What is botulinum toxin in aesthetic medicine?

Botulinum toxin, also known as botox, was originally used by ophthalmologists to treat a disease of the eyelids known as blepharospasm. Doctors found that its use also had the effect of erasing wrinkles from patients’ faces. In 2003, botulinum toxin entered the French aesthetic medicine market. Injected into the patient’s face, this product relaxes the skin and helps to eliminate the first signs of aging: wrinkles. It is an effective treatment that poses no real danger to patients’ skin.

What are the possibilities offered by botox in aesthetic medicine?

Botox injections in aesthetic medicine offer the possibility of treating several facial imperfections:

• Forehead wrinkles, also known as expression lines.
• Frown lines (between the eyes), deepened by frowning.
• Eye contour (sagging, puffiness, dark circles).
• Crow’s feet, hollowed out by the smile.
• Chin (bumps, folds).
• Lips (thin or wrinkled lips).
• Neck (folds, sagging skin).

These imperfections can give the face a closed, severe appearance. Botox relaxes the overall facial expression while preserving a natural appearance.

When are botox injections not recommended?

It is important to note that botox injections are contraindicated for people with the following specificities:

• Neuromuscular diseases (myasthenia)
• Pregnancy
• Breast-feeding (as a precaution)
• Infection of the area to be treated with botox
• Botulinum toxin allergy
• Recent anticoagulant treatment.

Botox should not be injected into people under 20 or over 65.

If you are lactose-intolerant, you should seek your doctor’s advice, as botulinum toxin may contain lactic proteins.

How can I sleep well after a botox injection?

In the hours following the botulinum toxin injection, patients are advised not to lower their heads, and to avoid as far as possible any position in which the head is pointing downwards. It is also not advisable to lie down immediately after the treatment, or to sleep. It takes about 3 to 4 hours to fall asleep after an injection. The first night after the injection, it is advisable to sleep with your head slightly elevated.

Once this time has elapsed, there are no specific instructions as to how the patient should settle down to sleep.

Nevertheless, patients may experience discomfort, tingling, dryness or contractions at the injection site. This discomfort is completely normal and disappears a few days after the procedure. It is important to avoid taking anticoagulants or aspirin, as these treatments may cause bruising in the area where the botox has been injected.

How long does it take to see the results of botox injections?

The first results of botox injections can be seen as early as 3 to 8 days after the procedure, and are generally optimal after 15 days. This is the time needed for the botulinum toxin to act and spread throughout the treated area. As a result, wrinkles gradually recede and the face relaxes. But during these first 15 days, the effects of botox can be variable, and the face may sometimes be slightly asymmetrical before stabilizing. This may be due to an asymmetry in muscle strength, or the result of a difference in injection dose or location.

Facial expression quickly becomes sunnier and more relaxed. The effects of botox last for at least 6 months after injection. This is because botulinum toxin is gradually and completely absorbed by the body. Once this period has elapsed, the patient can return to the doctor if he or she wishes to repeat the botox injection. To maintain the effects, however, sessions should not be too close together, to avoid rejection of the product by the body.