Top 10 things to know BEFORE you get Botox
Like most people, I am sure you have had thoughts at one time or another about Botox. But what do you need to know before going under the needle? As it turns out, there’s lots to consider before taking the plunge into this anti-ageing treatment.
In the guide below, the doctors at Freyja Medical Clinic (branches in Wrexham & Nantwich) consider some of the most important issues to think about before having your first treatment.
No. 1: Preventative Botox is a thing!
By the time you reach you early 20’s or late 30’s, you might already be noticing expression lines.
Some of these are only visible when you move your face and others might be starting to look more permanent. Botox injections relax your muscles. The more relaxed those muscles are, the less they are moving around creating expression lines and wrinkles. That’s how Botox injections can prevent lines and wrinkles from getting worse.
But that also means that you’ll have to keep using it for the desired result. And no, if you stop using it you won’t be worse off than before – you will just go back to your pre-treatment look.
No. 2: Choose a doctor or nurse who knows what they are doing with the Botox injections
Good Botox treatment results depend on the skill & technique of the injector, so do your research and find someone who specializes in facial anatomy and has been successfully administering these treatments for years.
It is a scandal that in the UK there is so little regulation on this. Whilst Botox needs to be prescribed (as it is a prescription-only medication) there are many unscrupulous practitioners out there that do this remotely without ever seeing the person about to be injected. Some don’t even both with this step and rely on dodgy imports without any checks!
Both the General Medical Council and Nursing & Midwifery Council advise this practice is unacceptable.
No. 3: Don’t assume just because your aesthetic practitioner is a doctor or nurse that they are safe.
So, you’ve found someone that has a great offer on Botox, great! …..Well, maybe not.
A large proportion of medical professionals that inject Botox (and fillers) have had only very basic training for this. Most of the training courses in the UK for Botox are only a day or two long and the practitioner may have only injected a plastic model or 1 volunteer! Certainly not enough experience for your face, is it?
To put it another way, would you trust an electrician to come and fix the wiring in your house after a 1-day course? I certainly wouldn’t.
No. 4: Check out their Botox and Filler treatment reviews – the right ones!
Word of mouth can be a powerfully persuasive thing.
It’s common to see lots of practitioners showing off the great reviews they’ve had – but often they have done quite a bit of picking and choosing what to show to people!
The best recommendation is directly from someone you know well and trust, however, that’s not always possible. The next best would be something like Google reviews.
Google reviews can’t be edited by the business and when they are left you can see if the practitioner bothers to reply or even thank the people that took the time to review them. This can speak volumes about them!
No. 5: Insist on a pre-treatment consultation before agreeing to any Botox treatments
A proper consultation before any treatment is decided on is an absolute must.
There may be very good reasons for you wanting to have a certain area of wrinkles treated but are there alternatives?
Are there any health reasons why it could be unsafe for you?
Be honest and upfront with your practitioner at this consult and let them know about any health problems you have or medications you may take.
An experienced practitioner will be carefully evaluating you that whole time to see how different areas of your face naturally move, so that they can keep you looking refreshed instead of expressionless when they do a treatment.
No. 6: Don’t be tempted by suspiciously low Botox prices
Botox is now more widely available than ever before from various outlets (it’s not uncommon to see this in beauty salons!), it’s so important you see a qualified, experienced expert, even if they are more expensive.
Yes, there are some clinics that will charge you really low prices, but remember, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. You don’t want to penny-pinch on your face!
No. 7: Knowing what to expect in the Botox Treatment
The process of getting Botox is quick and simple.
The practitioner will make a few injections in your treatment areas with a tiny needle. There will be several injections in each ‘area’ treated. It’s virtually painless (usually!) and only rarely causes a bruise. Most people are fine to go about their normal business straight away.
Afterwards, your practitioner should advise you to avoid exercise and alcohol for 24 hours.
No. 8: Don’t be worried if your Botox feels a bit odd at first
The effects of the Botox don’t start for at least the first 48-72 hours with the maximum effect being after 2 weeks, usually.
It’s not unusual when you first have a treatment for the area to feel ‘odd’. Some people describe this as a ‘numb’ feeling, or like they have something stuck to their forehead.
If you think about it this is because your brain is used to moving those muscles all the time and now they are relaxed and not scrunching up like they were. This feeling quickly fades and just leaves the area more relaxed and smooth.
No. 9: Know how to look after yourself after your Botox injections
To keep results looking their best (and extending the treatment results) avoid things such as smoking, excess alcohol and sun exposure- all of which decrease the time the Botox will have its effects.
In the first 24 hours it is important not to have a facial massage – you don’t want to move the Botox away from where it’s been injected before having time to bind onto the muscles.
You also should avoid getting too flushed in the face (eg, vigorous exercise, sauna, etc) as increased blood flow to the face could ‘wash away’ some of the Botox before it has fully bound onto muscles.
Expect to need a repeat treatment in 3-5 months which may stretch out longer the more treatments you have over time.
No. 10: Your Mum/sister/best friend will notice you’ve had Botox – your boyfriend/husband probably won’t!
For those people that know you REALLY well – yes, they’ll probably notice, especially if they get Botox treatments themselves – and no they won’t be judgey!
Nowadays getting Botox treatments is so commonplace and accepted that it hardly gets mentioned.
Everyone else you meet will just comment on how well you look and wonder if you’ve been on holiday!
The bottom line is that Botox is a very safe treatment in expert hands.
The results can be naturally subtle to frozen-in-your face depending on who performs your procedure, so chose your injector smartly, take your time and think things through and above all – stay safe.
Wrexham & Nantwich
FreyjaMedical.Com