Botox (Upper Face) in Turkey
Botulinum toxin for the upper face in Turkey: frown lines, forehead lines and crow’s feet treated by a doctor in a 15-minute visit, with a licensed product and a natural dose. What it does and does not do, timing, risks.
Anaesthesia
None needed (topical numbing on request)
Operation time
15–20 minutes
Hotel
Day case — arranged at cost
Stay in Turkey
No stay required; often done during another treatment
Back to work
Immediately
Package price
€180
What Botox involves
Botulinum toxin — Botox is the best-known brand — relaxes the small muscles that create expression lines in the upper face: the vertical frown lines between the brows, the horizontal lines across the forehead and the crow’s feet at the outer corners of the eyes. When those muscles are quieter, the skin over them stops creasing, existing lines soften and new ones are slowed. Treatment is a series of tiny injections placed by a doctor according to how your own muscles move.
The result depends on dosing and placement, not on the product alone. A natural result keeps expression: brows that still lift, eyes that still crinkle when you laugh, a forehead that is smooth but not frozen. That comes from mapping your muscle pattern while you frown, raise and smile, and dosing to it — usually less than patients expect. Over-treatment is what produces the flat, surprised or heavy-browed look, and it is avoidable.
What botulinum toxin does not do: it does not fill deep, etched lines that are present at rest (those need filler or resurfacing), it does not lift sagging skin, and it does not last — three to four months is typical, after which the muscles gradually return to normal. It is a maintenance treatment, and it is often combined with a surgical visit rather than being a reason to travel on its own.
Who it suits — and who it does not
Good candidates
- ✓Dynamic lines — those that appear when you frown, raise the brows or smile — in the upper face
- ✓A wish for a rested, natural look with expression preserved
- ✓Adults of any age; early treatment slows the etching of lines
- ✓Patients attending Kuşadası for another procedure who want the upper face refreshed at the same time
- ✓Good general health
Usually advised against
- –Deep static lines at rest — filler or resurfacing is needed, sometimes with toxin
- –Pregnancy or breastfeeding
- –Neuromuscular disease such as myasthenia gravis, or known allergy to botulinum toxin
- –Heavy brows that rely on the forehead muscle to stay up — treating the forehead can make the brow drop; the dose is adjusted or the area avoided
- –An active skin infection at the injection site
Techniques and options
Mapping and dosing
The doctor watches you frown, raise the brows and smile, marks the muscles involved and their strength, and chooses a dose for each site. Standard starting doses are used conservatively; a top-up at two weeks is preferable to over-treating on the day.
Frown lines (glabella)
Five to seven injections into the corrugator and procerus muscles between the brows. The most reliable area; softens the angry or worried look.
Forehead lines
Small doses spread across the frontalis muscle, placed high enough to keep the brow lifting. Under-treating the forehead is deliberate in patients with heavy or low brows.
Crow’s feet
Two to three injections each side at the outer corner of the eye, in the orbicularis muscle, softening the lines while keeping a natural smile.
Product
A licensed botulinum toxin type A from an established manufacturer, reconstituted on the day; the vial and batch are recorded. Ask to see the vial; you are entitled to.
What happens on surgery day
- 1
A short consultation: your goals, medical history, previous toxin treatments and what you did or did not like about them.
- 2
The face is cleaned; make-up is removed from the treatment areas. Topical numbing cream is offered but rarely needed — the needle is very fine.
- 3
You are asked to frown, raise and smile while the doctor marks the injection points.
- 4
The injections take a few minutes. Slight stinging and small bumps that settle within 20–30 minutes.
- 5
You leave immediately. No dressings. Written aftercare and the product batch details are given to you.
- 6
A remote check at 2 weeks; a small top-up is arranged if an area is under-treated.
Recovery timeline
Day 0
Small bumps at the injection sites for 20–30 minutes; occasionally a tiny bruise. Normal activity, but no rubbing, lying flat or exercise for 4 hours.
Days 3–5
The muscles begin to relax; lines start to soften.
Day 14
Full effect. Photos for the remote check; top-up if needed.
Months 3–4
Effect gradually wears off; movement returns. Repeat treatment when lines begin to return.
Results — and their limits
Softened frown, forehead and crow’s-feet lines with expression preserved — you look rested rather than treated.
The effect lasts 3–4 months at first; with regular treatment the muscles weaken slightly and intervals often lengthen.
Lines that are etched into the skin at rest soften but do not disappear; repeated treatment over years prevents them deepening.
Sagging skin, volume loss and brow position are unchanged; those are surgical or filler problems.
When it is final: Starts at 3–5 days, full at 14 days, lasts 3–4 months
Risks and how they are managed
Every operation carries risk. These are the ones that matter for this procedure, and what is done to reduce, spot or treat each.
Bruising at an injection site
Fine needles, pressure after injection; avoiding aspirin, ibuprofen, fish oil and alcohol for a few days beforehand.
Eyelid or brow droop (ptosis)
Caused by toxin spreading to the muscle that lifts the lid or by over-treating the forehead. Prevented by placement, dose and not rubbing for 4 hours. If it occurs it is temporary, lasting a few weeks, and eye drops can help.
Asymmetry or an unnatural expression
Conservative dosing and a top-up at 2 weeks rather than over-treating.
Headache or flu-like feeling for a day or two
Occasional; paracetamol.
No effect or a short effect
Rare; can indicate a very strong muscle pattern or, rarely, antibodies. Discussed at the 2-week check.
Allergic reaction
Very rare; known allergy is a contraindication.
Package and cost
€180
One fixed price for the operation and a 0-night stay: 0 hospital nights and 0 hotel nights. No deposit surprises, no add-ons for anaesthesia or medication.
Included
- ✓Consultation and muscle mapping by a doctor
- ✓Botulinum toxin type A from a licensed manufacturer for the upper face (frown lines, forehead and crow’s feet), with batch details recorded
- ✓The injection session in a clinic setting
- ✓Written aftercare and a remote check at 2 weeks with a small top-up if an area is under-treated
Not included
- –Hotel nights, flights and transfers when booked on its own
- –Additional areas such as the jaw (masseter), neck bands, bunny lines or gummy smile — priced at the consultation
- –Dermal fillers for static lines or volume
How to compare this with a quote at home
Ask any clinic for the same list: surgeon and anaesthetist fees, hospital nights, tests, medication, garments or splints, follow-up visits. A cheaper headline price usually excludes several of these. Then add your flights and insurance to our price for a like-for-like comparison.
How to prepare
- 1.Tell us about previous toxin treatments, what you liked and did not like, and any medical conditions or medication.
- 2.Avoid aspirin, ibuprofen, fish oil, vitamin E and alcohol for 3–5 days before to reduce bruising.
- 3.Come without make-up on the treatment areas, or it will be removed.
- 4.Plan the appointment at least 2 weeks before any event so the full effect and any top-up are in place.
Aftercare at home
- •No rubbing or massaging the treated areas, no lying flat, no exercise, sauna or alcohol for 4 hours.
- •Make-up can be applied gently after an hour.
- •Frowning and raising the brows a few times in the first hour is harmless and may help uptake.
- •Send photos at 2 weeks frowning, raising and smiling for the remote check.
- •Report any droop of the eyelid or brow; it is temporary and there are drops that help.
Frequently asked questions
Will I look frozen?
How long does it last?
When does it start working?
Does it hurt?
Can it fix lines that are there when my face is relaxed?
What product is used?
Can I have it on the same trip as surgery?
What if I get a droopy eyelid?
What is included in the price?
Often considered alongside
Free assessment
Send your details; a coordinator replies with a surgeon’s opinion and a written plan.