Once accessible only by A-list models and celebrities, Botox has evolved into the UK’s favourite non-surgical skin treatment. Incredibly, Botox injections now account for more than one-third of all non-invasive facial procedures performed.
Questions and concerns before undergoing Botox treatment are understandable – particularly for those with no personal frame of reference. But even today, Botox remains a subject of widespread myth and misunderstanding.
Consulting with an experienced clinician before undergoing Botox treatment is essential. As with all facial procedures, it is important to ensure you are an appropriate candidate for Botox injections.
In addition, it’s crucial that you have realistic expectations regarding the outcome.
Botox has the potential to help you shed years off your appearance, with practically no downtime involved. It is considered one of the safest facial skin treatments of its kind, and has become comprehensively affordable.
With this in mind, here is a brief overview of several long-standing myths and untruths about Botox injections:
Myth #1 – Botox Does Not Help Prevent New Wrinkles from Setting in
First up, the protective properties of Botox against new wrinkles are often underestimated. This, even though everybody understands the association between frowning/squinting and the formation of wrinkles.
Botox gets to work by relaxing the muscles beneath the skin, smoothing the surface for a youthful look. But by preventing these wrinkle-causing muscles from moving, it can indeed help prevent new wrinkles from setting in.
A practice sometimes referred to as ‘preventative’ Botox, and an added benefit of undergoing Botox treatment.
Myth #2 – Botox Injections Are Very Painful
Botox injections are carried out using tiny needles, which over the years have become increasingly sophisticated. The procedure itself usually takes no more than around 10 minutes, and patients typically report only minor discomfort.
This treatment is certainly no more painful than a common waxing session – which is often significantly more uncomfortable.
Plus, patients will always be given the option of having a topical numbing agent applied to their skin beforehand; an optional extra many consider unnecessary, but that’s available even so, if you’re at all concerned about the injections.
Following the treatment, all residual discomfort will usually subside within a few hours at the most.
Myth #3 – Botox Has Very Limited Practical Applications
Botox treatment is most commonly associated with its anti-ageing properties as a facial muscle relaxer. However, it also has a variety of other applications that go beyond everyday cosmetic use.
For example, Botox is routinely used in the treatment of bladder dysfunction, chronic migraines, excessive sweating, eye twitching and the abnormal contracting of neck muscles.
As Botox is considered safe for most patients, it has surprisingly wide-reaching cosmetic and medical applications.
Myth #4 – The Results of Botox Are Instantaneous
Contrary to popular belief, Botox does not reach its maximum effectiveness straight away.
With most treatments, it takes around 2 to 4 days for the results to begin showing through. And yet, the full impact of your Botox injections will not be visible until after around two weeks.
This is important to bear in mind, as many patients undergo Botox with the assumption the results will be instantaneous. Not so, but the results are worth waiting for and have the potential to last several months.
Myth #5 – The Benefits of Botox Start Fading Almost Straight Away
The only instance where the benefits of Botox fade fast is when the injections were performed by an unskilled practitioner. Botox injections administered by professionals can deliver impressive results for up to four months.
Ultimately, several factors will cumulatively determine how long your result lasts, including:
- Your age
- The condition of your skin
- The severity of your wrinkles
- Your general lifestyle
Even so, there is no reason why any course of Botox should not deliver results that last at least a few months.
Myth #6 – You Need to Allow for a Certain Amount of Downtime
The only side effect commonly associated with Botox injections is mild swelling and minimal redness around the injection site. In some rare instances, there may also be very minor bruising, which can be easily covered with concealer.
However, Botox injections are not associated with any specific downtime or recovery time whatsoever. If you have heard that Botox can be a ‘lunch break procedure’, this really is true.
The injections typically take no more than 10 minutes to perform, after which you can get back to your normal life. (Sorry folks, you won’t find an excuse to skip work here.)
Myth #7 – Botox Makes Your Face Look Stiff or Frozen
Again, this may only prove true in the case of treatment performed by an inadequate practitioner. Inaccurate injecting and/or improper dosing can result in a stiff or frozen look.
With pinpoint precision and calculated quantities, Botox does not prevent you from expressing emotions with facial expressions. In fact, Botox injections performed as they should be performed result in a completely natural look.
In other words, nobody should be able to tell you have had Botox treatment, unless you choose to tell them.
Myth #8 – Botox is Risky
Quite the contrary, as Botox is considered one of the safest cosmetic treatments available. When used for skin rejuvenation purposes, the dosage of Botox injected is so tiny that it poses no risk whatsoever.
The risk of side effects is also minimal, shy of minor redness and swelling around the injection site.
Allergic reactions and sensitivities to Botox are extremely rare. Even so, it’s always worth discussing your case with your clinician thoroughly to assess your suitability for treatment. You can do this during your initial consultation.
Myth #9 – Botox is More Effective for Women
Not the case – Botox is just as effective for men as it is for women. In fact, the number of men undergoing Botox treatment on a regular basis is at an all-time high.
During the pandemic, cosmetic surgeons in the UK reported a 70% uptick in the number of consultation requests from men. In addition, approximately 10% of all Botox treatments carried out are performed on male patients.
Myth #10 – Botox is Still Relatively New and Untested
We’re not sure how this one is still prevalent, but allow us to clear up the air.
Botox treatment is anything but new or untested. It has been a popular cosmetic procedure for more than 20 years, during which tens of millions of treatments have been performed worldwide.
As the world’s most popular facial cosmetic procedure, it is by far the most extensively tested and researched treatment of its kind. One that has proved comprehensively safe and consistently effective for the vast majority of patients – male and female alike.