It still boggles my mind that fine line and wrinkle treatment, using botulinum toxin, can be so effective! More so, it amazes me that over the decades that I have been offering this treatment, more uses keep emerging. From helping depression to boosting skin health, the treatment options available to my patients keeps on growing!
However, the downside can be having to return multiple times a year, which isn’t great if you don’t like needles! So here are some top tips to help you extend the time between your visits…
Making sure your doctor/dentist/nurse practitioner is experienced will go a long way to ensuring you get the right areas treated appropriately. Some patients are regularly recalled by their injector to get ‘top ups’ but, in my opinion, this shouldn’t be necessary, unless it’s the first time you have been treated by the person.
Of course, your body isn’t always predictable, so occasionally you may require adjustments to your fine line and wrinkle treatment after a few weeks. Having regular ‘top ups’ will make Botox® less effective for you, so it’s important to avoid them if you can.
Consider not using face scrubs, masks or toners one week before your treatment. These can alter the chemistry of your skin by causing inflammation, which may result in your fine line and wrinkle treatment being less effective.
Ask your injector about other brands that might work for you. After many decades, new botulinum brands have now been developed, each with their own characteristics and benefits. This means that, if your regular treatment with the Botox® brand isn’t working as well as you’d like, your injector now has other brands they can try to see if they give you better fine line and wrinkle treatment results that last longer.
Any experienced doctor/dentist /nurse will be able to discuss the alternative brands that are available and give their advice on whether they may be helpful to you.
In a study by Koshy JC et al. (Journal of Drugs and Dermatol 2012 Apr;11(4):507-12), researchers found that zinc and/or phytase supplementation boosted the effects of botulinum treatments by 30% on average.
‘Surprisingly, the results showed that in over ninety percent of the patients studied, the zinc/phytase combination resulted in a remarkable improved responsiveness to treatment of blepharospasm using the same amount of botulinum toxin as previously used’, said Soparkar, M.D., Ph.D., an oculoplastic surgeon. ‘The toxins seemed to have a greater effect and last longer. Potentially, this could mean using less toxin, offering patients financial savings, greater safety, and more consistent results.’
Remember that this requires some planning, as studies have shown that you have to start zinc supplements 4 days prior to treatment for them to have any effect!
Now you know my top tips to get the best results from your fine line and wrinkle treatment, it’s time for you to get yourself booked in! You can do so quickly and easily on our website. You can also find all of our contact details on this page in case there are any questions that you would like to ask.
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There’s no doubt that injectables like fillers and Botox® are the most effective line-reducing treatments available. Others might help to some extent but they will never achieve what injectables can. Furthermore, these treatments, in the right hands, are very safe and almost painless. The proof is in the sheer number of people who have been treated worldwide! Allergan reports that, as a brand leader in the field of dermal fillers, they recently achieved a major milestone for their key brand Juvéderm with ‘100 million syringes of their product delivered globally’. Isn’t that incredible?
Some of you might be reluctant to try injectables for various reasons. You might feel scared about ‘losing’ your expressions or you’re worried that you won’t look natural and that others will know you’ve visited a clinic… or are you just scared in general?
Rest assured, safety is my top priority when treating my patients. I like to see myself and my team as ‘gatekeepers’.
Gatekeepers, like us, keep you safe and won't recommend a treatment that's not in your best interest, so there’s no danger of you looking ‘overdone’. If a treatment isn’t right for you, we’ll say so! It’s not just about the look though, we also make sure that you’re in the right headspace. The only reason to undergo any of our procedures is because you want to. Don’t ever forget that! Accountable to our registered bodies (the GDC and HIS), we have to act within clear clinical and safety guidelines or risk getting struck off.
In order to be a gatekeeper, you must be properly trained. I have a Level 7 postgraduate OFQUAL qualification in injectables and I’ve been a dentist for years! What’s more, at No. 4, we have fantastic knowledge and experience - Su and I have over 60 years of clinical experience combined (we know, we don’t look old enough)!
The most important thing when choosing your clinic is to make sure the practitioners are fully qualified. The experience never hurts too though!
You should always expect the best!
Good gatekeepers will always give you all your options and give you time to make your decision as to whether to have treatment or not. We’re not saleswomen, we’re beauty practitioners! We will always conduct a thorough consultation and get to know you first. If injectables don’t suit your medical profile, lifestyle or expectations, we will let you know. After all, we don’t just deal with treatments, we deal with people.
It’s also important that you know you will receive good aftercare. You shouldn’t have your treatment and get kicked straight out of the door! You need to know how to best maintain your results. We’re always on hand to offer advice on which products will suit your skin and my team always want to ensure that you’re happy with your results. In short, you won’t get away from us that quickly…
If you want to get rid of lines and wrinkles, injectables are the best way to do so, but only when you're being treated by experienced, caring professionals.
The first thing to do is book in for your consultation, you can do this easily online. If you’re not quite ready for that, it may be helpful to get to know our clinic better, you can learn more about us on our website or by following us on Facebook and Instagram.
