Wrinkle-relaxing toxins

Dear Alice, thanks again for an always fantastic information guide. I finally made of my mind and decided to have toxin, got an appointment and went to the consultation. It’s a great but.. a little voice inside is still a little nervous,...

Hi, that's completely understandable to be anxious ahead of trying any tweakment. Have you discussed these particular concerns with your practitioner? If you have, I hope they would have reassured you that they have enough skill and experience to place the toxin in just the right places so that it will soften your wrinkles without wiping them out, and without making your brows drop. Also, first time, it's good idea to ask for a really light dose, just enough to give you an idea of what the treatment can do. It won't last as long as a regular dose, but if for any reason you don't like the results, then you aren't stuck with it for so long....

Hey Alice, just recently I found your Tweakments Guide and it has become my best read. I wanted to ask your opinion. I’m 56 and take good care of my skin but I still have deep wrinkles in my forehead, some around eyes and clear...

Hiya, TTG editor Georgia here. Your question cut off, but to answer the part about wrinkles on the forehead and around the eyes – wrinkle-relaxing injections will easily sort these out.

Best treatment for under eye dentation heading on edge of cheek bone and fine lines?

Hiya, TTG editor Georgia here. I'm not sure exactly what you mean by 'dentation' under the eyes. If you're talking about a kind of hollowing then you may be a candidate for tear-trough filler, but this is a very intricate filler placement that certainly isn't suitable for everyone, so use our Practitioner Finder to find someone experienced in treating the eye area and book in for a consultation. And wrinkle-relaxing injections will soften those fine lines at the corners of your eyes....

I have a very deep forehead wrinkle that I try to hide with my fringe. What is the best treatment for this, please?

I'd suggest you made an appointment with a great practitioner to get their view on what has caused the line, and what the best way to soften it might be. Most of the horizontal lines on our foreheads are from the way we raise our eyebrows, and the lines settle into place over the years. Because these lines are caused by muscle movement, wrinkle-relaxing injections of botulinum toxin A should help soften your line. For lines which are really deep, it may make sense to treat it with a soft kind of hydrating filler, but a skilful practitioner will know just what to do....

Hi Alice, my question is about barcode lip lines. I've had toxin there and supposedly it needs to be repeated every 2 months. What's your feedback on toxin in that area?

Hmm, you only want the tiniest bit of toxin in the upper lip to avoid overly weakening or temporarily paralysing the muscles so you can't properly move your mouth. If you're happy with the results then great, if not there are other options like RF microneedling, resurfacing laser, and dermal filler.

Hey Alice! What's your suggested tweakment for downturned corners of the mouth without plumping the lips? I'm a 32 year-old man. By the way, you look unreal!

Hiya, TTG editor Georgia here. It might be suitable to have some carefully-placed toxin to soften the pull of that muscle that's causing the corners of the mouth to turn and droop down, and also maybe a bit of filler to prop up the corners of the mouth but injected in the bit to the side of the mouth, not in the lip, so it won't in any way affect the shape or size of your lips. Find a great practitioner who does a lot of work around the mouth who can advise. (PS Alice says Aw thanks😘)...

How can I solve my forehead wrinkles without droopy eyelids?

With wrinkle-relaxing toxin, injected by an expert practitioner with lots of experience and a good understanding of anatomy – you will find lots of these practitioners on here.

I have had toxin for sometime for my crow's feet but it doesn't seem to be as effective. Would filler in the temple area help? I noticed you had it done recently.

Completely depends on your face. If the crow's feet toxin doesn't seem to be doing much, is your injector getting it into the right muscles? I have it regularly, but just want the muscle activity damped down, rather than wiped out – I still want to be able to smile in a genuine way!

Does regular toxin over time lead to muscle atrophy?

Hiya, TTG editor Georgia here. Muscles that are continuously topped up with toxin will weaken over time. This will obviously happen to us all eventually as we age anyway, but it’s worth being aware that you are, in a way, willing your facial muscles to weaken before their time. That being said, it’s not something that practitioners seem to particularly worry about, and a lot of people have wrinkle-relaxing injections for decades without showing these unwanted effects. If you wait until your muscles have recovered their full range of movement before having another treatment, this is less likely to happen. ...

I have a very deep line across my forehead. I hate it so much – what do you advise, please?

