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Botox

What is it?
Injections that temporarily smooth frown lines and wrinkles by paralysing facial muscles.

Timings
Treatment takes 10-15 minutes. Wait 1 week for full results to show. Lasts 3-4 months.

Cost
£175-£350 per area treated.

What is botox?
Botox is a highly diluted and purified form of the nerve toxin which causes botulism, a serious (and sometimes fatal) paralytic illness. Injected in tiny quantities, Botox works by temporarily blocking the action of a chemical which normally interacts between nerve endings and muscles, causing them to flex. Botox was first used in the 1970s to treat children's squints. Its cosmetic potential was then recognised, and it has been used to treat wrinkles since 1990. It is now probably the top-ranking non-surgical cosmetic treatment in the UK, also finding a use in controlling excessive underarm sweating.

What botox can do.
Wrinkles develop where muscles contract frequently, so paralysing facial muscles and preventing those contractions makes the area look smoother and less wrinkled. Botox is usually used on the upper third of the face, to tackle frown lines, forehead creases and crows' feet around the eyes. Lines around the lips and corners of the mouth are also treatable. Untreated areas of the face aren't affected, so you can still smile and frown, but the skin on the treated areas won't wrinkle as much as usual.

What botox can't do.
Botox can't correct fine lines caused by the sun, or natural, age-related skin sag. For very heavy lines, you may need more than one treatment.

What happens during treatment?
As with any cosmetic treatment, you should consult a qualified practitioner before deciding to go ahead.

There's no need for sedatives, or local anaesthetic. Botox is injected in several places with a very small needle, directly into the muscles being treated. There may be some bruising afterwards. Treatment takes about 10-15 minutes, and you can go back to normal daily life immediately.

Results
You'll start to see results 24-72 hours after treatment, but the main effect appears after about a week. Results last for three to four months and fade gradually. You can then have another treatment.

Benefits
Your face will look smoother, younger and more relaxed. If you have repeated treatments, you may find that lines and wrinkles in those areas become less deep, and you can leave longer intervals between treatments.

Risks
There have been no severe complications or allergic responses reported by botox users. However, you shouldn't use botox if you are taking muscle relaxants, are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a bleeding disorder or have any inflammation or infection near the spot where injections would be given. Ask your practitioner for advice if any of these are a concern.
Very occasionally injected muscles become too weak, which could result in droopy eyelids, difficulty in raising the eyebrows, or drooling from the corner of the mouth, depending on where the botox was injected. This effect corrects itself as the botox wears off.
People who use botox too often may develop an antibody to the toxin, so treatment stops working.

Where to get treatment
Botox injections are widely available from cosmetic surgeons as well as some skin specialists, GPs, dentists, gynaecologists, eye specialists and nurses. Beauty therapists can't give botox, as it is only available on prescription.

Cost
It costs around £175-£350 per area treated. Suitable areas for treatment include crows' feet, forehead lines and frown lines. If more than one area is treated, you'll usually be offered a 'package deal' on the price.

Alternatives to botox
There are numerous creams and serums which claim to delay or reduce the effects of ageing. Sticky patches called Frownies have been used by Hollywood stars for over 100 years and are said to train the facial muscles to stay in position (see Help and info for more details). Facial massage can also help tone muscles.
To prevent premature lines, always use a sunscreen on your face, and remember that smoking and alcohol have an ageing effect on the skin.

Botox help and info
Channel 4 Television takes no responsibility for the content of any third-party sites.

Organisation
British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS)
c/o The Royal College of Surgeons of England
35-43 Lincoln's Inn Fields
London WC2A 3PE
Advice Line: 020 7405 2234
E-mail: info@baaps.org.uk
Website: www.baaps.org.uk

Offers information about aesthetic plastic surgery; its website features a search facility for accredited surgeons.

Links
Botox: 'May cause new wrinkles'
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/2772263.stm
A professor of dermatology argues that using Botox on the face may inadvertently cause new wrinkles to appear.

The Consulting Room
www.consultingroom.org
Good UK site that provides a wide range of impartial and independent cosmetic and medical information, and demystifies the world of cosmetic treatments.

Frownies
www.frownies.co.uk
Based in Leeds, this company sells cosmetic pads which, it claims, can promote facial fitness when applied for several hours a day on facial lines.

Books
Eva Fraser's Facial Workout by Eva Fraser (Penguin, 1992)
As we grow older our facial muscles slacken through under use and the skin droops, forming pouches, bags under the eyes and wrinkles. The facial muscles need exercises in the same way the rest of the body does. Supporting this theory, the author offers a step-by-step programme towards a firmer, fitter face.
Get this book from Amazon

The New Facercise: Give yourself a natural facelift by Carole Maggio (Pan Macmillan, 2002)
Offers a programme of facial exercises and claims that, if done on a daily basis, they should make you look 10 Years Younger.
Get this book from Amazon

Fabulous Face: Bible for ageless beauty by Bharti Vyas (HarperCollins, 2002)
This facial health and beauty therapy bible advises how to care for your face in a clear and comprehensive guide. It covers home and clinic treatments including cosmetic dentistry.
Get this book from Amazon

Turn Back the Clock Without Losing Time: A complete guide to quick and easy cosmetic rejuvenation by Rhoda Narins and Paul Frank (Crown Publications, 2002)
Examines the benefits and risks of procedures such as chemical peels, laser treatments, liposuction and botox injections.
Get this book from Amazon

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