Milind Naik

What is Botulinum toxin?

Botulinum toxin is most popularly used for treating facial wrinkles. It is a protein which relaxes the muscles of the face, which corrects the wrinkles.

Although 'Botox' is the term used colloquially, several brands of Botulinum toxin are available for treatment.

What is the ideal age to take Botulinum toxin?

There is no ideal age to start taking Botulinum toxin. Although wrinkles are likely to bother you beyond 40 years of age, it may be performed as early as the 30's depending on the your needs.

Procedure

Botulinum toxin injections are performed as an outpatient procedure in the clinic, and takes less than 10 minutes.

Specially designed ultra fine needles are used, and anaesthesia cream applied 20-30 minutes prior can make the procedure painless.
There is no downtime, and you can return to work immediately.

Duration of effect The effect may begin in a week, and usually lasts for 3-4 months. Repeat injections can be taken for continued effect.

How often do I need to take it? Though many clients continue to take botulinum toxin injections, it is not mandatory to use it indefinitely. Some use it indefinitely, while others take a top-up just prior to important events in life. Stopping it does not worsen the wrinkles, but they would return to pre-injection level.

Related procedures

Botox is often combined with other non-surgical cosmetic procedures such as Fillers.