Dr Nina Sheffield, MD, BSc from rtwskin explains what patients should expect the first time they have Botox.
Realistic expectations
First of all, it’s important to discuss the sort of results you want to achieve.� Gone are the days of the startled rabbit look, with taut skin and shiny foreheads; most patients who come to us want to look fresher – a slightly younger version of themselves, but definitely still themselves.� Our aim with most of our patients is to make them look fresher, not frozen, but you need to talk openly about your hopes. You also need to be prepared for your specialist to manage your expectations; they should talk openly to you about what they can and can’t achieve.
Many first-time patients don’t have a very clear idea exactly what they want to achieve – many of our patients have a broad ambition to look a bit fresher, but don’t have a detailed vision as to what that means – and that’s fine.� It’s often not until you start the journey and see the first corrective work done that you begin to identify specific areas that you would like refined.
Start small
We always urge caution; we can adjust Botox with additional injections, but we can’t remove it, so we will advise you to start with small injections and gauge their effect before deciding on the next steps.� This is particularly important as it takes about two weeks to achieve the final results of Botox (unlike dermal fillers, where the results are instant); you won’t see anything immediately, with the first signs starting to appear two to three days after you have the injections.� So don’t expect to walk out of the clinic looking fresher and younger; be patient and enjoy watching the results appearing over the next couple of weeks.
It’s also important to start small as we can’t predict exactly how the Botox will work on you.� There are so many variables that impact on the effect, such as enzymes, your build, genes, sun exposure, exercise and metabolism.� It’s not until we see the results in your face that we can assess exactly how it is working and what our plan should be going forwards to achieve the look you are after.
For these reasons, we offer a follow-up consultation and review a fortnight later.� We assess the results together and, if adjustment for any reason is required, for example, to fine-tune symmetry or a little less movement to achieve your desired result, we provide this at no extra cost.� We want you to be happy and completely confident that you are seeing the best version of ‘you’ in the mirror!
Maintaining your fresher look
Many people don’t realise that�Botox is a prescription-only medicine, which means it has to be prescribed by a registered doctor. Although I qualified as a GP and worked for many years as an ENT consultant, I opted not to register with General Medical Council when I moved to the UK to concentrate on aesthetic work. This means my colleague, Dr Fatima, will be involved in your initial consultation, helping me to assess whether�Botox is suitable for you and how much we should use. Once we have agreed the prescription, I can then administer the first treatment and any follow-up injections over the next 12 months, as long as we don’t vary the doses considerably.
Botox lasts between three and six months. The more you do, the longer it lasts; when you’ve been having it for a couple of years, you generally need treatment less often than when you start using it, as your muscles are no longer exerting themselves so much. So, over the first year, we would generally recommend follow-up appointments every three months or so to maintain your fresher look.
Book a no-obligation consultation to discuss Botox�and other facial aesthetic procedures call 01892 22 22 22
