Botox by a dermatologist: precision starts with knowing the skin

Botox treatment by dermatologist Willeke Kamphof in Heemstede

For many people, wrinkles are one of the most frustrating parts of getting older. However many expensive anti-wrinkle creams you apply, sooner or later you will not escape frown lines or crow’s feet. Do the first lines and wrinkles on your face bother you? At my practice in Heemstede I treat these with botulinum toxin (‘botox’), which greatly reduces or even completely smooths away dynamic wrinkles (those caused by muscle movement, in other words facial expression).

How botulinum toxin works

Botulinum toxin is a natural protein of bacterial origin. Small doses are injected just beneath the skin, close to the muscles, to relax them. It specifically blocks the nerve impulse, so the muscles responsible for the excessive contractions that cause wrinkles are temporarily unable to tighten, or tighten far less. Other nerve functions, such as the sense of touch, are unaffected.

Where botox is used, including preventively

Every time you laugh, frown, concentrate or squint, your facial muscles contract and create lines and wrinkles in the skin above them. As you get older your skin loses its elasticity, and these creases can deepen until they are permanently etched into your face. Take the frown lines between the eyebrows: once pronounced, they can make you look angry or worried even when you are neither. There is also a case for preventive treatment: if you keep relaxing the facial muscles that would eventually cause the wrinkles, those wrinkles simply do not form.

When you notice results and how long they last

The first effect of botox on wrinkles becomes visible within around two to three days. The effect of the injections is always temporary. It usually lasts three to four months, and after several treatments sometimes longer. When the next treatment takes place depends on how long the effect lasts for you personally, and of course on whether you want it.

Many people associate botox with expressionless, unnatural faces. What I aim for is a natural, fresh and rested look. The intention is to improve your appearance without anyone being able to tell that a small procedure has taken place.

After the treatment

The treatment causes hardly any discomfort. Immediately afterwards you will often see a few small red marks at the injection sites. The treatment itself takes no more than a few minutes, and you can return to your normal activities very soon afterwards.

Botox brands: Azzalure, Alluzience and Relfydess

Botox is in fact a brand name; the active substance is botulinum toxin. Research shows that the approved botox brands do not differ significantly in effectiveness or safety. In my practice I use Dysport for medical indications and Azzalure, Alluzience and Relfydess for cosmetic ones. What matters most is how experienced the treating doctor is and how well they know the characteristics of a product, so that you are not in for any surprises.

Botox in Heemstede by dermatologist Willeke Kamphof

In the Netherlands, botox may only be administered by a doctor, or under a doctor’s direct supervision. In my practice I carry out every treatment myself, from the first consultation through to aftercare. A medical registration alone does not tell you enough: it proves that someone is a doctor, not that they have experience with botox or that their specialism is relevant to it. As a dermatologist I am trained in the structure of the skin and what lies beneath it, precisely the knowledge needed to inject safely and with a sense of proportion.

You can book a cosmetic consultation or a (follow-up) appointment online.