Gateway To The Soul – Botox® For The Eyes

Let’s start with what “botox for the eyes” actually is.

Botox^® is a brand name for Botulinum Toxin A, a muscle relaxant. Relaxing the muscles to the sides of our eyes and even under them smooths out our wrinkles! These wrinkles often known as laugh lines or crow’s feet are usually not present in youth, they appear later in life and deepen as time goes on. Even as early as our late 20s, these lines can become present at rest – this means they are permanently on our face! The more movement you make, the deeper these lines become and eventually become etched on our face – almost as if our skin has a memory for them.

What do these lines mean to us?

Well, some people like the lines around their eyes as they feel it adds character, and that it shows that they have done a lot of laughing in their time. This is great and at Unndoo we are very encouraging of those of you who want to remain natural. But often what isn’t understood is that if you like these lines in your 30s, you may not like them in your 40s, 50s or 60s. This is because they won’t look like they did in your 30s anymore, they will deepen and lengthen! Often attitudes towards the ageing process can change too. While those blessed with youthful looks in their late 20s may welcome some lines appearing in their 30s, so that they feel they are taken more seriously, they may not appreciate them as they grow older and want to look younger again!

General attitudes, however, are that lines equal age, and no matter what spin you put on it, the vast majority of us would prefer to be told that we look 10 years younger, rather than 10 years older.

Lines around our eyes also can affect our appearance in other ways. The creasing and folding of the skin for some can give the appearance that our eyes are getting smaller with time. For some, the skin can eventually even impinge on our upper and lower eyelids, giving us a smaller field of vision!

These lines can be an issue for those of us who like to wear make-up. I’m sure everyone knows the frustration of leaving the house with a perfect face of make-up, every wrinkle masked, only to look in the mirror later on and see that awful accumulation of foundation settled in every line, highlighting them even more so.

The eyes are the first thing that someone will likely notice about you when they meet you for the first time. A lot of information is automatically gathered in the brain about a person upon this first impression, and this is why the eyes are often called the gateway to the soul.

So, if you’re in your 20s you might be reading this and thinking right I’m going to keep my face still for the rest of my life now – but it’s not that simple. Movement around our eyes is usually uncontrollable – if your friend makes a hilarious joke, you laugh. You can’t hold it in, and you can’t only move your mouth! The muscles that control your lips also pull the skin under and around our eyes. So stifling isn’t an option, but neither is never laughing again! You’ll just frown more often, and then you’ll need to read Dr Emma Still’s blog on forehead and frown lines. Plus, it isn’t just major emotions that cause facial movements. Concentration, a small hello at someone, chewing our food etc all make our face move and contribute to our eye wrinkles. If you filmed your face all day you would be surprised at how many times you see those lines around your eyes appear or deepen.

So, what can we do about this? The life changing experience that is Botox^® for the eyes may be the answer.

For those who are yet to see the static (when your face is at rest) lines around their eyes, we can start with small doses to stop the lines from forming and increasing, and these can be placed with long intervals between them such as 6 – 12 months. If you are static line free but don’t like the lines that appear on big movements, we can increase doses to 3 – 6-month intervals.

For those with mild static lines already present, multiple Botox® doses spread out at 3 – 6-month intervals will eliminate most of the lines if not all of them – you may be lucky and even one dose is enough! But remember when Botox® wears off you will start making movements again and then lines will eventually creep back. So, what about those who have developed very deep severe wrinkles at rest? If they are already there then surely limiting muscle movement won’t matter? This is not the case. With larger doses at regular intervals, firstly the wrinkles will stop worsening but secondly, Botox^® will iron them out. Even if they don’t disappear completely, the improvement is still immense after multiple doses.

But why would we want to stop emotion in our face if eyes are the gateway to the soul? ‘Frozen face’ Botox^® as it is often called, can be performed. Some people will specifically request this look, and it means exactly what it says – your face appears “frozen”. However, as I say this is just one option. At Unndoo your specific needs and wants will always be taken into account and a treatment plan tailored to you. For me personally, no plan is ever the same, and whilst I can make suggestions if you would like them, it is of the utmost importance to me that I understand exactly what your aims are so that together we can work towards your desired look. Most people will request a more natural look, and this is easily achieved by lowering doses. This can improve lines, even eliminate them in time, without meaning that you can’t move your face for 3 to 6 months. For more on this see Dr Hollie Harris’ blog on baby Botox^®.

What about the cost?

With Botox being such a miracle product, it comes with a price tag. At Unndoo your Botox® will only be provided by fully medically qualified and insured practitioners. This is why the price is higher than a high street salon. Most people aren’t aware that Botox® is a prescription medication that needs to be prescribed by a doctor, dentist or pharmacist – i.e. someone that can fully understand whether this medication is correct and safe for you. It should also only be carried out by someone who could confidently recognise and handle an allergic reaction. You’ll be pleased to know this is extremely rare.

You might still think Botox® is unaffordable for you. This is why we offer a consultation (which can be redeemable against your treatment) in order for us to tailor a plan that is specifically for you. Botox^® for the eyes counts as one area and this is charged at £195. On average you will need this repeated in 4 months. This totals at £585 per year or £49 a month. Many of us are willing to spend far more than this on our hair and nails or the dress we never wear. If our eyes are the gateway to the soul, Botox^® holds the key!

Blog Post by Dr Sophie Mcgery

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