more migraines occur over a month. In these instances, Botox injected into the head and neck every three months can prevent the onset of migraines altogether – alleviating a profoundly disabling condition.
Find out more about treatment options for migraines.
Teeth Grinding and Botox
Less well known but demonstrably effective is the use of botox for teeth grinding also known as Bruxism. Read more about botox and teeth grinding here.
Botox Neck Line Lift
A clever more advanced treatment can offer a mild lift of neck lines using Botox. Whilst the result changes are subtle it can act as an effective combination treatment with radiofrequency. Read more about Botox Neck Lift here.
Your Botox Questions Answered
Queen of cosmetic procedures, Botox is the world’s best-known wrinkle-relaxing treatment. Injections can smooth frown lines and crow’s feet, ameliorate looks of fatigue or stress, and generally restore a youthful demeanour to the face. It’s not only administered for visible results though; many rely on Botox to treat chronic migraines, excessive sweating and teeth grinding. But whether for aesthetic purposes or not, Botox can provide an injection of confidence as much as anything else which – for many – is priceless.
When it comes to facial treatments, it pays to see a venerable injector with extensive experience alongside an artistic eye. A light touch can be most effective, and often the best results won’t reveal that you’ve had Botox at all.
Indeed – we believe Botox should look natural. Yes, injections temporarily paralyse muscles, but that frozen-faced image often associated with Botox signals that a treatment was overdone.
Dr. Yazan Ajam, plastic surgeon and aesthetic injector at Santi, echoes that “the key to administering natural-looking Botox is to go to a highly qualified and experienced doctor who has a deep knowledge of facial anatomy, and a wealth of experience in treating wrinkles with Botox”. In particular, he explains that plastic surgeons are a very safe option given that “they have a deeply nuanced understanding of facial aesthetics”.
No one wants to look expressionless like an immobile doll, but rather fresh-faced and well-rested. It’s not about chasing ‘perfection’ but feeling like the best version of you, and many find Botox an ideal way to achieve that goal.
Often, facial filler can be a superior solution for certain anti-ageing concerns. Everybody’s face is different – and should be treated so – but, for example, a hollowing of the eyes (which can enhance one’s crow’s feet) could be remedied by tear trough filler. Or, for nasolabial creases (from the bottom of the nose to the corners of the mouth), filler in the cheeks can lift the skin while restoring structure to the face.
For improved elasticity overall, plus an incandescent glow, look to Profhilo. Unlike traditional fillers this new-generation hyaluronic acid-based treatment is all about adding hydration over volume, and it provides long-term benefits for the condition of the skin.
Want an alternative to injectables? A course of facial treatments such as microneedling and radiofrequency can help to smooth, firm and plump the skin while stimulating further collagen to be produced.
Active skincare ingredients, such as retinol, can too be effective at managing the skin’s texture. When used consistently (alongside diligent SPF application during the daytime) you can expect to see a modest smoothing of your lines.
However, when talking significant wrinkle reduction, Botox reigns supreme at granting true visible results. Little else will minimise the appearance of dynamic wrinkles (those that are seen when the face is at rest) or help delay their formation by preventing muscles contraction in ways that deepen lines in the first place.
It is never too late to start Botox for aesthetic reasons, however, Dr. Ajam explains that “you will get a better outcome if you treat wrinkles at an earlier stage than to leave them until they've become well established”.
Indeed, Botox can be used preventatively, at the first sign of lines appearing. This approach will relax the facial muscles, restricting movements that leads to dynamic wrinkles forming. For some people this might be best to do in their late 20s, and for others in their 30s.
Cheap wrinkle-relaxing treatments are cut-price for a reason: inexperienced practitioners can make mistakes that are not only unattractive, but dangerous – so avoid the temptation.
At Santi, as one of London’s leading Botox clinics, a consultation and possible treatment costs from £220. Rest assured you’ll be seen by an expert with extensive Botox experience and glowing reviews.
Most people are able candidates for a Botox treatment, but expectant and nursing mothers should avoid all cosmetic interventions, Dr. Ajam confirms.
“Those who have had Botox in the past and have experienced symptoms of allergy or hypersensitivity should also avoid treatments,” he adds. “As should anyone who suffers with certain neuromuscular disorders such as myasthenia gravis or Lambert-Eaton syndrome.”
Botox is not permanent, and treatments usually lasts between three to six months before results gradually diminish.
If you don't maintain Botox injections, “you will generally revert back to your pre-injection level of muscle activity and therefore the wrinkles will reappear,” explains Dr. Ajam.
During your consultation you will be able to discuss a long-term treatment plan with advice on how regularly you might require repeat appointments. As with any cosmetic enhancement, Botox should be truly bespoke – considering both your looks and lifestyle.
Can you fly after Botox Treatment?
It is generally safe to fly after receiving Botox injections. However, it is always best to consult with us at Santi before making any travel plans after receiving a medical treatment. We may have additional recommendations or precautions based on your individual situation.