I'd suggest you made an appointment with a great practitioner to get their view on what has caused the line, and what the best way to soften it might be. Most of the horizontal lines on our foreheads are from the way we raise our eyebrows, and the lines settle into place over the years. Because these lines are caused by muscle movement, wrinkle relaxing injections of botulinum toxin A should help soften your line. For lines which are really deep, it may make sense to treat it with a soft kind of hydrating filler, but a skilful practitioner will know just what to do....

Two weeks ago I had some toxin and now my right eyelid has a droop. The last toxin I had was over three years ago previous to this.

Sounds like your practitioner has over-treated/ hit the wrong muscle – if you have toxin injected in the muscle that lifts the eyelid, it weakens the muscle, so the eyelid will droop. The muscle will recover its function in a couple of months. Maybe next time, choose a practitioner with more experience with toxin?

Will using wrinkle relaxing injections affect the nerves on a long-term basis?

In a word, no. There have been huge numbers of clinical studies around botulinum toxin treatment and they show that every time the toxin is injected and blocks the nerve-receptor cells on a muscle (which stops it working to a greater or lesser extent), the muscle, after a short while, grows new receptors, and regains its function.

Hi Alice, I’m just wondering, would you have any advice on what to use when toxin doesn’t work?

Hiya, TTG editor Georgia here. I'm not sure what you mean by 'doesn't work' – it's incredibly rare for toxin to be completely ineffective. Where did you have it injected/ what are your concerns/ are you sure it was definitely toxin? In most cases where toxin appears not to work, it's because it was placed incorrectly. In terms of what else might work, again, it totally depends on your concerns and what you were wanting to address with the toxin. Take a look at our page about wrinkles for some thoughts on this.

You posted a video on an underarm treatment – could you please clarify what the treatment was? Thank you.

Hello, it was injections of botulinum toxin to reduce sweating. It's a good treatment and lasts for 8-9 months.

If money is not in abundance and you wanted to do a treatment, what would you say are the best ones to do? I’m 54 and recently have noticed I’m really ageing! Have a small amount of toxin on my 11s and forehead. But I’ve noticed lines on my...

Great question – the difficulty with answering it is that different tweakments work on different aspects of the signs of ageing that we see in our faces. So, yes, a small amount of toxin will relax the lines on your forehead. Creating a lift in the face usually needs filler, placed deeply to recreate the structure in the face that time is taking away (we lose volume from the bones in our skull as well as from the fat pads, so the skin starts to hang a bit looser, it's a bit like losing weight inside a dress that used to fit like a glove), plus skin-tightening treatments from devices such as laser, or ultrasound, or radiofrequency – and...

The dreaded neck area – can Profhilo, toxin, a thread lift or Morpheus8 etc. help to tighten and lift it while I'm saving up for a neck lift? Practitioners of these kinds of tweakments say they absolutely can, but the surgeon I'm considering going...

Hiya, TTG editor Georgia here. So, Profhilo and other injectable moisturisers: minimal tightening, no lift. Toxin: can help to soften 'stringiness' in the neck caused by over-tight muscles, but will only last 3-6 months. Threads: absolutely avoid because a lot of surgeons are very wary of performing a lift on a face or neck that has previously been altered with threads – they can complicate the procedure. Morpheus8 or other radiofrequency microneedling devices, and ultrasound: great options for achieving a small amount of tightening and lifting but not cheap and won't give the big results you're looking for. So they're both right -...

I have noticed I have uneven eyes when I laugh/ smile in photographs. Is there anything non-invasive I can do to fix this?

Hiya, TTG editor Georgia here. You could try a home-use device like the NuFACE Mini Facial Toning Device. Alice has personally found it to give a great (albeit temporary) lifting effect to the facial muscles, and it’s safe and small enough for use around the eyes and on the brow bone. It uses low-level electrical microcurrent, and with continued use it may start to ‘retrain’ those muscles to hold a more permanent lift. If you did at some point decide to go down the tweakments route, I had some toxin carefully placed to ‘lift’ one of my eyes (one of my brows sits slightly lower than the other and I have more hooding on that eyelid)...

What are the safest, cleanest brands of lip injections and toxin for someone starting out? What is a good, affordable clinic with a good reputation? Looking to start treatments and keep it affordable and want a trustworthy clinic.

