Quick Answer: Relfydess is a newer anti-wrinkle injection from Galderma. In McKeown Medical’s early survey of Glasgow patients, most respondents reported a faster onset and 90 per cent said they would continue with it, though suitability depends on previous response, aesthetic goals and individual anatomy.
When a new anti-wrinkle injection reaches the UK, the first question for patients is whether it lives up to the claims made for it. McKeown Medical in Glasgow was one of the first UK clinics to introduce Dr Darren McKeown’s Relfydess anti-wrinkle injections, and Dr McKeown (GMC 6128508) chose to ask the people who had been treated, surveying them within weeks of launch. This article summarises what the clinic found, what it does not yet know and who may wish to discuss the treatment at consultation.
What Relfydess is
Relfydess is a next-generation botulinum toxin from Galderma, used to soften expression lines by relaxing the muscles that create them. Galderma reports that 39 per cent of patients see results on the first day, and that up to 75 per cent still show improvement at six months. These are manufacturer figures, and Dr McKeown has been open about wanting to test them against what his own patients actually experienced, because trial results do not always translate directly into everyday clinical practice.
How the clinic gathered patient feedback
In the first two weeks after Relfydess became available, McKeown Medical treated 97 patients with it. A couple of weeks later, the team sent a survey to all of them, and 51 replied. It is a small sample, and an honest one: many of the early patients had previously reported disappointing results with their earlier treatment, which may influence how they judged the new product. Dr McKeown has noted this limitation himself, and it should be kept in mind when reading the findings.
Onset
Patients were asked how quickly Relfydess began to work compared with their previous treatment. About three quarters, 74 per cent, said it started working faster, 18 per cent said the onset was about the same, and 8 per cent felt it was slower. Taken together, the responses suggest that onset was at least comparable for most patients in this group.
Appearance of the result
When asked how the aesthetic result compared with earlier treatments, 64 per cent felt it looked better to them, 26 per cent found it about the same, and 10 per cent preferred the look of their previous treatment. Preference for how a result looks is personal, and the minority who preferred their earlier result is a reminder that no single product suits everyone.
Comfort during treatment
The survey also recorded a downside. Most respondents, 82 per cent, found the injections more uncomfortable than their previous treatment. Among those patients, 88 per cent said the experience was worth it for the result they had achieved. Since the survey, the clinic has added a small amount of local anaesthetic during treatment, which appears to make it more comfortable, and the team intends to audit those results.
Would patients choose it again?
Perhaps the most telling question was whether patients would continue. Ninety per cent said they would stay with Relfydess, while a small number preferred to return to their previous treatment, often because they preferred the look it gave them or had different individual goals. The clinic regards this as an encouraging early signal and not a conclusion.
Who may wish to discuss Relfydess
In the clinic’s experience, patients who feel their usual treatment has become less effective over time have been among those who responded well. Some long-term users of botulinum toxin develop partial resistance, in which the treatment still works but less strongly than before. Dr McKeown has observed notably better outcomes with Relfydess in patients who feel they are becoming less responsive to traditional products, though the mechanism has not been established.
The picture is different for patients with true immunity, where there is no effect at all from botulinum toxin. McKeown Medical has treated three such patients with Relfydess, and none responded, which suggests it is unlikely to overcome complete immunological resistance. For patients who already achieve excellent results with established products, the difference may be less noticeable. Suitability depends on previous response, aesthetic goals and individual anatomy, which is why the decision is made at consultation.
Reading the findings with care
A survey of 51 respondents cannot settle every question, and Dr McKeown is careful not to present it that way. The responses reflect a group that was, by its nature, looking for something different from their earlier treatment, and satisfaction scores in such a group can run higher than they would across all patients. The clinic also recorded one patient, outside the formal survey, who was treated on one side of the face with Relfydess and on the other with an established product, each at the standard licensed dose. At two weeks the crow’s feet appeared softer on the Relfydess side. It is a single observation, and it is shared as that, not as proof.
Longevity and what remains unknown
At the time of the early survey it was too soon to comment on how long Relfydess lasts compared with other products. The clinic has since reported sustained outcomes at six months in patients it has followed, which is consistent with the manufacturer’s data, but Dr McKeown continues to describe this as an area where careful observation is better than assumption. Individual results vary, and patients should expect their own response to be discussed with them in person.
Who treats you and what recognition the clinic holds
Anti-wrinkle treatment at McKeown Medical is led by Dr Darren McKeown and delivered by the medical team. Dr McKeown graduated MB ChB from the University of Glasgow in 2005, has 19 years of clinical practice, is a Full Member of the British College of Aesthetic Medicine (BCAM) and is a peer-reviewed medical author. He has been recognised in the Tatler Cosmetic Surgery Guide and the Hello! Aesthetics Guide, and the clinic took part in the BBC One documentary Facelifts & Fillers. McKeown Medical is registered with Healthcare Improvement Scotland.
Arranging a consultation in Glasgow
McKeown Medical is at 167 Bath Street, Glasgow, G2 4SQ, and can be reached on 0141 370 0509. Patients can start with the online consultation form or request a callback, and they are assigned a personal Patient Relationship Manager who liaises with the doctors. At consultation, the team will discuss which anti-wrinkle option is most appropriate for you, taking into account any previous treatment and how it performed.
Whatever product is chosen, the principle is the same one Dr McKeown applies throughout his practice: treatments should be judged on evidence, including the evidence of how real patients respond, and each recommendation should be made for the individual in front of you.
