Your Guide to Botox: How It Works & What to Expect

We’ve put together a simple guide to how Botox works and what you can expect after your appointment.

How does Botox work?
Botox is a purified protein that works by temporarily relaxing specific facial muscles. It does this by blocking the nerve signals that tell the muscle to contract. When the muscle contracts less strongly, the overlying skin softens — smoothing existing lines and helping to prevent them from deepening over time.

It doesn’t “freeze” your face — when performed precisely, it simply reduces excessive movement while maintaining natural expression.

When will I see results?
Results don’t appear immediately. Most patients begin to notice softening from day 3–5, with full results developing around day 10–14.

Why do we review and top up at 2–4 weeks?
Botox settles gradually. At your review appointment (typically 2–4 weeks after treatment), we assess how your muscles have responded. Occasionally, a small adjustment is needed to refine symmetry or optimise movement. This isn’t because something has gone wrong — it is simply part of precision treatment. Every individual responds slightly differently, and the review allows us to tailor the result precisely to you.

Why can results vary?
No two patients will have exactly the same experience — and even for the same patient, results can vary slightly from one treatment to the next.

A simple way to understand this is to think about alcohol: you might have one drink on one occasion and barely feel tipsy, yet have the exact same drink on another day and feel it go straight to your head. Your body’s response changes depending on sleep, stress, hormones, health, and many other variables. Botox works in a similarly individual way.

Both onset and longevity are influenced by multiple factors, including:

• Individual metabolism
• Muscle strength and movement patterns
• Exercise levels (very high-intensity training can shorten duration)
• Stress levels and elevated cortisol
• Lack of sleep
• Sun exposure
• Heat exposure (such as saunas, steam rooms, frequent hot yoga)
• Smoking
• Certain medications
• Hormonal fluctuations (particularly in women)
• General health — including if your body is fighting a virus or you are feeling run down
• Previous treatment history

Because Botox works at a neuromuscular level, anything affecting your nervous system, immune response, or overall physiology can subtly influence how quickly it works and how long it lasts.

On average, results last 3–4 months. Some patients metabolise Botox more quickly, while others find longevity improves over time with consistent, well-timed treatments.

For optimal results, we recommend maintaining a regular treatment schedule rather than waiting for full movement to fully return.

We hope this helps, as always we are here to anwser any questions you may have.

The Derma Clinic Kent