Baby Botox is the entryway to injectables – but is the €300 treatment worth it?

With that in mind, I decided to give so-called ‘Baby Botox’ a go and track the journey. 

I went to a Sisu Clinic because of their hell-bent nature on regulation in the aesthetics industry — at present, terrifyingly, anyone could inject you with filler if they have a needle and a dream — meaning that everyone in their clinics is a fully trained medic.

What is Baby Botox?

First of all, a marketing term. Baby Botox is Botox, just a smaller dose than you might have gotten traditionally. It’s not watered down, like some people think.

Both treatments use the same strength of botulinum toxin, but a far more delicate approach is taken when it comes to administering Baby Botox to ensure the non-frozen look.

According to Sisu’s medical director Dr Oisín Browne, Baby Botox contains between 60-70% of the amount of Botox one might get compared to a normal course of it.

But, he stresses, this is different for every person.

It works best for younger patients (under 40, usually) or patients who have less defined lines.

The process is the same as regular Botox injections, with the only real difference being the amount used and possibly the number of total injections.

Possible side effects

The side effects of both types of Botox are pretty similar. While already a generally safe experience, Baby Botox has even fewer side effects than regular treatments.

These can include bruising around the injection sites, asymmetrical results, and more.

My experience

I started with a consultation with Dr Browne.

“The most important part is the consultation,” he says. “So people understand what they’re in for, what’s possible, and what they’re actually looking to get.”

I sat in a chair, not dissimilar to a dentist’s, and was injected with a small needle into my forehead and around my eyes, the area commonly known as “crow’s feet”.

While it wasn’t painful, the needles did make my eyes water slightly due to nerve proximity.

There were no needle marks on my face, and the whole thing lasted 10 minutes — if even.

When leaving, I was told to neither exercise heavily nor drink excessively for the night, and to avoid touching my face for a few hours. All felt and looked the exact same for three days.

Then, I began feeling a little more lifted in my forehead. I was told that the botulinum toxin kicks in from about three to five days in, and on day five, I definitely felt tighter and more lifted.

Dr Browne confirmed that Botox around the eyes can have a lifting effect. A tiny bruise also developed on my forehead, but one that was barely noticeable.

My review

I returned two weeks later for my review. Dr Browne asked me to frown, smile and furrow my brow. I noticed then that I couldn’t frown as much as I would have before, maybe 90% to my previous 100%.

This still feels the same a month on. Smiling felt more normal and less hindered, but I definitely noticed a difference in the lines around my eyes — which would have been my primary concern going in.

While no one around me noticed any difference, I certainly did in terms of lifted eyes — which is something I wasn’t expecting. 

My skin also feels generally tauter. And, it seems like it will for up to five months (Baby Botox lasts for three months, but full muscle movement may be as long as five months away).

Following your review, you’ll need to do nothing else. It’s remarkably low-maintenance. Would I go back? I think so. 

It’s completely natural-looking, lightly lifting, and a non-committal entry point for those interested in the area of injectables.

Kate received this treatment for free in exchange for a fair and honest review. The cost of treatment is €300 at Sisu Clinics.