What Are Anti-Wrinkle Injections?

Anti-wrinkle injections (commonly known by the brand name Botox) use botulinum toxin — a prescription-only medicine that has been used safely in clinical practice for decades — to temporarily relax targeted muscles, softening the fine lines and wrinkles caused by repeated facial movement. “Botox” itself is a brand name for a toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum; while other brands exist, Botox is often used as the generic term, since it was the first injectable botulinum toxin brought to market.

Repeated muscle contraction is one of the causes of visible lines on the face. Botulinum toxin works by temporarily blocking the nerve signals that tell a muscle to contract, so the treated muscle relaxes rather than continuing to crease the skin above it. Depending on the area and dose, effects typically last from 3 to 6 months, and several areas can often be treated in a single session.

As a prescription-only medicine, treatment always begins with prescribing. At Eva Clinic, Anna, our Nurse Prescriber, carries out your prescribing consultation to assess suitability and authorise your treatment. Eva, who holds a Level 7 ProQual Diploma in Aesthetics, then administers your injections and leads your ongoing treatment planning — including how anti-wrinkle injections might fit alongside any collagen-stimulating treatments you’re considering.

Treatment Areas We Offer

Frown Lines, Forehead & Crow’s Feet The classic starting point for most clients — softening the vertical lines between the brows (glabella), horizontal forehead lines, and the fine lines that form at the outer corners of the eyes when smiling. Carefully placed injections around the brow can also create a subtle brow lift, gently opening up the eye area. These areas respond predictably well to treatment and are often where clients begin before considering additional areas.

Nefertiti Lift (Neck & Jawline) Named after the elegant, defined jawline of the Egyptian queen, the Nefertiti Lift targets the platysma — the thin, sheet-like muscle running down the neck that can pull the jawline downward as it becomes more active with age. By relaxing this downward pull, the technique allows the muscles that naturally lift the face to become more dominant, creating a subtly more defined jawline and smoother neck without surgery. Results are typically noticeable within 3–14 days and generally last 3–4 months.

DAO / Downturned Mouth Corners The depressor anguli oris (DAO) muscles sit at each corner of the mouth and, when overactive, can pull the corners downward — contributing to a “sad” or stern resting expression and the appearance of marionette lines running toward the chin. Targeted injections relax this specific muscle, allowing the corners of the mouth to sit in a more neutral, naturally uplifted position.

Masseter (Jaw Slimming & TMJ/Bruxism Relief) The masseter muscles — the powerful chewing muscles along the jaw — can become enlarged through habitual clenching, teeth grinding (bruxism), or simply genetics, creating a square or bulky lower face. This treatment offers a genuine dual benefit: cosmetically, it can create a slimmer, more contoured jawline as the muscle gradually reduces in size over several weeks; therapeutically, many clients also experience real relief from jaw tension, clenching, teeth-grinding-related headaches, and TMJ discomfort — often without having originally sought treatment for that reason.

Trapezius — “Barbie Botox” (Shoulder & Neck Slimming) Injections into the trapezius muscles at the top of the shoulders can help reduce their bulk, creating a longer-looking neck and a more sloped, refined shoulder line — the effect behind the popular “Barbie Botox” nickname. It can also help ease tension held in the upper trapezius from stress or posture.

Hyperhidrosis (Excessive Sweating) Botulinum toxin is also a well-recognised treatment for excessive sweating, most commonly in the underarms, though it can be used on the palms and soles too. It works by blocking the nerve signals that activate sweat glands in the treated area, offering meaningful relief for clients whose sweating goes beyond what antiperspirants can manage.

Who Is a Good Candidate — and What Age Should You Start?

There’s no single “right age” to start anti-wrinkle injections — the honest answer depends on your individual skin, muscle activity, and what you’re hoping to achieve, not a number on a calendar. A few things worth knowing:

• “Preventative” or “baby Botox” — using smaller doses earlier, often in the late 20s to early 30s, to soften expression lines before they become permanently etched — has become increasingly popular. It’s worth being realistic about the evidence here: there isn’t robust clinical proof that treatment prevents wrinkles from ever forming, only that softening muscle movement can reduce how pronounced developing lines become over time. Most practitioners wouldn’t recommend treatment purely as prevention before around 25, without a specific reason for doing so earlier.
• For established lines, treatment can genuinely soften fine lines and wrinkles at any adult age, with good, natural-looking results achievable well into your 50s, 60s and beyond.
• The best candidates are adults in good general health, without certain neuromuscular conditions, who have realistic expectations about a natural, subtle result rather than a completely “frozen” appearance.

The right starting point — and the right areas — is genuinely something to discuss at your prescribing consultation with Anna and treatment planning with Eva, rather than decide from a website alone.

Combining Anti-Wrinkle Injections with Collagen-Stimulating Treatments

Anti-wrinkle injections and collagen-stimulating treatments work through different mechanisms, which is exactly why combining them can be so effective: injections relax the muscle movement that creates dynamic lines, while treatments like microneedling, Fotona 4D, or biostimulator treatments work on the skin’s structure itself — stimulating new collagen for firmer, better-quality skin. Used together as part of a considered plan, this can address both the cause of expression lines and the skin’s overall quality, rather than just one or the other.

Timing matters: when combining anti-wrinkle injections with microneedling or laser treatments in the same visit, a short gap is typically recommended between the two; when done as separate sessions, spacing them roughly 1–2 weeks apart is a commonly used approach, allowing each treatment’s effects to properly establish. Your exact combination and sequencing will be planned specifically for you by Eva.

What to Expect: Your Consultation & Treatment

Every anti-wrinkle treatment begins with a prescribing consultation with Anna, our Nurse Prescriber, reviewing your medical history and confirming treatment is suitable and safe for you. Eva then carries out your treatment, discussing your goals, assessing the muscles relevant to your chosen areas, and administering injections using a fine needle with minimal discomfort. There’s no downtime, though we’ll talk through simple aftercare guidance (avoiding strenuous exercise, lying flat, or touching the treated area for a few hours) before you leave. Results typically develop over 3–14 days depending on the area treated, and generally last 3–4 months.