Botulinum toxin for expression lines
I am Dr. Luis Alberto Parra. In this video I tell you everything you need to know about botulinum toxin, clearly and honestly, hiding nothing from you. That way you decide with information.
Botulinum toxin, clearly and hiding nothing
With Dr. Luis Alberto Parra · Barranquilla
If you want to afterwards, you can book your consultation with me on WhatsApp, depending on schedule availability.
- More than 18 years of experience in aesthetic medicine
- More than 5,000 patients treated successfully
- More than 20 articles published in scientific journals, together with my colleagues
- Founder and president of the International Society of Non-Surgical Facial Rejuvenation, with more than 2,800 physicians from Latin America
- I teach other physicians to perform these procedures
You want to look good, without anyone noticing you had something done
Maybe you notice the lines on your forehead in photos. You know someone who had toxin and looked great, and someone else who ended up with a stiff face. You searched online and came away with more questions than answers.
Here I answer you as clearly as I would in my office. And I want you to keep one thing in mind from the start: you do not need toxin just because you have an expression line.
- 1
"How much does toxin cost?"
There is a price range my team can share with you if you get in touch with us. It is a guide price that may vary depending on your face and your case. I do not charge per unit.
- 2
"Won’t it make my face look strange?"
Applied well, no. Looking natural is my priority. Besides, it is not a filler that changes contours or shapes.
- 3
"How long does the effect last?"
In most people, about 4 months. However, it can be different for each patient: for some it lasts a few months less, and for others a few months more. Most often it is 3 to 4 months.
- 4
"What happens when the effect wears off?"
Absolutely nothing: you go back to how you were, neither better nor worse.
- 5
"How do I know if I need it, and how much should I get?"
I help you with that at the consultation: I tell you whether you need it and how much. It may also turn out that you do not need it, and if so, I will tell you.
Botulinum toxin in medicine
Botulinum toxin is the active ingredient of a medication. It is used in many areas of medicine: in neurology, to treat migraines; in urology, to treat urinary incontinence. And it is used in patients of all ages, even children.
In aesthetics it has been used for more than 30 years, successfully and safely.
How toxin works
Imagine your skin is a sheet of paper. If you fold it once, it opens up practically smooth. If you fold it many times in the same place, the crease starts to show.
Something similar happens with skin. Every time you frown, raise your eyebrows or smile, your muscles move the skin, and over the years some lines become more visible.
Toxin softens those movements. Applied well, you still make all your expressions, but with less force, and those lines show less.
What botulinum toxin does not do
Before telling you what it does, I tell you what it does not do.
- It is not a filler. If you have a very deep fold or hollow, it may need another treatment, such as hyaluronic acid or other options we look at in the office.
- It does not poison you just because it is called a toxin. It is a medication that relaxes only the muscles where I apply it.
- It is not permanent. Its effect is temporary.
- It is not immediate. It starts to show around day three.
- It does not create dependence. If one day you decide to stop, nothing happens.
How the effect unfolds
From the peak, the effect fades very slowly until it disappears, and you go back exactly to how you were.
How long it lasts varies from person to person, as with any medication. It tends to last longer in women than in men, and it may last less in people who do a lot of sport or exercise. So as not to leave you without a concrete answer: according to studies and to what I see in my practice, in most people it lasts about 4 months. For some it lasts less, for others more.
Questions I hear in consultation
These are the ones I am asked most. Maybe you are already thinking of one of them.
"Doctor, will my face look frozen?"
The answer is no. My way of applying it is designed precisely to prevent that. Whether one person ends up like that and another does not depends on how it is applied, and that is decided by whoever applies it. Looking natural is my priority. If you like the frozen look, I am not the doctor for you. I will not do it even if you ask, and I would rather you know that before you come.
"What happens if one day I decide to stop?"
Absolutely nothing. You go back to your original state, neither better nor worse than before the treatment, and you will not have any dependence. You decide whether to repeat it or not, and I support you either way.
"Is it safe?"
It is perhaps the safest of all injectable treatments, and its results are not permanent. As for the result, the worst that can happen is that you do not like it: that is changed at the next application, or you can choose not to have it again.
"Does it hurt?"
Very little. My patients tell me waxing hurts much more. Besides, the procedure is short. In these 18 years I have learned which needles to use so you barely feel it: I use the thinnest ones available, and the way I move my hands also affects what you feel. If it feels too uncomfortable, we stop right then. Nothing is done by force.
"Will everyone notice?"
