BotoxⓇ Overview
Botox® is our most popular procedure. Used artfully, it softly reduces dynamic wrinkles by relaxing the muscles that create lines, giving you natural, fresh looking results. Unless Dysport or Xeomin is requested, we use genuine BotoxⓇ, which has been used safely for over 20 years in a range of medical and cosmetic applications.
During your consultation, your treatment will be specifically tailored to you by your clinician, which is why we charge for what we use (per unit). You will generally see results within 1-2 weeks, which can last 6 weeks to 6 months, depending on the dose and area treated.
We believe there is an art to BotoxⓇ and wrinkle relaxing treatments. When you express your face – laugh, frown, concentrate – your facial muscles bang the skin together, breaking down collagen in the skin, which is what creates the wrinkles of facial expression. Muscle relaxers work to turn the muscle activity down therefore reducing lines and wrinkles. Your facial expressions are unique and special to you, so, while our aim is to turn the muscle activity down, we don’t want to turn it off completely. To be effective, the muscle relaxer needs to be placed in the right muscle, using the appropriate dose. We use lower doses more regularly, which is why we are renowned for our beautiful, natural looking results.
Read our blog Everything You Need To Know About Botox.
FAQs
Where do I start?
As with all of our injectable services, you must have an Initial Injectable Consultation before proceeding with your first treatment – regardless of if you have had this treatment elsewhere. This ensures you are fully educated and informed before proceeding with treatment. We are a best-practice clinic and consistently deliver optimal results by placing paramount importance on education and informed consent.
The cost of this consult is from $250 with one of our highly trained cosmedicine nurses. The cost of this consult is deducted from your BotoxⓇ treatment, should you decide to go ahead.
What is BotoxⓇ?
Where can BotoxⓇ be used?
BotoxⓇ has been used for over 30 years in a wide range of medical and cosmetic indications. Dr Cat first used it in cerebral palsy babies to help them walk, when she worked in the hospitals. The cosmetic use of BotoxⓇ was discovered by Dr Jean Carruthers in the 1980’s, when she treated people for eye spasm.
The doses used cosmetically are significantly smaller than the doses used for medical indications. When used cosmetically it relaxes the muscles that create specific lines such as the frown lines and crow’s feet. BotoxⓇ is used very effectively for excessive sweating, and there are also many ‘off-label’ indications that can only be discussed in clinic.
Is BotoxⓇ safe?
Is BotoxⓇ tested on animals?
If I start using BotoxⓇ, will I have to continue for the rest of my life?
No. You can stop whenever you like with no adverse effects. The nice thing about BotoxⓇ is that if you have one treatment and decide not to continue, your muscles will go back to normal and the lines will gradually come back, but if you consistently have a series of treatments, we start to ‘train’ the muscles, and the lines will take a lot longer to come back. BotoxⓇ reduces the damage to the skin caused by facial expressions and gives skin space to repair.
Does BotoxⓇ require any downtime and is the treatment long?
No. You may resume all normal activities straight after being treated however, we do recommend no leaning or putting pressure on the treated sites for 3 days after treatment, to avoid pushing the BotoxⓇ into adjacent muscles and causing unwanted effects. After consent and education, the actual BotoxⓇ treatment is relatively quick – expect up to 30 minutes per treatment.
It is possible (although unusual) to have some mild swelling, redness or bruising after the treatment, and if you are planning your treatment for a special event, we recommend that it looks its best about a month after your treatment (which also gives time for any minor side effects to settle down).
What are the side effects of BotoxⓇ?
Mandatories (important medical information)
Botox® is a prescription medicine for the treatment of frown lines, horizontal forehead lines and crow’s feet around the eyes. Botox® has risks and benefits. Ask your doctor if BotoxⓇ is right for you. If you have side effects, see your doctor. You will need to pay for Botox® and clinic fees will apply.
For details on precautions & side effects consult your healthcare professional or the Consumer Medicine Information (CMI) at www.medsafe.govt.nz.
Botox® treatment lasts about 4 months and further courses of treatment may be necessary. Should only be administered by trained medical professionals. (contains botulinum toxin A 50,100 & 200 units) Allergan (NZ) Limited, Auckland.
