About
Anti-wrinkle injections use tiny doses of botulinum toxin A to temporarily halt muscle contraction in different areas of the face and neck. As well as smoothing wrinkles, botulinum toxin A has a variety of other uses, from shrinking muscles, e.g. jaw muscles, to reduce the effects of tooth grinding and slim the jaw, to stopping sweating in the armpits. See our range of anti-wrinkle treatments below.
Anti-wrinkle treatments
Botulinum toxin treatments
General vs. special areas
Botulinum toxin treatment is charged by area. There are general and special areas. General areas include the forehead, crow's feet, brow lift, bunny lines, gummy smile, cobbled chin, lip flip, perioral lines, downturned mouth.
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Special areas include the Nefertiti neck lift (platysma), masseter and underarms
Forehead
The forehead consists of 2 distinct muscle groups that perform different functions. There are the muscles that create horizontal lines when you raise your eyebrows and the muscles that create the frown lines between the eyebrows. They are treated, and charged, as 2 distinct areas. Most patients will require treatment of both areas.
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The muscles that generate the frown lines are larger, and thus these lines generally return before the horizontal lines.
Crow's feet
The crow's feet are the lines in the corners of the eyes generated by smiling. Treatment of this area will not affect smiling, you just won't form wrinkles in this area when you do. Commonly added on as a third area to forehead anti-wrinkle treatments. Due to thinner skin in this region with a rich supply of tiny blood vessels, this area is more prone to bruising than the forehead, although these are generally subtle and easy to disguise with makeup.
Brow lift
Botulinum toxin can be used to lift the eyebrow. It can be injected in different areas to create an arch centrally or at the edge, depending on the preference of the client. This treatment is often chosen to accompany crow's feet injections.
Bunny lines
These are the wrinkles created when you scrunch up your nose. The muscle lies just under the skin at the sides of the nose. It can be treated with botulinum toxin A to create a smooth, wrinkle free appearance.
Gummy smile
Some patients have strong muscles pulling their top lips up when they smile that create a gummy smile appearance. Botulinum toxin A can be injected into the piriform fossa, the triangular- shaped area next to the nose, to drop the lip and hide the gummy smile. Doses can be altered in cases of uneven gummy smile also.
Perioral lines
Perioral lines are vertical lines originating above the top lip. They form in some patients with age. Toxin can be injected into the area to temporarily prevent the contraction of the muscle that causes these, leading to a reduction in their appearance.
Downturned corners of mouth
As we age, the corners of the mouth start to drop. Toxin can be used to temporarily stop the action of the muscle that drops the corners of the mouth, causing them to raise.
Cobbled chin
Some patients develop a cobbled, irregular appearance of their chins when they talk. Toxin can be used to temporarily stop the muscle generating this appearance to create a smooth appearance of the chin.
Special areas
Masseter toxin
The masseters are the bulkiest of our 4 chewing muscles. They sit on either side of the face between the ear and the corner of the jaw. They are very established in some patients, creating a square appearance of the face. Established masseter muscles are responsible for tooth grinding in some patients and also contribute to temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction. Toxin can be injected into these muscles to weaken and shrink them. This can both alleviate the effects of tooth grinding/TMJ and also creates a slimmed down jawline.
Nefertiti neck lift
The 'Nefertiti neck lift' targets the platysma muscle. This is a large, thin muscle that sits just under the skin, extending from the jawline to the base of the collarbones. As we age, the platysma weakens and when it contracts, muscular bands appear. This gives the neck an aged appearance. Toxin can be used to target this muscle, restoring a smooth appearance of the neck during muscular contraction and has the added benefit of giving a lifted appearance to the jawline in most patients.
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This is classed a special area as it requires a large amount of toxin with an individual dilution. A bespoke approach is taken to each patient depending on their individual needs.
Underarm toxin to stop sweating
Toxin can be injected just under the skin in the armpits to temporarily stop sweating. It does this by halting the action of the sweat glands in this area. The treatment lasts for 3-6 months in most patients. A gradual increase in sweating will occur as the product wears off. Some clients experience a persistent reduction in sweating, as the psychological element of sweating, linked to anxiety, is removed by the treatment.