The Face - Aesthetics Clinic | Botox Cardiff | MEDICAL AESTHETICS CARDIFF | SkinPen Precision Cardiff

If you're having anti-wrinkle toxin with us for this first time you will need a consultation prior to your treatment. You will see our clinic prescriber, and they will assess your medical history to determine the go-ahead for your toxin injections. This normally takes less than 10 minutes.

Anti-wrinkle toxin or commonly referred to as Botox® is a purified protein produced by the Clostridium Botulinum bacterium. It is a non-surgical treatment that can temporarily reduce moderate to severe lines and wrinkles.

Very small doses of toxin are administered via a few tiny injections directly into the muscles that cause those stubborn lines. The treatment takes about 15 minutes (this can vary depending on areas being treated) and no recovery time is needed.

Toxin simply keeps the muscles that cause frown lines from contracting. This causes the skin to become smoother. Normally your brain sends electrical messages to your muscles so that they can contract and move. Toxin keeps that message from getting to the muscle that causes the wrinkles.

The most common areas are frown lines, forehead lines, and crow's feet. Other areas include the neck and upper lip.

Within 7 to 14 days, you will see a marked improvement. Lines continue to improve for up to a month. In clinical trials, nearly 90% of men and women rated the improvement in their appearance as moderate to better 1 month after treatment. After treatment, the skin around the treated area will look smooth and less wrinkled. The rest of your face will not be affected.

This depends entirely on the client, though a single treatment of toxin will normally be sustained for approximately 3 - 4 months. You will notice a gradual fading of its effects.

A very tiny needle is used for the procedure. Discomfort is usually minimal and brief.

Deeper lines and lines which have been present for many years may not be completely removed. However, they will be significantly reduced and will improve your overall look.

Although the results are visible, a treatment with toxin will not radically change your facial appearance or make you look as if you 'had work done'. The muscle activity that causes frown lines between the brows is simply reduced, so you can still frown or look surprised without the wrinkles and creases between your brows. Being 100% wrinkle free doesn't always look natural. The idea is to enhance your natural looks not alter them.

Toxin is recognised as one of the safest cosmetic treatments. Side effects are rarely serious and always temporary, which is why it is now the most popular cosmetic treatment in the world.

Some of the possible side effects include bruising at injection area, headaches, temporary eyelid droop, nausea and cold and flu-like symptoms. The most common side effect is bruising. To avoid bruising don't take aspirin, anti-inflammatory tablets or vitamin E for 48 hours before treatment. Rarely a transient numbness may develop in the treated area. If you are pregnant or breast feeding the treatment is not recommended.

During your consultation, a full medical history will be taken to assess any risks that would preclude treatment.

Anti-wrinkle toxin is extremely safe and most people will be able to have treatment. Some of the most common reasons for not being suitable of treatment are listed below. You will also go through a full consultation explaining the treatment in detail and a medical consent form is completed prior to treatment.

• Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. If you are currently trying for a baby, it would be wise to delay cosmetic treatment.
• Diseases that affect muscle activity
• Bleeding disorders or are taking drugs that affect bleeding time
• Some allergies requiring medication

The chance of this happening to a client is about 1 in 2,000. There is evidence to suggest that this may be as a result of the client massaging the area within the first four days after treatment. If the eye does droop it will last no longer than 3 weeks and will usually correct itself.

Yes, toxin works equally well for men and women. However, men may require a slightly higher dose due to stronger muscle contractions.

Most of our treatments include injections to the skin. Whenever the skin is punctured there's a risk of bruising and swelling. Our practitioners are highly skilled and do their clinical best to ensure veins are avoided, though it's impossible to avoid all underlying structures of the skin.

It's our advice to time your treatments, to avoid any special occasions within a 14-day period of a procedure. This should ensure that any residual bruising or swelling, if experienced, has subsided following your injection treatments.

1. One week prior to your treatment, avoid taking aspirin, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications e.g Ibuprofen, Gingko Biloba, Vitamin E and fish oil supplements. These may increase bruising and bleeding at the injection site. Remember, it's important to check with your Doctor if you have an existing condition that requires you to take blood-thinners before you stop taking regular prescribed medication.

2. Adding leafy greens to your diet will boost your Vitamin K levels and help to reduce the possibility of bruising and swelling.

3. Arnica supplements have been shown to reduce discomfort, bruising, and swelling from injectable procedures. Arnica pills may be started the day before or the day of treatment and should be continued until bruising has resolved.

4. On the day, it's advisable to avoid working out or going to the gym ahead of your appointment as flushed skin can lead to more bruising due to the amount of blood at the skin's surface.

5. Please arrive without make-up as your skin will need to be clean at the injection site(s) to limit the possibility of infection post treatment.

You should also not consume any alcohol for at least 24 hours before your appointment to avoid increased bruising and swelling.

To ensure safe practice we don't treat clients for any of our injectable treatments 2 weeks before a COVID-19 vaccine and 2 weeks post vaccine.

Cosmetic treatment experts and industry bodies have issued guidelines for dermal fillers after a few cases of swelling that were related to dermal fillers and the COVID-19 vaccination. The advice is that it is best to leave a 2 week interval before having dermal fillers and 2 weeks after in order to minimise the risks of post-inflammatory swelling or reaction.

We will check this with you before you book your appointment. We ask that you put your physical health above any aesthetic treatment, and to inform us of any upcoming or recent vaccinations.