When it comes to Botox, particularly Botox for frown lines, we must consider the chicken and the egg question. What does Botox have to do with chickens and eggs, you may ask? Well, it’s to do with the old question of which came first. The chicken or the egg?
You would think that your happiness is down to your mindset but it just so happens that scientific research points towards the opposite being true. Botox for frown lines has mood-boosting abilities and ridding ourselves of negative expressions, like scowling, can make us happier.
Coles recently proved this by combining data from 138 studies and over 11,000 participants. The results were exciting as they show that smiling more does actually make you happier, but also that scowling and frowning more will make you feel sadder.
Whatever your thoughts on this study are, it’s my opinion that they show how the mind and body interact to shape our feelings. Unsurprisingly, many factors have been shown to influence our emotions, so you may not be able to smile your way to happiness. However, I’ve witnessed something in my patients who get regular Botox treatments - they smile more and frown less!
Many of my patients have Botox for frown lines. As a result of treating this area, they aren’t able to frown fully, but that’s not to say that they can’t still move their muscles. A ‘frozen’ look would be quite strange - but they certainly can’t scowl anymore. Apart from boosting their confidence levels, this also seems to make them happier!
I did some digging and it seems that there is proof that Botox treatments may have other mood-altering effects. In particular, reducing anxiety levels and depression. There are several theories on why this happens and while none of them are proven, what is certain is that patients in these studies benefited from Botox for frown lines.
It seems that my patients are right - their treatments aren’t just for aesthetic purposes, but they also help to lift their mood and give them confidence in the things they do that matter so much to them. Socialising, going for a job interview or even a date night feels different when your mood is better. It’s simply sunshine in a vial!
Learn more about anti-wrinkle treatments here and if you’d like to get booked in for a consultation to discuss Botox for frown lines, simply fill out a contact form.
At No4 Clinic, we’re all about helping you to maintain a natural, youthful look so that you can be the very best version of yourself. We take the time to understand how to manage the ageing process on an individual basis through a treatment plan that is tailored specifically to your needs.
We hope to hear from you soon and can’t wait to help you on your journey to happiness and self-confidence!
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Are your botulinum toxin treatments safe? If you’re visiting my clinic, the answer to that question is most definitely yes! Whether you’re receiving Botox for migraines or wrinkles, you deserve the best possible treatment. Botulinum toxin has been used for many years and there is solid evidence to suggest that it’s a very safe and effective treatment.
But have you ever thought about where your practitioner is sourcing their botulinum toxin products from?
These days, it’s not unusual for individuals to reach out to me on social media claiming to offer cheap Botox for migraines, wrinkles and anything else you could think of! Naturally, these people aren’t offering treatments from brands that are approved by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, or MHRA.
This branch of the UK government is the equivalent of the FDA, an American organisation that you may already have heard of. This activity is highly illegal as botulinum toxin is strictly regulated in the UK, just as it is in several other countries. If you find yourself concerned about a supplier of botulinum toxin and you can’t establish the brands they’re using, there’s a strong chance they are not using reputable channels or products.
If you’re thinking about risking it with a dodgy dealer of Botox for migraines you may want to read some of these alarming facts about these unregulated products first…
Interpol, The International Criminal Police Organisation, has seen a sharp rise in counterfeit medication over the last few years and this includes Botox. If you didn’t already know, Botox is a prescription medication and cannot safely be administered by non-professionals. Yet, during lockdowns, many qualified practitioners weren’t able to administer non-essential treatments, which led to a number of desperate people looking elsewhere.
It became such a concern that Interpol created a ‘fake medicine’ page on their website to warn people about the dangers of receiving treatment with counterfeit products. Their website specifically mentions treatment for Covid-19, but their advice on how to spot those dealing in unsafe medication can easily be applied to Botox for migraines or wrinkles.
Such instances are likely to become increasingly common in the UK as in recent months, the government has deemed it illegal to administer Botox and fillers to people under the age of 18. Those who wish to work under the radar and provide such treatments to young people might be using products that have been “falsified or deliberately mislabelled”, according to Interpol. They have even found that some products they have seized have contained mercury, arsenic, rat poison and cement.
In a world looking to provide you with fake treatment for Botox for migraines and almost anything else you can think of, you need to find a practitioner you can trust.
Having questionable products injected into your skin and supporting criminal organisations isn’t how anyone wants to spend their time. The presence of these suppliers and their ability to manufacture medications that can seem incredibly convincing poses a much bigger problem - these products have the potential to reach NHS supply chains. If such a thing were to happen, it could harm countless individuals and that doesn’t bear thinking about.
But how do you know that the botulinum toxin being used is genuine? If you’re trying to find a practitioner who can provide you with fillers to enhance your lips, or Botox for migraines, you need to be sure that you’re choosing the right individual at a strictly regulated practice. Here are some signs to look for to ensure that’s the case:
Only Botox, Azzalure®, Dysport®, Bocouture® and Xeomin are licensed for use in the UK, if you see another brand name, then the product should not be used.