In terms of brands, the ones that The Tweakments Guide thinks are good, safe and reputable are listed under the 'brands' tab on the website menu. I don't know what you mean by 'clean' in terms of aesthetics – what you want is a brand that is well-formulated and that has been extensively tested for safety and efficacy. Re treatments, I would advise finding a great practitioner who can advise you what is best and most appropriate for your face, so take a look at the TTG Practitioner Finder for people in your area. I recommend individual practitioners rather than clinics, as each individual's work is different, and each injector or...

I would really appreciate your advice, as I'm planning to get toxin and maybe a bit of filler for the first time, aged 52. I've decided to go to the Cosmetic Skin Clinic in Devonshire Place, and I wondered which of the doctors there you would...

Hiya, TTG editor Georgia here. Of the practitioners at Cosmetic Skin Clinic, those we have listed on our Practitioner Finder are Dr Joanna Christou, Dr Johanna Ward, Dr Melissa Fitzgerald, Mr Dean Rhobaye, Dr Pamela Benito, Dr Matthew Jarvie-Thomas, and Lee Garrett. They're all brilliant and you'll be in safe, expert hands with any of them....

I am wondering if I can get some advice – I had baby toxin in February for my forehead and 11 lines. Two weeks later, I started to have a rash on my neck and swollen under-eyes, which kept occurring over a two-month period. Both my practitioner...

Hiya, TTG editor Georgia here. Alice and I aren't medical practitioners and aren't qualified to give any medical advice, but it does sound to me that it was unlikely the toxin that gave you that reaction, simply because of where the rash and swelling occurred – nowhere near your injection sites. From what we know it is technically possible to be 'allergic' to toxin, but as your practitioner and GP said, it's extremely rare. Have you definitely been able to rule out anything else that could have caused the reaction? Did the reaction last for two months or did it go away and come back a few times within that timeframe? Have a think if there...

Hello, I am 48 and really starting to look old, especially when I look at photos. What do you recommend as the most effective way to look fresher and better without toxin or filler? Is it HIFU or profound or another treatment? Or would I really need...

Hiya, TTG editor Georgia here. Dr Strawford will be best placed to answer all these questions for you once he's assessed your face and talked to you about your exact concerns. He is an expert practitioner with a great deal of experience. The tweakments you mention – HIFU, Profound (RF microneedling), toxin, and filler – all do different things that work towards making you look fresher and younger, but not in the same ways. Toxin for example won’t do anything about sagging skin but HIFU will, Profound will stimulate collagen production to tighten and plump the skin, but won’t replace lost volume in the ways filler will. So it all...

Hi, how do I find the best cosmetic doctors for fillers and toxins in Bordeaux, France? I have in the past always gone to CSC in London and been treated by Dr Mountford or Dr Joanna Christou, but I no longer travel back to the UK.

Hiya, TTG editor Georgia here. We currently only list UK-based practitioners, so I'm afraid we can't be of much help. If you were happy with your previous treatments perhaps you could contact CSC and ask if Dr Mountford or Dr Christou know of any colleagues in Bordeaux they'd refer you to.

Hello Alice, hope you are keeping safe. From following your social accounts and reading your articles on the new treatments and best practitioners to go to, I wanted to know your opinion on Dr Mayou at the Cadogan Clinic for toxin and fillers?

Hiya, TTG editor Georgia here. Dr Mayou isn’t one of our listed practitioners so Alice and I aren’t able to recommend her as such, but she’s a well-known and experienced dermatologist and GMC-registered doctor, and The Cadogan Clinic is very reputable.

Hi Alice, I have been using Carita My CLE facial device which is a microcurrent plus LED device. I understood I should not use this on toxins-treated areas which makes sense as this would work against the effect of toxins. But what about after...

Hi, oddly enough, microcurrent devices work really well on faces treated with toxin - because the microcurrent helps keep muscle tone in the muscles while they aren't being worked by the usual facial expressions (toxin doesn't do anything to the muscles; it disables the neurotransmitters that send messages to the muscles to contract. So, microcurrent is not directly counteracting the treatment). All the device manufacturers suggest you wait for two weeks before using microcurrent after toxin injections, and the same after filler injections (after two weeks, the filler will be properly settled).

How do I get rid of downward lines on my forehead? Vertical at the sides of my face I think from squishing my face into the pillow at night. toxins? I have regular toxins for my frown lines on my forehead so I don’t appear to be cross when I’m...