Yes and no. My patients tell me: "doctor, I want it to show, but not show". And that is exactly what I achieve. Will you look better? Without a doubt. Will people notice you look more rested and with fewer lines? Without a doubt. Most likely they will tell you that you look great, or ask whether you are exercising more or eating better. That you had toxin should not be obvious. And what you had done stays between you and me, in the office.
"Can I choose how many units I get?"
No. That is my part. I decide the dose using international treatment guidelines and what I see works best for you, and using less than needed only makes the effect shorter. We can talk about what you want and what you do not want, and I adjust the treatment to that. That is why in my practice toxin is not charged per unit: it is not a self-service sale, it is a medical treatment.
"Does it have side effects?"
Yes, like any medical treatment. The only way to take no risk at all is to have nothing done, and that is also a valid decision that I support. With toxin they are usually mild and temporary: a bruise, mild swelling or a mild headache. Less often, a drooping eyelid or asymmetry may occur, and there are other, rarer ones. In consultation I explain each possibility to you, hiding nothing. And no doctor can guarantee you a result.
No obligation to have anything done.
Patients from my practice
I publish these photos with my patients’ permission. Every face responds differently, so they do not show how it will turn out for you.
- The lines on your forehead, between your brows or around your eyes bother you.
- You want to look good without anyone noticing you had something done.
- You have never had toxin and want to understand it before deciding.
- You prefer me to assess you and tell you what you need, and also what you do not.
- You like the frozen look.
- You are looking for a price per unit, or you have already decided how many units and where.
- You want to correct toxin that was applied somewhere else.
- You are pregnant or breastfeeding, or you are under 18.
- You had toxin recently and still have the effect.
What our patients say
What my patients in Barranquilla tell me, shared with their permission and translated from Spanish. Every face is different, and what happened to one person does not say what will happen to you.
"Nobody noticed. A week later my mom saw me and said: 'son, you look really good'."
"At the office they just tell me I always look perfect and that the years don’t show."
"I loved the result. Now I enjoy wearing makeup more."
Dr. Luis Alberto Parra
I am an aesthetic physician with more than 18 years of experience, and I teach other physicians to perform these procedures. I founded a research group in aesthetics and, together with my colleagues, we have more than 20 articles published in scientific journals. I also founded and preside over the International Society of Non-Surgical Facial Rejuvenation, which today brings together more than 2,800 physicians from Latin America.
My role is not to create needs or insecurities in you. It is to support you in your decisions and give you the information you need to make them.
A consultation with me
I invite you to a consultation. I examine your face, also with a facial scanner, we answer your questions and I explain what options you have.
I want this to be clear before you pay for it: paying for the consultation does not mean we will necessarily do a treatment. If I think you do not need it yet, I will tell you. Sometimes the answer is no, sometimes surgery suits you better, and if I find a contraindication, I will not apply it either. I would rather you come with clear expectations.
- Cost
- COP 280,000. You are seen by me, and it takes about 30 minutes.
- Credit
- If you have the treatment that same day or within the following 8 days, the COP 280,000 is credited toward it.
Carolina, from my team, will reply.
Before you book
How long is the appointment?
About 40 minutes from arrival to departure, with your follow-up appointment already booked.
Can I go back to work the same day?
Yes, with no problem.
Should I avoid anything before the appointment?
For 3 to 7 days before, avoid aspirin, anti-inflammatories and supplements such as omega or vitamins, because they make bruising more likely. And at the consultation, tell me everything you take and the treatments you have had.
What care do I need that day?
That day, do not wear makeup, do not exercise, do not drink alcohol, and do not go into a pool, lake or the sea. Do not massage or touch the treated areas, and do not lie down to sleep until 4 hours have passed.
Is there a follow-up?
Yes, at about 20 days. Before then the result cannot be assessed yet. In some cases, I make small adjustments at that visit.
Could it have no effect on me?
It can happen. There are documented cases of people who are resistant to the medication, and resistance can also appear when it is repeated before 3 months. That is why I do not repeat it before then.
How to book
WhatsApp
Write to my team with the button. Carolina replies, not a bot, during office hours.
Dates
She confirms the cost of the consultation and the dates, depending on schedule availability.
Consultation
I examine your face and we decide together. No pressure and no packages.
You decide, with all the information
Watch the video calmly. Whenever you want, book your consultation with me on WhatsApp.
Carolina, from my team, will reply.
This page is for information only. It does not replace a medical consultation or guarantee results: every face responds differently.