What is Botulinum Toxin?
Botulinum toxin (or botulinum toxin), marketed under the name BOTOX®, is a world-renowned aesthetic medicine product. Botox reduces facial expression lines.
With age, the contraction of facial muscles, environmental factors and lifestyle lead to the appearance of permanent wrinkles. These wrinkles and fine lines can make the face look older, and cause discomfort in some people.
Botox® is a natural protein substance, a derivative of botulinum toxin synthesized from Clostridium botulinum. It restores muscular balance, relaxing the skin on the face and giving a more relaxed look, while maintaining a natural expression for several months.
Botulinum toxin is available in a number of different brands: Le Botox®, Vistabel®, Bocouture® and Azzalure®. All these products are approved by the French health authorities and are highly reliable.
Dr Delobaux, a plastic surgeon in Paris, specializes in botox injections. He is backed by a highly-qualified team and quality service to take the best possible care of your face.
Objectives of Botox for facial wrinkles
Botulinum toxin injections are designed to treat forehead wrinkles by relaxing the forehead muscle, which causes horizontal wrinkles, the wrinkles around the eyes caused by the orbicularis muscle, and the glabellar muscles, which cause frown lines (wrinkles between the eyebrows).
Candidates for Botox injections
No one can escape the appearance of wrinkles on the forehead. Habits, sometimes commonplace, even contribute to their appearance, such as the contraction of facial muscles for various reasons, like exposure to strong light, or poor eyesight. So wrinkles appear at different ages, depending on skin thickness and the individual, even from the age of 25.
Which areas are treated with botox?
Lion wrinkles
Between the eyebrows are vertical wrinkles, which may be single or multiple.
Forehead wrinkles
These are wrinkles caused by the contraction of various forehead muscles. Botox injections will reduce or even erase them.
Lower eyelid
Botox injections will diminish lower eyelid wrinkles and fine oblique wrinkles on the lower eyelid.
Lip wrinkles
They appear with facial expression. Botox is effective against wrinkles caused by muscle contraction.
Nose wrinkles
Located on the sides of the nose and visible when the nose is wrinkled, Botox is also effective in erasing these wrinkles.
Cervical cords
Linked to contraction of the skin muscle in the neck. Botox is just as effective here, injected into the cords of the neck.
Eyebrow lift
Botox injection effectively combats eyebrow loss.
Nose tip
The tip of the nose often droops when we speak or smile. Botox injections reduce the contraction of the muscle responsible for lowering the tip of the nose.
Fold of bitterness
Hyaluronic acid injections can also be used to treat bitterness folds
Jaw reduction
Botox injection reduces jaw width
Excessive sweating or hyperhidrosis of hands and armpits
Botox is also indicated for the treatment of excessive sweating of the hands, feet or armpits.
Procedure for a botox session
Injections last from 10 to 20 minutes per session, depending on the extent of the work to be done and the quantities of Botox® to be injected. This requires precision, and must therefore be performed by an experienced practitioner. Before the sessions, Dr Delobaux first analyzes the patient's face in consultation in order to balance the strength of the different muscles, favoring certain muscles by inhibiting others. In this way, the face becomes smooth and rejuvenated, while retaining its expressive capacity and natural appearance.
Before the botox injection session
Consultation with Dr Alexis Delobaux will take place during medical check-ups.
It is strongly recommended to stop taking aspirin or anti-inflammatory drugs 8 days before Botox ® injection.
You will also need to sign the estimate, the informed consent form and the medical photographs, which will be systematically taken.
Between the first consultation and the botulinum toxin injection, the patient is given a 15-day cooling-off period.
What you need to know about botox injections
Instructions must be followed before and after injections.
Before injections:
- No special preparation is required.
- There is no need to fast on the day of the injection.
- Make-up should be removed before injection.
- Aspirin and anti-inflammatory drugs should be avoided for 15 days before the injections, to reduce the risk of bleeding in the areas where the injections have been made.
- The presence of contraindications (pregnancy, myasthenia...) prohibits Botox® injections.
After injections:
- It is recommended not to lie down for six hours after the injection.
- For 24 hours after the injections, avoid :
- Handling the face
- Massage injection sites
- Sports activities
- Place the head in the downward position for a long time.
- After the injections, it is possible to resume activities of daily living.
Botox injection session
The affected area will be anesthetized with an anesthetic cream.
Depending on the amount of Botox to be injected, the session will last from 10 to 20 minutes.
The patient can return home after the session.
The classic after-effects of botox injections
Botox injections are usually uncomplicated. After injection, a few slightly swollen marks remain for 20 to 30 minutes, then disappear on their own.
Side effects of Botox are rare and transient, such as :
- Redness: the injected area takes on red marks, but this rarely lasts more than 2 to 3 days.
- Ecchymosis ("bruising"): the injected areas rarely take on a bluish hue, and this fades within a few days.
- Edema: often around the eyes, swelling can set in gradually over 1-2 days, then disappear in a few days to a few weeks.
- Sensitivity disorders: depending on the areas injected, a change in sensitivity such as tension or fixity in the forehead, mouth or neck may last several days.
- Intense pain in the eyes or face: exceptionally reported.
Results of botox injections
Results will gradually become visible around 3 days after the session, and will be tangible around ten days later. Two weeks after the injection, an appointment will be scheduled to check the result and the patient's satisfaction, so that any touch-ups can be made.
Botox® rejuvenates the face, giving it a relaxed, more confident and rested appearance. These effects are reversible and last between 4 and 6 months, with the duration of action increasing with age. One or two maintenance sessions a year are usually enough to maintain a good result.
What are the contraindications to botox?
- Infection of the injection site.
- Some diseases affecting nerves and muscles, such as myasthenia gravis.
- Pregnancy and breast-feeding: if you are pregnant, even for just a few days, you must postpone the date of injections until after delivery, and stop breast-feeding if necessary. If in doubt, talk to your doctor, who will know which tests to prescribe.
- Known allergy to botulinum neurotoxin A, serum albumin and aminoglycosides (a class of antibiotics that includes Amiklin and Gentalline).
What are the risks of botox?
Possible complications include :
- Complications in and around the injected area.
- Headaches: may appear after the first few injections and last only a few hours to a few days.
- Eyebrow drooping (eyebrow ptosis): moderate drooping of the eyebrows may occur, often due to the fact that they were already drooping prior to Botox® injection. This usually disappears within a few weeks.
- Abaissement des paupières (ptosis des paupières) : survient rarement (< 1% des cas), et revient à la normale en quelques semaines.
- Discomfort in smiling and swallowing: slight abnormal movements and discomfort in smiling may occur following Botox® injection in the lips, while in the neck, the injection may cause difficulty in swallowing.
- Dry eyes: sometimes tear production is reduced, leading to keratitis, especially in contact lens wearers.
- Paradoxical muscle contractions and mimicry disorders: muscles treated with Botox® may experience spontaneous contractions a few days after injection. This is not serious.
Slight imperfections include :
- Fine remaining wrinkles.
- Lack of symmetry: especially in the case of pre-existing asymmetry (prior to injection).
- General complications are exceptional:
- Allergies: skin rash, hives, general allergic reaction.
- Nausea, dizziness
- Fatigue, fever, flu syndrome (fever, runny nose, joint pain, muscle pain, migraines)
- Dry skin or mouth.
Botox injection fees and coverage
The cost of a session depends above all on the type and quantity of botulinum toxin used for the injections, as well as the doctor's fees (expertise), the brand (quality) of the product injected, etc...
Each Botox® ampoule injected by Dr Delobaux costs between 380 and 400 euros.
