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Muscle Relaxing Injections

Muscle relaxing injections are one of the most widely performed cosmetic treatments in the UK — and one of the most frequently done badly.
 
The difference between a natural result and an obviously treated one is not the product. It is the technique, the dose, and the understanding of how each individual patient’s muscles respond. A one-size-fits-all approach produces faces that look frozen in certain areas while moving normally in others — a result that does not restore youth, it simply replaces one problem with another.

Mr Matthew Potter has been performing muscle relaxing injections for over ten years. He originally used botulinum toxin within his NHS practice to restore facial symmetry and balance in patients with facial palsy — giving him a clinical understanding of facial muscle function that goes well beyond the cosmetic setting. Every patient he treats receives a tailored dose and injection pattern based on the visible and palpable activity of their underlying muscles, assessed at consultation. A two-week review is included to assess response and top up where needed.
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Why Mr Potter

10

years performing muscle relaxing injections

Originally used in NHS practice for facial palsy — deep clinical understanding of facial muscle function

Tailored dose and technique for every patient

Two-week review and top-up included

Novel forehead technique — movement maintained, lines reduced

PHIN

Patient satisfaction score: 99%

PHIN is an independent government audit of consultant patient outcomes, randomly sampling post-operative patients. A 99% satisfaction score places Mr Potter among the highest-rated plastic surgeons in the country.

Mr Potter's Approach

Tailored, not templated

Every patient has a different muscle pattern, different areas of concern, and a different threshold for how much movement they want to maintain. Mr Potter assesses the activity of the underlying muscles at consultation — both visually and by feel — before deciding on dose, placement, and technique. The result should look like a refreshed, balanced version of you — not a face that has clearly been treated.

Maintaining movement — the forehead

The forehead is where poorly administered muscle relaxing injections are most obvious. A smooth, immobile forehead with normal movement and expression around the eyes is a tell. Mr Potter specialises in a technique that reduces forehead lines while maintaining natural muscle movement — a more technically demanding approach that takes longer to administer but produces a significantly more natural result. It is often performed alongside conventional treatment to the crow’s feet and frown lines.

Hyperhidrosis — excessive sweating

Muscle relaxing injections are also effective for hyperhidrosis — excessive sweating, most commonly of the underarms. The same product that relaxes facial muscles blocks the nerve signals that trigger sweat glands, providing relief that typically lasts three to four months.

Muscle relaxing injections are administered using a very fine micro-needle in a clinic setting. The injection itself is minimally uncomfortable — most patients describe a slight sting similar to acupuncture. The first appointment takes up to an hour; repeat appointments are typically under 15 minutes.

Effects take three to fourteen days to develop fully. The results last approximately three months, after which the toxin gradually wears off and normal muscle activity returns. No permanent effects have been recorded in the medical literature.

Mr Potter reviews every patient two weeks after their primary treatment to assess response and top up where needed.
  • You can return to work immediately — any redness at the injection site settles within an hour
  • Do not massage the treated area for the rest of the day — this can spread the product to unintended areas
  • Avoid exercise, heavy lifting, straining and bending forward on the day of treatment — these increase the risk of bruising
  • Avoid attending for injections having just exercised — this also increases bruising risk
  • Makeup can be applied after the procedure but avoid rubbing or massaging the area
The risk profile for muscle relaxing injections is low. Effects are temporary — lasting approximately three months — so any unwanted outcome resolves naturally without long-term consequences.
Risks include:
  • Bruising — the most common side effect; minimised by Mr Potter’s technique using micro-needles and unhurried administration
  • Mild headache — uncommon; typically resolves within a day
  • Under or over-correction — addressed at the two-week review appointment, where Mr Potter will top up as needed
  • Asymmetry — rare; assessed and addressed at the two-week review
  • Eyelid weakness — weakness of the muscles that elevate or close the eyelid; has not occurred in Mr Potter’s patient series; temporary if it does
Contraindications — muscle relaxing injections are not appropriate for:
  • Patients with an allergy to albumin or eggs
  • Patients with muscular diseases or diseases of the nerves
  • Patients taking certain antibiotics — Mr Potter will discuss this at your first consultation

Frequently Asked Questions

How do muscle relaxing injections work?

Botulinum toxin acts at the nerve-muscle interface, temporarily preventing the muscle from contracting. When the muscles under the skin stop contracting, the overlying skin stops bunching — reducing the appearance of dynamic wrinkles. After approximately three months the toxin’s effect wears off naturally and normal muscle activity returns.

Not with Mr Potter’s approach. The aim is always a refreshed, balanced result that maintains natural facial expression. Mr Potter tailors the dose and placement specifically to each patient’s muscle pattern — avoiding the over-treated look that results from a blanket approach. His forehead technique specifically maintains movement while reducing lines.

Approximately three months. Effects then gradually wear off as the toxin’s action on the nerve decreases and normal muscle activity returns. There are no known permanent effects.

Yes. Mr Potter reviews every patient two weeks after their primary treatment to assess the response and top up where needed. This is included as standard.

Yes. Botulinum toxin injections into the underarms are an effective treatment for hyperhidrosis — excessive sweating. The product blocks the nerve signals that trigger sweat glands, typically providing three to four months of relief. Mr Potter has treated patients for this successfully.

Patients with an allergy to albumin or eggs, those with muscular or neurological diseases, and patients taking certain antibiotics should not have these injections. Mr Potter will discuss your medical history at your first consultation to confirm suitability.

At the Manor Hospital in Oxford, Ridgeway Hospital in Swindon, Stratum Clinic in Wootton Oxfordshire, ProDerm in Cheltenham, and Interface Business Park in Royal Wootton Bassett.

Book a Consultation

Contact us if you have any health concerns or are looking to get a consultation. You can contact Matthew Potter by using the form below or contact him through one of the available telephone numbers or email addresses listed on this page.

Private Secretary & All Correspondence

T. 07917 965717

Swindon - Ridgeway Hospital

T. 01793 814848

Cheltenham - ProDerm, Festival House

T. 0800 0489230

Oxfordshire - Stratum Clinic,
Wootton Business Park

T. 01865 320790

Wiltshire - Interface Business Park, Royal Wootton Bassett

T: 0808 2803560

Oxford - The Manor Hospital

T. 01865 307777

Contact Lissie on 07917 965717 or use the form below.