If your practitioner says toxins won't work on these lines, maybe that is because they're being made by the way you sleep, as you suggest, rather than by muscle movement. It might be worth trying something simpler than tweakments, like the Dr Harris Anti-Wrinkle Sleep Mask, which looks like a normal sleep mask but has small silicone bumps on the inside that press on muscle receptors in the face to relax them (it's clinically proven to relax frown lines between the brows). These slight bumps are set in a pattern that goes over the eyebrows and around the sides of the eyes, and they grip the skin very gently and I find that these stop me from...

If I want multiple items – toxins, filler and Profhilo – but cost is an issue, what would the cost and results difference be between a great clinic like PHI in London and Skintique in Leicester?

The cost of procedures is less outside London; in terms of the results you'd get, what you really need to factor in is the skill and experience of your practitioner. They will discuss with you at consultation stage what your concerns are, what procedures would be beneficial for you, how much treatment you might need to move towards the outcomes that you're after. That way you can decide, with their help, where your tweakments budget is best spent. The practitioner is crucial in all this, and the lead doctors at both PHI Clinic (as well as Dr Manav Bawa and Dr Amanda Penny who run clinics at PHI) and Skintique are very good and are on my list...

Qualified nurse does my toxins in North West England. She said it costs her £120 to buy the amount that does 3 areas on me (crow's feet, frown lines & forehead). Is it too cheap to be real/ safe toxins? Im concerned after seeing your post on unsafe...

Hiya, editor Georgia here answering on Alice's behalf. This is a difficult question to answer as toxins is bought by the vial but priced for the consumer (you) by the unit (usually there are 100 or 200 units to a vial) or area – whichever way your practitioner chooses to price it. Unless your practitioner is offering it to you at cost price – meaning she wouldn't be making any money – I'd say £120 in total for the three areas you mention is cheap enough to raise alarms. Better to find a practitioner you trust than risk it. Enter your postcode into our Practitioner Finder to find someone reputable near you to visit instead. It's...

I think I have ‘pebble chin’ and was wondering what tweakment could help with this problem?

Hiya – editor Georgia here answering on Alice's behalf. It's the overuse of the muscles in the chin that causes this uneven 'pebbly' or orange-peel type texture. You can have a little bit of toxin injected to relax the muscles and give a more even skin texture.

Hi, I'm only 29 but am thinking of getting baby toxins to prevent fine lines and wrinkles. Is it unwise to start too early?

Hiya, editor Georgia here answering on Alice's behalf. While I'm sure it's not necessary for you yet, it's not at all unwise to start anti-wrinkle injections in your late twenties – in fact, preventative toxin has been clinically proven to stop imprinted lines (the ones that are still present when the face is at rest) settling in in later years. Alice actually made a video and wrote about this topic in December. 'Baby toxins' is a good approach at your age, too – a sprinkling of just enough toxin to soften and freshen. Just don't have too much or get it too often and keep in mind the financial investment that comes with starting at a...

Hi Alice, is there an age you’d say is too young for toxins? I’ve turned 28 and am considering it around eyes. Thank you!

Hiya, editor Georgia here answering on Alice's behalf. 28 is probably around the youngest age I'd advise having toxin, as long as you can afford it – bear in mind that if you like the results it will be an ongoing investment around every 3 months or so. It's also worth using a decent eye cream if you don't already, either before you decide to have toxins or alongside, as a good one really can make a difference to crow's feet, assuming that's what you're looking to treat. Here are some we recommend. Finally, as you're young, stick to a small amount so you don't inhibit too much expression around your eyes....

I had toxins for the first time with an experienced dermatologist. It didn’t work so we did two top-ups, which also didn’t work. Then we tried two different brands but also didn’t work. Seems like I have antibodies. Any tips about where to...

It sounds like you are resistant to the drug, but this is really quite rare. Manufacturer clinical trials showed that no more than 1.5% of patients develop “neutralising antibodies”, and the figures are something like 1 in 10,000 that it doesn’t work for. Usually, if the treatment doesn’t work, it can be because of the dosage (not everyone’s the same, and some people need a higher dose) or the dilution of the product. But you say the practitioner was an experienced dermatologist. It’s hard to tell if you had all the treatments at the same clinic. It may be worth getting a second opinion, but you could be wasting your money if...

