Advanced Botox
Advanced Botox treatments can be confusing. You are provided with an endless list of names that you don’t quite understand. Just using the term “Botox please” is long gone. Some still carry easy names such as “Brow Lift” but it’s time to catch up with the terms so the next time you sit in the consultation chair you know exactly what you want!
1. Brow Lift
We will start if off easy. The purpose for this one is in the name. It requires a very detailed understanding of the underlying anatomy as well as assessing each individual while they are animating their brows. By carefully placing Botox in the muscles that depress the brow, you can cause the brow to rest and relax in a lifted position. You can also shape the brow in different ways, for example, you can raise the tail of the brow vs creating a raised arched brow vs creating a raised horizontal brow. In addition to this the injections also smooth out the area around the brow causing an all-round refreshed and youthful glow.
Treatment time: 20 minutes
Results: full results 2 weeks after treatment
Lasts: 4-6 months
2. Bunny Lines
When you scrunch your nose up lines appear around the bridge, these Bunny lines can also be prominent on some people when they smile, with lines forming in the same direction as laughter lines. Botox is a great treatment for bunny lines. Usually with a small injection on either side of your nose, the bunny lines can be significantly reduced - however, they are seldom eliminated. As with other areas of Botox treatment, it is usually advantageous to have some residual activity to maintain normal-appearing animation.
Treatment time: 15 minutes
Results: full results 2 weeks after treatment
Lasts: 3-6 months
3. Nasal Tip
One of our advanced Botox treatments is injections into the tip of the nose to prevent it from dipping. This is something that can be noticed when you smile. The injections will lift the tip of the nose up by relaxing the muscles that are pulling it down. If, and only if, your nasal tip drops/plunges when you smile - then botox can be used to treat the muscle that causes this dynamic change. If your nasal tip is always low, regardless of your facial expression or at rest...then Botox will not help.
Treatment time: 30 minutes
Results: full results 2 weeks after treatment
Lasts: 6 months
4. Gummy Smile
A gummy smile is caused when you smile and your upper lip becomes thin and lifted showing off your teeth and gums. This is due to an overactive muscle in the top lip causing it to pull back when over strenuous movement occurs in that area. The Botox injections are administrated in the nose to mouth lines, this channels a relaxant to that muscle. This results in less of your gum on show when you smile and your natural fuller lip appears back in place. There is a risk of too much lowering; affecting your singing or playing of a wind instrument. I personally favour using Juvederm for a gummy smile by enhancing the upper lip in a very natural way.
Treatment time: 15 minutes
Results: lip will start relaxing 3-4 days after treatment with full results 2 weeks after
Lasts: 4-6 months
5. Perioral Rhytids / Smoker’s lines
This is a gathering of thin vertical lines stemming from the lips which is an effect of ageing that can occur in anyone but is more common in those with a history of smoking. Lips tend to lose volume as we age and cause the mouth to be surrounded with fine lines by a repetitive bunching of the muscles around the mouth. This is one of our advanced Botox treatments due to the precision needed in injecting around the lip to cause the muscle tension to relax. Botox can be quite tricky to use on the lips and hyaluronic acid fillers such as Juvederm and Restylane are perhaps more effective for lip rejuvenation.
Treatment time: 20 minutes
Results: 3-10 days
Lasts: 4-6 months
6. Downturned Mouth
As we age the skin can fall downwards on the corners of our mouth. This causes a “downturned mouth” which can resemble an upset expression when relaxed. This is because the Depressor Anguli Oris (DAO) muscle has been over worked and is causing the corners of the mouth to drop down. By relaxing this muscle with Botox, it will lift back up to its natural position. I sometimes like to do this treatment with a combination of dermal fillers to increase volume in this area.
Treatment time: 30 minutes
Results: maximum results seen 2 weeks after treatment
Lasts: 4-6 months
7. Puckered Chin
As we age we start to lose collagen and elasticity around the face, causing certain features to drop and skin to become loose. As the mouth is a point of the face that is continuously working, a lot of the ageing can begin here. A puckered chin is when the chin easily forms large indents and lines when the mouth holds expression. This can be common in all ages but can progress as we age. Botox injections relax the muscles causing this effect on the face and can help to make the profile more defined.
Treatment time: 30 minutes
Results: maximum results seen 2 weeks after treatment
Lasts: 4-6 months
8. Masseter Muscle
There are some people who also feel their jawline is too defined and some females see this as masculine. An enlarged masseter muscle can result in a wide or square jaw, which can be considered quite masculine. By injecting this muscle with Botox, the muscle weakens and over the course of times reduces in size, thereby reshaping the face to achieve softer, more rounded, oval proportions. This treatment can also help treat patients who are grinding their teeth (bruxism).
Treatment time: 30 – 40 minutes
Results: 10-14 days after treatment
Lasts: 4-6 months
9. Playsmal Bands / Nefertiti Lift
Named after the Egyptian queen Nefertiti who was thought to have the perfect mandibular contour. This treatment uses Botox to lift the skin around the jaw giving it more definition. There are many factors that contribute to the ageing of the neck and can result in an all-round aged appearance. By simply lifting certain areas of the face we can bring back the youth lost and add more definition.
The platysma muscle is a depressor complex constantly pulling downwards which can lead to the development of jowls or horizontal “necklace lines”. By using a combination of Botox injections into the platysmal bands with injections along and under the mandible horizontal rhytids will be reduced and improve the definition of the mandibular border.
Treatment time: 45 minutes
Results: 2 weeks after treatment
Lasts: 6 months
10. Hyperhidrosis / Excessive Sweating
Sweating is a natural occurrence in all of us. Whether it’s clammy hands or sweaty armpits, it happens to the best of us. Botox injections can be used to prevent sweat forming. Sweating can be embarrassing and some can find it more excessive than others, effecting daily life.
Botox injections into the armpit can temporarily stop this excessive sweating very effectively.
Treatment time: 45 minutes
Results: 7-14 days
Lasts: 6-9 months
