Botox is a brand name for one of many anti-wrinkle injection products. It is the original and market leader when it comes to botulinum toxin and is produced by Allergan. You may find medical aesthetics clinic using other botulinum type ‘A’ drugs but referring to them as Botox.

Botox is a prescription drug and as such should always be prescribed and administered by a medical prescriber

The treatment is very straight forward and only takes a few minutes.

A series of precise injections is made into muscles using an extremely thin needle. Very little discomfort is experienced and often client don’t even realise the treatments has been completed. No anaesthetic is required and there is no down time.

Botox injections work by temporarily reducing the contraction of muscles therefore reducing their movement. This in turn reduces the creasing of the skin and so smooths the appearance of lines and wrinkles. The treatment work only on the specific muscles injected, leaving surrounding muscles to function as usual therefore maintaining normal facial expression.

Botox also works as a preventative treatment. If the skin is unable to crease, wrinkles are unable able to develop. Over time the benefits of this treatment become more impressive and longer lasting.

You may have heard reports of Botox treatments going bad, but in the right hands it is actually a very safe treatment. Botox has been used in medical procedures for over 30 years. Since the late 1980s, Botox has successfully been used for cosmetic treatments with few complications.

With treatments of the forehead there is about a 1% chance of developing a drooping eyelid or eyebrow but the effects of the treatment are never permanent and any unwanted effects usually last a few days to a few weeks only. Because of it’s low risk, Botox is the most popular aesthetic treatment in the world.

Note: Ensure you find a good, well qualified practitioner to keep your risks as low as possible.

The actual Botox injections only take around 10-15 minutes, but any good practitioner will spend around 45 minutes to 1 hour with a new client providing a thorough consultation. During this time they will ask about your medical history and discuss you desires and expectations with reference to cosmetic treatments.

Following the treatment there may be minimal redness and bruising is uncommon but may occasionally occur. Most clients continue with their normal day without anybody noticing.

It is important not to massage or rub the areas after treatment so we advise you not to have a facial or do vigorous exercise the same day. We also recommend that you remain upright for 3-4 hours after your treatment.

The needles used for the treatment are extremely fine and therefore Botox injections really do not hurt at all, many clients don’t even realise they have received some of the injections.

The upper half of the face is most commonly treated with Botox – around 95% of all Botox aesthetic treatments are administered here. Forehead lines, frown lines between the eyes and crow’s feet are the most popularly treated areas to reduce the signs of ageing.

Botox can be used in other areas such as the chin, to reduced ‘gummy smiles and the armpits to reduce sweating, to name but a few. Ask your Oris doctor about other treatments.

‘Glabella Lines’ is the medical name for frown lines between the eyes. The muscles which pull your eyebrows together often cause deep lines, sometimes appearing as the number ’11′. This area is one which can be easily treated with Botox injections.

You are safe to have Botox at any age so long as you don’t have certain medical conditions. Your aesthetics practitioner should take a full medical history before treating you to ensure it is safe. However, Botox works best as a preventative treatment.

Oris Medical will only treat clients over the age of 18. The ideal time to start Botox is when you start to develop dynamic lines (these are lines that are visible when you make an expression such as frowning) but before you have developed static lines (lines that are visible when your face is relaxed).

Dermal fillers are a gel like product which is injected under the skin to add volume and re-hydrate the area. The gel is hyaluronic acid which is very similar to that naturally found in the human body.

Dermal fillers have been used for many years in facial aesthetics and are used to add volume, plump up and ease the appearance of line and wrinkles.

Hyaluronic acid is a sugar molecule that occurs naturally in the human body and is central to regulating cell growth and renewal. HA has impact on number of functions in the body, some of which are to bind water, lubricate the movable parts of the body such as muscles and joints and to maintain the elasticity of the skin.

Once injected an instant effect can be seen as the treated area plumps up slightly. In the long term this effect has quite a life span as the hyaluronic acid naturally binds with water, therefore increasing hydration.

Unwanted folds and wrinkles can be “plumped up” to reduce their appearance, resulting in a smoother, more youthful looking skin. Areas displaying a loss of volume can be eased returning them to a former glory.

Everybody recalls the tragic results shown by Leslie Ash in early 2000, who received lip filler injections. The product used in her case was an injection of liquid silicone. This has no relationship at all to dermal fillers used today in aesthetic procedures.

There are a few issues and problems with hyaluronic acid fillers but these are in general fairly rare. These issues should be discussed with your aesthetic practitioner to ensure you know he or she is properly qualified and that you yourself won’t be added to a list of unsuccessful treatments and remain in safe hands.

We always book clients in for a consultation prior to any treatment. This will be with the doctor who is going to treat you, should you decide to continue and will ensure you understand the process and associated risks.

The actual process of treatment varies between 40 minutes to 1 1/2 hours depending on what treatment you are wishing to receive.

There is not any down time required following dermal filler treatments. Clients may experience redness and minimal swelling for a day or two, very occasionally a client may experience some bruising, but this is rare.

The treated area should be left alone for 48 hours to let it settle. We advise that you do not have a facial or similar treatment that may disturb the products or expose the newly-treated areas to strong sunlight for 2-3 days.

Some clients experience mild discomfort whilst the injections are administered. The lips are extremely sensitive and as such cause most discomfort. We use dermal filler products containing local anaesthetic which ease any discomfort, alternatively some clinics request local anaesthetic cream which can be applied 30 minutes or so prior to treatment, which will ease any discomfort.

Nasolabial folds are the lines which go from the corner of your nose to the outside corner of your mouth.

They often develop more so as we pass into our thirties.

Marionette lines are those going from the outside corner of your mouth downwards towards to jaw line. Their appearance are more prominent with the development of jowls.

The effect following treatment is instantly noticeable and this will develop with time as the area increases in hydration.

The effective duration of this treatment varies between 6 months and 1 year depending on the area treated, products used, personal conditions and the skill of the practitioner.

Product related reactions are rare. There are some injection related reactions which may occur after any injection including redness, swelling, pain, itching, bruising or tenderness at the injection site.

After lip enhancement, some swelling is likely for a short period but there should be no long lasting effects.

Unfortunately the UK medical aesthetics industry is unregulated, which means that anybody can administer dermal filler treatments. As you can imagine this results in a wide variety of skill levels, safety and quality of treatments.

There are currently no regulatory bodies governing Botox clinics, but you will see bodies such as IHAS who claim to be regulators. This is not strictly true as they simply charge practitioners an annual fee to appear on a register, creating the illusion of superior qualification or skill level. They do not regulate the medical background, training or skill level of those practitioners. BE WARNED!

It comes to the old saying, “You get what you pay for”

Due to the lack of regulation, skill levels and qualifications of practitioners vary tremendously, therefore so do prices.

The cost to the practitioner of dermal fillers themselves vary tremendously too. The better quality products are very expensive but produce the best results and have been thoroughly tested for safety.

WORD OF WARNING – Never be tempted to choose a clinic due to their low prices or the special deals they offer. These practitioners will often under-skilled and usually use inferior quality products.

Oris Medical insists of providing the best treatments, therefore our doctors are highly skilled and qualified and also the dermal fillers we use are the best on the market.

We use the full range of Juvederm Ultra , Restylane and Emervel products.