Step 1Consultation
A qualified prescribing clinician discusses your concerns, goals and medical history, and examines the area.
What is Botox®?
Botox® is the brand name of a botulinum toxin type A medicine made by AbbVie (Allergan). It is a prescription-only medicine given by injection into specific muscles.
Its doses are measured in Allergan Units. These units are specific to Botox® and are not interchangeable with the units of other botulinum toxin products.
How does it work?
Botulinum toxin type A temporarily blocks the nerve signals that cause the injected muscle to contract. This reduces the muscle movement that creates certain lines. The effect wears off over time as nerve function returns, so it is not permanent.
Licensed Uses in the UK
- Moderate to severe frown lines between the eyebrows (glabellar lines), seen at maximum frown
- Moderate to severe crow's feet (lateral canthal lines), seen at maximum smile
- Moderate to severe forehead lines, seen at maximum eyebrow raise
- Moderate to severe neck bands (platysma prominence), seen at maximum contraction
- For these four uses: adults only, when the severity of the lines has an important psychological impact
- Also licensed for several medical conditions, including severe underarm sweating (axillary hyperhidrosis) not controlled by antiperspirants, chronic migraine prevention, certain muscle spasm conditions and some bladder conditions
What to Expect During Your Visit?
Step 2Prescribing assessment
Your clinician explains the potential benefits, risks, limitations and alternatives, and decides whether any prescription treatment is appropriate for you. You are under no obligation to proceed.
Step 3Review and aftercare
If treatment goes ahead, you receive written aftercare advice and a review is arranged. Contact the clinic, or seek urgent medical help, if you have any of the symptoms listed under risks.
Limitations and Risks
Limitations. Effects are temporary and repeat treatment is needed to maintain them. For facial lines, treatments should not be given more often than every 3 months, and the safety and effectiveness of repeated treatment beyond 12 months has not been studied. Information for people over 65 is limited. Use outside the licensed indications is called off-label use, and your clinician will tell you if this applies.
Common side effects (up to 1 in 10 people) for facial lines include headache, drooping of the eyelid or eyebrow, injection-site bruising, swelling, pain or redness, tingling, nausea, a feeling of skin tightness and a raised outer eyebrow. Most occur in the first few days.
The effect of the toxin can spread beyond the injection site. This can cause muscle weakness, difficulty swallowing, speaking or breathing, which can be serious. Symptoms can appear hours to weeks after injection. Seek medical help straight away if they occur. Serious allergic reactions have also been reported.
Information based on the UK Summary of Product Characteristics for BOTOX® 50 Allergan Units (AbbVie Ltd), text revised 15 May 2026. Read the SmPC on the electronic medicines compendium. This page does not replace the patient information leaflet or advice from your prescriber.
Frequently Asked Questions
Botox® must not be used if you are allergic to botulinum toxin type A or any ingredient, or if you have an infection at the injection site. Extra caution, and specialist assessment, is needed if you have a condition affecting the nerves and muscles (such as myasthenia gravis, Lambert-Eaton syndrome, motor neurone disease or motor neuropathy), or a history of difficulty swallowing or inhaling food or liquid. Tell your clinician about all medicines you take, including blood thinners and antibiotics.
No. Botox® is not recommended during pregnancy or for women who could become pregnant and are not using contraception, and its use while breastfeeding cannot be recommended.
Seek medical help straight away if you have difficulty swallowing, speaking or breathing, generalised muscle weakness, or signs of a severe allergic reaction such as swelling of the face or throat, wheezing or a rash. Contact the clinic about any other side effect that worries you.
No. Each botulinum toxin product is a separate medicine with its own licence, dosing units and product information. Doses cannot be converted directly between products.
