Wrinkle treatment in Turkey

Both treatments are temporary. Botulinum toxin wears off over a matter of months and the movement comes back. Hyaluronic acid filler is absorbed over a longer but still finite period. Neither is a one off, which is the part that quietly changes the arithmetic of having them done abroad.

A trip every few months is not a plan. Think about who will do the next round, at what price, and what happens if something needs correcting between visits. If the answer is that you will fly back, price the flights into the treatment, and if the answer is that someone at home will take over, ask what they will need to know about what was used.

• Lines that appear when you move

  Frown lines, forehead lines, crow's feet. Botulinum toxin territory, because the line is made by muscle folding the skin.

• Lines and hollows at rest

  Nasolabial folds, marionette lines, tear troughs and lost cheek volume. Filler territory, because the problem is volume rather than movement.

• Texture, pigment and fine crepe

  Sun damage, pigmentation and fine surface lines respond to skincare, sun protection and resurfacing rather than to injections. Injecting them is treating the wrong thing.

• Sagging rather than lines

  When skin and deeper tissue have descended, injections chase the problem rather than solve it. That is a conversation about lifting, or about accepting it, not about more syringes.

For lips specifically, see lip augmentation. For filler in the nose, which is the highest risk site, see nonsurgical nose job. For lifting rather than filling, see thread lift and facelift.

1. 1

   Assessment and expectations

   Which lines bother you, whether they are movement or volume, and what each treatment can realistically change. A practitioner who says some of it is not worth treating is the one to trust.
2. 2

   Prescribing and consent

   For botulinum toxin, a prescriber assesses you and prescribes for you specifically. Ask to see the product and its packaging.
3. 3

   Marking and product choice

   Where and how much. Fewer units placed accurately beats more units spread around, and the same is true of filler.
4. 4

   Injection

   Fine needles or a cannula depending on the area. You should be asked to report severe pain or visual change immediately, which is the warning sign for occlusion.
5. 5

   Immediate aftercare

   Stay upright for a few hours after botulinum toxin, avoid rubbing the area, and ask about exercise, heat and alcohol with a specific interval rather than a vague one.
6. 6

   The review

   Two weeks is standard for toxin, because that is when the effect is settled and a small top up can be judged. Try to be in the country for it, or arrange who does it at home.

• How many areas and how much product. Toxin is priced by area or by unit, filler by syringe. Ask which, so you are comparing like with like.
• The product itself. Different licensed toxins and fillers have different costs. The name should be in your record, not just in the price list.
• Who injects. An experienced medical injector prices differently from a high volume clinic, and that difference is most of what you are buying.
• Whether a review is included. And whether a small correction at that review is charged separately.
• Whether dissolving is included. Ask what it costs to have filler removed if you dislike it. A clinic that has priced that has thought about the outcome.

The clinic list on this page shows each clinic's current price with a note on what it includes. For instalments, see payment plans. For surgical alternatives, see facelift.

• Ask what they would refuse. The practitioner who describes the requests they turn down is assessing you rather than filling a diary.
• Ask to see results at a year. Photographs taken minutes after injecting show swelling, not outcome.
• Ask what happens at the review. And whether small corrections are included.
• Ask what they do about an occlusion. A specific, immediate answer including hyaluronidase on site. A reassuring non answer is the answer.
• Be wary of package pricing per session. Fixed bundles encourage using more product than the face needs, because the price is set before the assessment.