HAVING a potent neurotoxin injected into your face to paralyse the muscles does seem a somewhat extreme length to go to, just to get rid of the dreaded wrinkles or frown lines.

However, the popularity of treatments involving Botulinium Toxin - or Botox as it is familiarly known, is scaling new heights.

With numerous celebrities singing its praises, it is the treatment everyone is talking about.

Botox is a protein toxin produced by a form of bacteria. During a treatment, small amounts of this toxin are injected directly into the facial muscles responsible for causing the wrinkles.

These muscles are then effectively paralysed and the lines dramatically diminish or disappear entirely.

Results usually last between three and six months. After that movement will begin again and you will be back to where you were before.

Botox treatments are most commonly used to treat crow's feet, frown lines and forehead wrinkles.

However, because for that time your muscles are not being used and you get out of the habit of making the facial expressions that put them there in the first place, there is often a marked improvement when it does wear off.

In the 10 years it has been used as a cosmetic treatment, no serious side effects have been recorded.

One temporary effect can be the drooping of the eyelid. This is rare and usually caused by the injection being given too close to the eye or pressure being applied to the area too soon after treatment.

The cost ranges from £150 - £300 per injection site, which sounds expensive, but it's worth remembering that a facial can cost up to £100 and won't get the sort of results Botox does.

So could this be the perfect way to achieve a flawless look? A non-surgical cosmetic treatment that is effective; non-permanent; relatively affordable and with few known side effects?

I decided to take the plunge and try the treatment myself.

As someone who thinks twice before taking a painkiller, the idea of having a potent toxin injected in to my head did make me slightly nervous.

My main concerns were that the paralysis of my facial muscles would make me too uncomfortable, by preventing me from making expressions that I took for granted. I was concerned that this could be an almost claustrophobic feeling.

I needn't have worried; the treatment was cosmetically fantastic and I experienced no negative side effects.

Before the injections I had a full consultation. I wanted the injections to remove my frown lines.

I had the chance to explain my fears and discuss the effects and possible side effects of the treatment.

I was surprised how quick and painless the injections were. The treatment only took 10 minutes.

I then received an aftercare sheet, which advised me of what not to do for the next 24 hours.

Basically, no pressure is to be applied to the treated area and bending down should be avoided. This is to prevent any drooping of the muscle.

There are other things that should be avoided, and these should always be discussed after a treatment.

When I went home I was still nervous about the effects. I remember sitting on my sofa just waiting for the paralysis to take effect and my face turn to stone - it didn't happen.

I was so surprised with just how comfortable I felt and how effective the treatment had been at removing the lines.

It probably, took two days until I got the full effect. I felt comfortable and was able to do anything I could do before, the only difference being that I could not frown as much. However, because only 70 per cent movement had been prevented I could still move the muscles a small amount, which I was happy with.

Three months later the treatment is still working, although it is now wearing off a little bit. I think the key to success with Botox is using it in moderation.

I received the treatment at the Dunham Consulting Rooms, in Bowdon, run by Dr Rita Rakus, who has more than three years experience with the treatment. Dr Rakus explained that she would never recommend it for all over the face and said people who want several areas treating, should consider all treatments available, such as restylane, which is filler treatment.

I was happy with my treatment because it did not restrict me too much.

I also believe it is important that you receive a full consultation before having the treatment. Staff took time to discuss the treatment with me, including the aftercare. I felt reassured and confident that all my questions had been answered and that the treatment was right for me. I would definitely consider it again.