Botox in Bristol from HL Cosmetics
If you are looking at your skin and thinking about having a Muscle Relaxant Treatment / Botox in Bristol then this article will help you understand everything you need to know and what you should consider before you take that first step.
What is Botox?
Botox is a brand of a prescribed drug prepared from botulin. Botulin is an organism found in the natural environment and is largely inactive and non-toxic. Botulinum neurotoxin is a complex substance produced by bacteria.
Botulinum toxin is an organism that has been known about for over 100 years and it has been used for medical purposes for more than 50 of these. Botulin was medically approved in 2002 for improving and relaxing frown lines in the area between and around the eyes and the forehead and has been used successfully for more than over 11 million people since that time. Botox was also approved for medical use for excess sweating (hyperhidrosis) in 2004, and in 2010 for the treatment of migraine headaches.
Many of us now are striving to keep ourselves looking younger, fresher and wrinkle free and therefore muscle relaxing injections are becoming more and more common. Muscle relaxing injections remove fine lines and soften wrinkles and the procedure helps to smooth away frown lines, forehead lines, bunny lines, crows feet, lip lines, marionette lines, sad smile lines, dimpled chin, platysmal bands and shapes and lifts eyebrows.
The effect of a muscle relaxant is reversible after a period of time (depending on dosage and injection location), so the treatment needs to be repeated every 4-12 months to maintain the effect.
How do muscle relaxing treatments work?
Botulinum neurotoxin attaches itself exclusively to nerve cells that activate the muscular system or specific glands effectively and accurately, blocking overactive muscles or glands. A muscle relaxant injection blocks the signal transmission at the nerve junctions to the facial muscles, therefore, relaxing them.
A muscle relaxing treatment aim is to partially block the signal transmission to relax facial muscles without stiffening them, still allowing for a natural facial look and expression. When the facial muscles have minimised, the skin over them renews its elasticity, removing fine lines and wrinkles.
A muscle relaxant will not remove the appearance of excess or sagging skin and if this is something you are looking for then you may want to consider a non-surgical thread lift procedure, or for excessive, excess skin you may need to consider a surgical facelift.
What is involved in a muscle relaxant treatment?
Extremely fine needles inject the muscle relaxant (botox) into the targeted areas to soften and minimise lines and wrinkles. You may feel mild discomfort as the injections are done, however, the treatment only takes a few minutes so it does not last for long. A typical treatment involves a handful of injection sites carefully selected based on the results you are looking for. You will see results immediately and the full results will typically be seen anything between 4 to 14 days.
What are the benefits of a muscle relaxing treatment?
- A softened appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
- Improved skin tone
- Fresher and younger looking skin
- It is a non-surgical and non-invasive procedure
- The treatment lasts just minutes
- Immediate results
- No hospital stay
- No anaesthetic
- No visible and lengthy recovery time
- No scaring
- Results can last anything from 3 to 12 months
- The treatment can be repeated in the same area after a few months
- The procedure can be carried out in multiple areas during the same treatment
You can go back to your normal activities immediately after your treatment, and because of this, it is commonly known as a “lunchtime” procedure.
What should you do if you are considering a muscle relaxing treatment?
Although it is a non-surgical and non-invasive treatment having a muscle relaxant treatment should not be taken lightly and you should always go to a medically trained cosmetic doctor. Research carefully and always go to a clinic or to someone who has been recommended to you if you can.
You need to ensure the doctor or clinic you choose is fully trained, qualified and has the experience of carrying out muscle relaxant procedures.
You should be offered a free, no-obligation consultation and feel under no pressure to go ahead with the treatment until you have had time to consider if it is for you.
During your consultation, the doctor should review your full medical history and any medication you are taking as muscle relaxants cannot be carried out if you are taking antibiotics or some other medication, therefore, it is really important you let them know everything you are and have been taking.
You should have an opportunity to discuss your concerns and the areas you want to focus on. They should explain the results you will see, any side effects and any risks so you are really clear about the procedure. It is also a good idea to ask them to show you before and after photos of their work.
After your consultation, go online to look for reviews for the doctor or clinic you are considering and always search their name, clinic or business name as well as looking at their website.
If you felt comfortable with the person who you have had your consultation with and you have researched them and the clinic they work in then, and only then should you book to have your treatment done.
What are the side effects of a muscle relaxant treatment?
There aren’t normally any negative external indications that you have had a muscle relaxant procedure, however, some patients can experience redness at the injection site and occasionally mild bruising. You can minimise these by not taking blood-thinning medications like Ibuprofen, Motrin, Advil, and Aspirin in the week prior to your treatment. To maximize results, you are advised to avoid strenuous activity and drinking alcohol for a few days following the procedure and no medical or cosmetic procedures near to the injection sites such as; facials, chemical peels, waxing, and so forth. These should all be discussed during your consultation.
You cannot have a muscle relaxant treatment if you are pregnant, and/or are breastfeeding and the first treatment after pregnancy/breastfeeding should be after 6 months. There are also certain neurological conditions, which can be made worse by the use of certain medications e.g antibiotics, which may not be appropriate with botulinum toxin.
About HL Cosmetics
Dr Natalya Quandt is a practising Cosmetologist and has been working in the beauty industry for over 15 years providing non-surgical beauty treatments. Dr Quandt is deeply devoted to the art of aesthetics, always striving to fulfil Skin Forever Youngs’ vision: To help patients live better, feel better, and look better.
Dr Quandt has a huge amount of experience in muscle relaxant treatments and will be able to advise you if they will give you the results you are looking for and how. She offers free, no obligation consultations and will listen to your concerns and offer you the appropriate non-surgical treatments, informing you of the benefits and any risks you need to consider. She will discuss your medical history with you to ensure the treatment she advises is suitable for you and explains if you need to do anything prior to your treatment.
The products utilised for muscle relaxing can vary and Dr Quandt uses safe, tested and reliable products such as; Dysport, Botox and Xeomin. If you are looking for a non-surgical facelift, dermal fillers, thread lifts or muscle relaxant treatment in Bristol give her a call directly on 07557 237480 and she will be happy to answer any questions you may have and book your appointment.