Anti-wrinkle injections are a prescription medicine. Here is what that means for you
In Malta botulinum toxin is a prescription-only medicine. That has practical consequences for who can treat you, how it is advertised and what a safe appointment looks like.
The legal position
In Malta, injectable botulinum toxin products are registered as prescription-only medicines. The Medicines Authority's advertising rules mean that specific products cannot be promoted to the public, which is why you will see clinics, including ours, write "anti-wrinkle injections" rather than a brand name.
Prescription-only has a simple consequence: the medicine must be prescribed by a doctor after assessing you, and the person treating you must be appropriately qualified. The European standard for aesthetic medicine services (EN 16844) describes the practitioner as a medical doctor authorised to practise and trained in the procedure.
What a safe appointment includes
- A consultation with a doctor who takes a medical history, asks about medication, pregnancy, neuromuscular conditions and previous treatments.
- Mapping while you move. The doctor watches you frown, raise your brows and smile, then marks points. Dosing is individual.
- A written record of product, batch and dose. You should be able to ask for it.
- A review at around two weeks, when the effect is fully in, to fine-tune.
- Clear aftercare: no rubbing the area, no lying flat for a few hours, and whom to call if something feels wrong.
What it does, and what it cannot do
Anti-wrinkle injections relax the muscles that create expression lines: horizontal forehead lines, the frown, crow's feet. They do not add volume, lift sagging skin or improve texture; those are different treatments. Results build over 3 to 10 days and last roughly three to four months.
Questions worth asking any clinic
- Who prescribes the medicine, and who injects?
- What is the product, and can I see the record?
- What happens if I am not happy at two weeks?
- Are you able to recognise and manage a complication?
A clinic that answers these without hesitation is the one to use.
Our position
At Bagira divisions every injectable treatment is performed by a doctor following a consultation and a written plan. Dosing is conservative on first visits, because it is easier to add than to wait out an over-treated result.
Source: Malta Medicines Authority, regulation of advertising of medicines.
