Migraines

Migraine is a neurological condition that can cause recurrent episodes of moderate to severe headache, along with nausea, sensitivity to light, sound, and smells, and sometimes aura: temporary neurological symptoms such as flashing lights, zigzag patterns, or tingling. For some people, migraines are occasional, but when headaches occur on 15 or more days per month for over three months, with migraine features on at least eight of those days, this is defined as chronic migraine.

The distinction matters because Botox (botulinum toxin type A) is an established preventive treatment for chronic migraine in appropriately selected adults, not for occasional attacks. It works differently from cosmetic treatment: multiple injections are placed across defined areas of the forehead, temples, back of the head, neck and upper shoulders, following a specific medical protocol.

The toxin is thought to reduce the release of chemical messengers involved in transmitting pain, interrupting pathways associated with migraine. The aim is to reduce the number and severity of headache days over time rather than stop an attack once it has started, and treatment is generally repeated at approximately 12-week intervals when clinically appropriate.

Botox is not a cure, and results vary.

At 111 Harley Street, suitability requires medical assessment first, considering headache frequency, history, previous preventive treatments and other possible causes of headache.