Botox injection
The benefits of botox injections
- Botox or botulinum toxin is used to temporarily block certain facial muscles in order to make expression lines disappear
- Botox is a safe medication with very few side effects that can be used over the long term.
- The price of a Botox injection varies from 280 € to 500 € depending on the extent of the area treated.
Principles of Botox
It is a natural bacterial protein that is injected in extremely small quantities under the skin, in contact with the muscles of the face, will specifically block the transmission of the nerve impulses responsible for the contractions. The treated muscle will thus relax and the wrinkles linked to the contraction of the muscle will strongly diminish or disappear.
The effect of Botox appears between 2 and 3 days after the injection, is maximum 3 weeks after the injection and lasts from 4 to 6 months.
Botox in practice
Botox cannot be used in the following situations:
- Certain neuromuscular diseases such as myasthenia.
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding
- Known hypersensitivity to botulinum toxin.
No anesthesia is required. However, the most sensitive patients can apply Emla® ointment to the areas to be treated one hour before the injection session. The treatment is performed in the office.
The area to be treated is disinfected and the injection sites are marked with a dermographic pencil, asking you to contract the muscles to be treated. The treatment lasts a few minutes.
No anesthesia is required. However, the most sensitive patients can apply Emla® ointment to the areas to be treated one hour before the injection session. The treatment is performed in the office.
The area to be treated is disinfected and the injection sites are marked with a dermographic pencil, asking you to contract the muscles to be treated. The treatment lasts a few minutes.
Several areas can be treated:
- the lion's wrinkle located between the eyebrows
- forehead wrinkles
- crow's feet wrinkles
- wrinkles on the side of the nose
- the muscle responsible for the fall of the tip of the nose when smiling
- the phanons or platysmal bands located in the neck
Bruises are not very frequent. Some marks may remain for 20 to 30 minutes and then disappear.
During the two hours following the injections, it is recommended that you do not engage in intensive sports, do not lie down and do not make exaggerated facial expressions. It is also advisable to avoid manipulating the face or massaging it for 24 hours after the session.
The results are generally visible after 2 to 4 days. The results obtained after the first session last on average 3 to 4 months, after which the botulinum toxin injection can be renewed.
If you respect the intervals of 3 to 4 months for the first year (you don't have to wait for the muscles of the forehead to start moving again), you can space the injections every 6 months.
The specificities of our Botox injections
We achieve more than 90% with the Botulinum Toxin Azzalure, which seems to us to be the most powerful and whose action is the longest. In some cases, for patients who want to keep a slight contraction of their muscles, we use Vistabel or Bocouture.
We do not inject the parts of the face located around the mouth, because even in trained hands, asymmetries of the smile can appear
Questions / Answers
Is Botox dangerous for health?
No, Botox injections are not dangerous for your health. Although it is derived from a dangerous product, the doses used in aesthetics are so low that they cannot have any consequences on your body. Nevertheless, you must respect the contraindications of this medication, which are neuromuscular diseases (myasthenia) and pregnancy.
What are the different types of botulinum toxin available?
3 botulinum toxins are available on the French market:
Vistabel® produced by the Allergan laboratory: it is the reference product with the largest number of scientific studies. It gives a stable and harmonious result.
Azzalure® produced by the Galderma laboratory: an excellent product, it is very powerful and very useful in men. We use it in 90% of our injections
Bocouture® produced by the Merz laboratory: the last product to be marketed, it seems to be effective but we have less experience than its competitors
How can I avoid a frozen look with a Botox injection?
First and foremost, we must analyze the morphology of your face and the action of the muscles responsible for your wrinkles. By clearly identifying the location and strength of your skin muscles, we can adapt the doses of toxin to be delivered. We can thus, for example, maintain a discreet elevation of your eyebrows to avoid a frozen appearance.
What are the possible complications of a Botox injection?
Headaches may occur in rare cases and persist for 24 hours following the injection. An asymmetry of the eyebrows can be observed (one eyebrow goes up more than the other) and require a small correction by a new targeted injection. If you wish to have a perfectly blocked forehead, it is important to know that your eyebrows will have a tendency to descend slightly, which may aggravate excess skin on the upper eyelids. If you are bothered by this phenomenon, you should consider a mini temporal lift associated with a blepharoplasty. Finally, the most feared complication during a botox injection is the drooping of the upper eyelid or ptosis. It occurs in about 1 case out of 200 and can be
Are there any long-term complications from Botox?
No, there are no particular long-term complications associated with Botox injections. The product is completely eliminated in 4 months and no long-term neurological consequences have been described. It is used in children with strabismus for long periods of time. On the other hand, some people can develop an allergy to a type of botulinum toxin which can manifest itself by skin intolerance or a decrease in the effectiveness of Botox. The treatment then consists of changing the brand of toxin.
How much does a Botox injection cost?
An isolated injection of frown lines costs 280 €.
A classic forehead wrinkle + frown lines session costs €420
If you also wish to correct peri-ocular and para-nasal wrinkles, jawline or neck, an additional dose of product may be required. The price then varies from 600 to 800 euros, depending on the number of areas. On average, Botox® injections need to be repeated 2 to 3 times a year.
Have a question? Please contact us!
The firm
Docteur Yaël Berdah and Docteur Marc-David Benjoar
Plastic surgeons in Paris France