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Botulinum toxin (Botox)
Botulinum toxin injections relax the small muscles that create frown lines, forehead lines and crow's feet, smoothing the skin above them for three to four months.
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Skin and non-surgicalNon-surgical treatments soften lines, restore volume and improve skin texture without incisions or general anaesthesia. Botulinum toxin relaxes the muscles that fold the skin, dermal fillers and fat replace lost volume, threads give a modest lift, and lasers, peels and scar revision resurface damaged skin. Most take under an hour in an outpatient clinic, with downtime from none to two weeks, and results last from four months to several years depending on the treatment.
5 procedures
Every page is written from clinical sources and reviewed by a plastic surgeon: techniques, honest risk figures, recovery timelines and verified prices.
Botulinum toxin injections relax the small muscles that create frown lines, forehead lines and crow's feet, smoothing the skin above them for three to four months.
A chemical peel applies an acid solution to remove damaged outer layers of skin and stimulate new, smoother skin.
Dermal fillers are injectable gels, usually hyaluronic acid, that restore lost volume in the cheeks, temples and under-eyes, define the lips, jawline and chin, or soften…
Laser skin resurfacing removes or heats controlled columns of skin to smooth fine lines, sun damage, acne scars and uneven pigmentation and to tighten the surface.
A thread lift places dissolvable barbed or cone-studded sutures under the skin of the cheeks, jawline or brow to reposition sagging tissue slightly and stimulate collage…
Anaesthesia, operating time, hospital stay, downtime and the earliest safe day to fly home, side by side.
| 5 procedures | Anaesthesia | Operation time | Hospital stay | Time off work | Before flying home | Results visible |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Botulinum toxin (Botox) | Local | 10–20 min | 0 nights | 0 days | 0 days | 3-5 days (peak 2 weeks) |
| Chemical peel | Local / Local with sedation | 15–60 min | 0 nights | 5 days | 2 days | 1-2 weeks |
| Dermal fillers | Local | 20–45 min | 0 nights | 0 days | 1 day | Immediately |
| Laser skin resurfacing | Local / Local with sedation | 30–90 min | 0 nights | 7 days | 3 days | 2-4 weeks |
| Thread lift | Local | 30–60 min | 0 nights | 2 days | 2 days | Immediately (settles over 2 weeks) |
Non-surgical treatments soften lines, restore volume and improve skin texture without incisions or general anaesthesia. Botulinum toxin, dermal fillers, thread lifts, laser resurfacing, chemical peels and scar revision are usually done in an outpatient session, sometimes alongside surgery during the same trip.
Each works on a different layer. Toxin acts on muscle, so it treats lines caused by expression: frown lines, crow’s feet, forehead lines. Fillers and fat act on volume, so they treat hollows and folds. Lasers and peels act on the skin surface, so they treat sun damage, pigmentation, fine lines and scars. Threads pull on the deeper skin for a modest, temporary lift.
Because they are quick, they are often sold with little explanation. The pages below describe what each treatment can and cannot achieve, how long results last, the complications that occur, and why practitioner qualifications matter as much for injectables as for surgery.
Start from what bothers you, not from a procedure name. A consultation confirms the choice.
Frown lines, crow’s feet or forehead lines that appear with expression
Lines etched into the skin at rest need resurfacing or filler as well.
Hollow cheeks, deep folds beside the nose, thin lips or dark hollows under the eyes
Fillers are reversible and last around a year; fat grafting is a small operation with lasting results.
Sun damage, fine lines, uneven tone or enlarged pores
Depth decides both the result and the downtime.
Mild sagging of the mid-face or jawline without loose skin
Threads suit early changes; visible loose skin needs a facelift.
A raised, wide, depressed or tethered scar
Surgical revision reshapes the scar; lasers improve colour and texture.
Combining operations saves a second anaesthetic and a second trip but lengthens surgery and recovery. Surgeons set limits on total operating time.
The common “liquid facelift”: muscle relaxation for lines with volume for hollows, done in one visit with no downtime.
A lift repositions tissue but does not improve skin quality; a peel or laser treats the surface, sometimes in the same operation on undisturbed skin.
Threads reposition slightly while filler restores the volume that made the sagging visible.
Non-surgical does not mean risk-free. Toxin can spread to neighbouring muscles and cause a drooping eyelid or brow for weeks. Fillers can cause lumps, asymmetry, prolonged swelling, infection and, rarely, blockage of an artery with skin loss or blindness, which is why injectors must know the anatomy and keep the enzyme that dissolves hyaluronic acid to hand. Lasers and peels can cause burns, scarring and lasting pigment change, especially in darker skin, and threads can be visible, palpable or break.
Injectables and energy devices should be performed by a doctor, dentist or registered nurse with formal training in facial anatomy, in a clinic that stocks hyaluronidase and has a protocol for vascular complications. Ask which brand and batch of product will be used, whether it is licensed, and how many treatments the practitioner performs each week. For lasers and peels, ask about experience with your skin type and to see healed results, not treatment-day photographs.
Toxin and fillers need no recovery, so they fit into any trip; avoid alcohol, heat and exercise for a day and do not fly within a few hours of filler if you can help it. Threads bring a week of swelling and tenderness. Medium peels and fractional lasers need five to seven days of peeling, and deep resurfacing ten to fourteen days with strict wound care, so plan the stay around the downtime, not the treatment time.
Sun exposure is the enemy of every resurfacing treatment: book outside summer, bring a high-factor sunscreen and a hat, and expect to avoid the sun for weeks after you return. Keep the record of what was injected where; a future practitioner will need it.
Botulinum toxin three to four months, hyaluronic acid fillers nine to eighteen months depending on the area, threads twelve to eighteen months, and resurfacing years if the skin is protected from the sun. Fat grafting is long-lasting for the fat that survives.
The product matters less than the injector. Choose a medically qualified practitioner trained in facial anatomy, in a clinic that stocks hyaluronidase to dissolve filler if a vessel is blocked. Ask for the brand and batch number and keep them.
They improve lines, volume and skin quality and can delay surgery, but they cannot remove loose skin or reposition sagging tissue. Threads give a modest lift for about a year. Once skin is visibly loose, a facelift gives a better and longer-lasting result.
Yes. Toxin and fillers are often given at the end of a surgical trip once swelling allows, and resurfacing can be done during surgery on skin that is not being lifted. Your surgeon will sequence them.
None for toxin and most fillers beyond bruising, a week for threads, five to seven days for medium peels and fractional lasers, and ten to fourteen days for deep resurfacing.
American Society of Plastic Surgeons2024Professional society
U.S. Food and Drug Administration2023Regulator
NHS2024Regulator
International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery2024Professional society
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