Botolinum Toxin for Frownies

Botulinum toxin is reduces the appearance of wrinkles on the forehead, between the brows and around the eyes (Credit: Bloomsberries)

Do you look like a ‘frownie’ person with a perpetual frown between your brows? A frown, which even if you’re happy, creeps up on to your forehead and makes you look like a bad tempered person. Botulinum toxin is for people who wish to reduce the appearance of wrinkles on the forehead, between the brows and around the eyes. Experienced doctors and nurses sometimes prescribe this to remove wrinkles on the lower part of the face and neck.

Botolinum toxin is a prescription-only medicine that can be prescribed by a doctor, dentist or Nurse Independent Prescribers. Some brands of botulinum toxin – namely Botox®, Dysport® and Neurobloc® - are not licensed for cosmetic use. Treatment givers have the responsibility to explain this to the patients.

Botolinum toxin is a purified protein that blocks the signal from the brain to the nerve endings that makes the muscles move when you smile or frown. So when you laugh or frown, the overlying skin becomes smoother and unwrinkled while the untreated facial muscles work normally and facial expressions are not affected. The treatment is conducted by injecting small amounts of botolinum toxin into the area to be treated. It is advisable not to massage or rub that area for the next 24 hours.

Results may be visible by the 8th day, though it takes two to three weeks for the full effects to be seen. The effects of botolinum toxin last for three to four months and it’s less effective for people over 60.

Since it’s very difficult to predict how these injections will affect your muscles, you may find that the results are not as you intended them to be. Occasionally, patients experience a temporary drooping of the eyelids or eyebrows. In rare situations, double vision or blurred vision can occur and you must seek medical attention if that happens. The risks of botolinum toxin injections are reduced if you go to an experienced practitioner.