Botox treatment "poison for wrinkles".

Pronounced expression lines can be corrected by surgery, by laser, by injection of filling substances or by a combination of these methods. The choice of procedure depends on the location and extent of the wrinkles.

Botulinum toxin injections have been performed on adults and children for over a decade, particularly to relieve tension in the facial muscles.

A proven form of wrinkle treatment is the injection of botulinum toxin A. This is a naturally occurring toxin derived from a special bacterium (Clostridium botulinum). When injected into a muscle, it specifically blocks nerve impulses there and the wrinkle-causing mimic muscle can no longer be tensed for about 4-6 months - the wrinkles are smoothed out.

Other nerve functions of the skin, such as sensation or touch, are not affected. After a few months, a new treatment is necessary. A lasting effect - up to one year - is achieved by repeated treatments. Botox is particularly suitable for the "frown and thinker's lines" on the forehead and crow's feet around the eyes. Sagging neck wrinkles and wrinkles around the chin and cheeks can also be treated with it under certain circumstances.

Side effects and complications are unlikely. As with any other injection into the skin, skin irritation, skin infection or mild swelling may occur in rare cases. In rare cases, a small bruise may also occur. Therefore, please do not take aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) or any other blood thinning medication one week before this treatment and inform us about it. Allergic reactions (redness, itching) at the injection site, which can also occur after repeated use of botulinum toxin A, are also extremely rare. However, all these undesirable phenomena recede within a few days.

If the effect is uneven, an asymmetrical facial expression may temporarily occur. This can be corrected by a follow-up injection of botulinum toxin A  within the  next 2 weeks. If the effect is pronounced in the eyebrow area, there may be a temporary drooping of the upper eyelid.

In rare cases, fatigue, dry mouth and general feeling of illness have been reported after treatment with botulinum toxin A. However, all side effects are temporary according to the current state of science; long-term side effects are not known in the treatment of mimic wrinkles.

Since it is very important from a medical point of view to keep a certain time interval between two botulinum toxin A injections, the attending physician must be informed about the last date of a treatment that may not have been performed by him/her but by another physician.