Hi, I am looking for practitioner recommendations – ideally for injectable moisturisers/ toxins in Buckinghamshire/ High Wycombe/ Aylesbury/ Beaconsfield area. I did put my postcode in the finder tool but it came up with just one option in...

Hiya, editor Georgia here answering on Alice's behalf. I tried this search again for you with an Aylesbury postcode and a 23 mile radius – here are the results. Hope that helps!

Please recommend a Dr or dermatologist that can deal with all skin and injectable issues in Manchester. I cannot find anyone please help!!! Thank you in advance.

Hiya, editor Georgia here answering on Alice's behalf. I put a central Manchester postcode into our practitioner finder and you can view the results here. Any of these practitioners should be able to help you.

Hi please can you tell me if you think 63 is too old to start toxins or fillers? I need something to make me look less grumpy around my mouth area.

Hi, what a great question but please, let me reassure you, you are never too old to start with toxins or fillers. Many practitioners have patients who are in their eighties or even nineties, who love the treatments and the benefits they see from them. Toxin and fillers are great for improving a grumpy-looking mouth. The toxin weakens the strength of the muscles that pull the mouth down, and the fillers can prop up the sides of the mouth just a little, or lift the cheeks a fraction which stops the lower face looking so saggy... so hop over to the practitioner section of the website, find someone in your area and have a consultation to see...

Good morning, will the NuFace help with platysma vertical bands on my neck?

Hi, much as I love the Nuface, its strength is for tightening and contouring the face. When you already have those tight platysmal bands on the neck, the best way to treat them is with injections of wrinkle-relaxing toxin eg toxins. These relax the muscles and soften the 'stringy' look - it's something I have done regularly. Take a look at my practitioner finder - these are all people I would trust with my neck!...

Hi Alice, how long after the Covid vaccination is it safe to have fillers/toxins?

Hi, most doctors advise waiting a couple of weeks after having the vaccination before having fillers (or, if you've had fillers, to wait a couple of weeks before having the jab). There are relatively few instances where having the vaccination causes an immune reaction that makes fillers swell temporarily  - but it can happen. With toxins or other wrinkle-relaxing toxins, the general advice is the same - to wait two weeks after having the vaccine.

Hi Alice, I've got what I would describe as an old lady chin - ie dimply, lined, irregular, not smooth. I can't see anything on your site that mentions this. Can you advise please?

Hi, what a great question -- and you're right, there's nothing specific on the site about it - perhaps I should add 'old-lady-chin' as a new concern as I think we all know what you mean. Start with some effective skincare (vitamin C serum, retinoids, sunscreen) to help with the surface condition and quality of your skin, and then... As for tweakments - I'd say my usual thing of getting yourself in front of a great practitioner (lots on the site, here's the link, you can search by postcode) and discussing it with them. Here are some things they might suggest. Wrinkle-relaxing injections eg toxins - which I like because they stop the...

toxins at Superdrug - Did you ever get a toxins treatment done at Superdrug and how did you find it? I am considering it but general feedback has been very negative (although not from people who have used clinics) because of it being a High Street...

I think that negative feedback is so unfair. Let me explain. I was sent by one of the papers to be the first person to get a toxins treatment at Superdrug  - and the only reason I didn't get the treatment was because they (quite rightly) turned me down because, working through the very detailed questionnaire that you have to fill in before treatment, they discovered I'd had a toxin treatment only two months before and they correctly insist there should be a three-month minimum gap between appointments. It maddens me that the feedback is so negative because Superdrug has done everything very correctly. They have partnered with the...

Nearly two weeks ago I had toxins for the first time. It was by someone local to me who had been recommended. I’m 49 and had it in my forehead. Unfortunately (and now I’ve seen lots of references to this online and in your book) it has lowered...

Your poor thing, huge sympathies, I completely understand how distressing this is. I would strongly suggest that you just leave well alone and let it wear off. Yes, technically a really skilled and experienced practitioner might be able to achieve some improvement – but the trouble is that the muscles that lift your eyebrows are already disabled for the time being, and nothing can change that. But hang on in there, your forehead muscles will regain their former movement. How long will it take? That depends on how much toxin the practitioner used, but your normal movement patterns should start to return between 6 weeks and three months.