You have the right to ask for invoices to check that your clinic is ordering through the right channels, for instance I only order directly from well-known pharmaceutical companies. When it comes to wrinkle relaxing or Botox for migraines, I order from Allergan.
Your practitioner should be a prescriber, or they should be able to arrange a consultation with one. Aesthetic nurses are unable to prescribe medication such as Botox, but they are able to administer it. Any prescription medication needs to be signed off by someone with the correct qualifications.
So, if you want to refresh your look, it’s worth asking the right questions. If something feels off, take a step back. Has it all happened too quickly? Is the price too good to be true? There’s no harm in backing out, especially if you’re dealing with less than legitimate ‘practitioners’.
When you choose my clinic, you can be sure that my staff and I have the qualifications, skills and knowledge necessary to ensure you feel happier and more confident in your skin. My true passion is helping my patients and you could be one of them! I encourage all of my patients to ask questions, so please don’t feel shy!
You can contact me, or a member of my team, by filling out a form on our website, calling us on 07595221484 or emailing [email protected] today.
To keep in touch with us, don’t forget to follow our Instagram and Facebook accounts.
See you soon!
Did you know that the Botulinum toxin molecule (BoNT) is capable of much more than wrinkle reduction? Botulinum toxin injections are often referred to as Botox®, which is actually a registered trademark of Allergan Inc., a global pharmaceutical company.
Botulinum toxin itself is a purified substance derived from bacteria that has been used for decades to block nerve signals to the affected muscles in which it is injected. The result? Softened lines and wrinkles, and much happier individuals. More recently, Botulinum toxin has also been proven to help those who suffer with hyperhidrosis too. But it doesn’t end there...
Over the years, we have been so much in awe of its muscle-relaxing properties that we seem to have ignored many of Botulinum toxin’s other useful applications. Botulinum toxin is one of the most significant advances in dermatology the world has ever seen, and believe it or not, it was simply a happy accident.
Jean Carruthers, a relatively unknown ophthalmologist from Vancouver, Canada, was injecting her patients with BoNT to control their eye spasms, but when several of these people reported a reduction in their frown lines, she started to suspect she had discovered something revolutionary. The effects were so dramatic that she decided to treat herself, and she was blown away by the results!
Needless to say, back in 1987, Jean had no idea that her accidental discovery would result in millions of people feeling happier and more confident, even in 2022! Women in particular have benefited from Botox® treatments over the years, mainly due to the fact that their faces age differently to men’s. Female faces lose volume and structure much quicker, often making their faces appear sullen or angry, which means Botox® treatments are more effective over time. This is not to say that men do not get Botox®, they just tend to find it a necessity much later on in life. You can find out more about Jean Carruthers and her discovery here - happy reading!
Many people don’t know that BoNT can attach itself to almost any cell in your body and change how that cell works. Yes, really! As a result, it can do much more than just relax the muscles. Those in the aesthetics industry don’t simply tell their customers this to entice them, it has been scientifically proven to be the case. This is incredibly important because what happens at a cellular level allows us to understand the other uses of the BoNT molecule.
Do you want to keep your skin looking plump and youthful? Then Botulinum toxin might just be what you need. The BoNT molecule has been found to prevent collagen from breaking down, but the best news is that it actually helps your body to produce more. It’s something I see a lot in my practice, the patients who have Botox® on a regular basis have a glow about them. I call it ‘the BoNT glow’, now we know why!
There’s much more to this magical molecule too. BoNT has even proven to be effective when used for non-surgical facelifts in very diluted concentrations. Low levels of Botulinum toxin can be used at several different points across the entire face, causing the skin to shrink and tighten. Although we have been aware of this effect for a while, it has only been confirmed recently that Botulinum toxin can be used in this way to deliver spectacular results.
Two other unexpected conditions that can be treated with Botulinum toxin are acne and rosacea. In those with acne, the BoNT molecule is able to attach itself to the sebaceous glands, rendering them sluggish and unable to produce as much sebum as they normally do. This leads to smaller pores and a significant reduction in acne. We’re not yet sure as to how or why the BoNT molecule is able to treat rosacea, but it reduces the severity of facial flushing, which is welcome news for rosacea sufferers who may not have responded well to other treatment methods.
Personally, I have never treated my patients by focusing on their lines and wrinkles as singular features. I consider their faces as a whole and how I can help them to look their best, which is what any good aesthetician should do. I have used Botulinum toxin to treat those who suffer from a range of concerns. My patients have told me that following their treatments, they feel happier and more confident and you could be one of them too!
My name is Dr. Nichola Maasdorp and I’m a dentist with over 26 years of clinical experience, many of which I have spent specialising in medical aesthetics and skincare. My true passion is helping my patients feel amazing and this is often possible with the use of Botulinum toxin.
You can visit me, or a member of my team, at my clinic by filling out a form on our website, calling us on 07595221484 or emailing [email protected] today.
To keep in touch with us, don’t forget to follow our Instagram and Facebook accounts.
See you soon!
