Botulinum Toxin — Anti-Wrinkle Injections

Botulinum toxin injections that temporarily relax specific facial muscles to smooth expression-driven wrinkles on the forehead, between the brows (glabella) and around the eyes (crow's feet). At Estetické centrum Praha the treatment is performed exclusively by MUDr. Renata Handlová, whose background as a hospital ophthalmologist gives her exceptional anatomical knowledge of the periocular musculature — arguably the most technically demanding area for botulotoxin application. The injections take under 15 minutes; full effect appears within one week and lasts three to four months, extending with regular repetition.

Botulinum toxin works by blocking the neuromuscular junction: a precisely measured dose inhibits the release of acetylcholine at the nerve terminal, preventing the targeted muscle from contracting. When the muscle beneath a wrinkle is relaxed, the overlying skin stops being folded thousands of times a day with each facial expression — and the crease gradually softens. The effect is dose-dependent and reversible: as the nerve terminal regenerates its receptor sites over three to four months, full muscle activity gradually returns. At Estetické centrum Praha the procedure begins with MUDr. Renata Handlová mapping the patient's facial dynamics — how the brow engages, where the frown forms, the extent and character of periocular wrinkling at different expressions. This movement analysis, combined with her years of ophthalmic anatomy training, guides exactly where and how deeply each injection is placed. The frontalis muscle produces horizontal forehead lines; the corrugators and procerus produce the glabellar 'eleven' lines between the brows; the orbicularis oculi produces crow's feet radiating from the outer corners of the eyes. Each muscle group requires a different depth, injection point configuration and dosage. Using ultra-fine needles, the injections themselves are completed in under fifteen minutes. Patients are advised to remain upright for four to five hours post-treatment, to avoid strenuous physical activity and saunas for two days, and to refrain from facial massage or pressure to the injected areas for one week — all measures to prevent unintended product migration. The onset of effect is visible within two to three days, reaching its full expression at seven days. The clinic uses established botulinum toxin products (Botox from Allergan and Dysport from Ipsen), both of which MUDr. Handlová is certified to administer. She holds Allergan product certification and has attended international aesthetic medicine congresses including AMWC Monaco and IMCAS Paris where injectable technique is a core curriculum. Contraindications include pregnancy and breastfeeding, active neuromuscular disease (myasthenia gravis, Lambert-Eaton syndrome), eyelid ptosis, acute febrile illness, concurrent use of aminoglycoside antibiotics or D-penicillamine, and general anaesthesia within the preceding week. These are reviewed at consultation. The treatment is self-pay only; no health insurance is accepted.