Relfydess at Six Months: What Our Patients Really Think

When a new anti-wrinkle treatment comes to market, it often generates a lot of buzz, but at McKeown Medical, we prefer evidence over hype.

Dr Darren Mckeown

Published by Dr Darren McKeown

Date posted — 23.10.25

Although all of these new drugs come to market with clinical trial evidence to support the manufacturing claims, we know that pharmaceutical companies often have a way of getting trials to say what they want them to say. What we are really interested in is what happens in the real world, and that’s what we wanted to find out.

Around six months ago, we began offering Relfydess, a next-generation botulinum toxin that promised faster onset, longer duration, and a smoother aesthetic finish compared to traditional products like Botox® and Azzalure®. To understand whether these claims translate into real-world results, we conducted a structured patient satisfaction survey: first, shortly after we introduced the product to assess the short-term impact, and again nearly six months later. The goal was to find out whether patients genuinely noticed a difference in how Relfydess works and lasts compared to their usual toxin treatment.

The Background: Early Impressions

When we first introduced Relfydess earlier this year, initial feedback from our patients was promising. Many reported that their results appeared to take effect slightly sooner than they were used to and described a particularly “crisp” or “polished” look to the final result.

The main drawback at that early stage? The injections themselves were more uncomfortable than those from conventional toxin formulations. This is consistent with what we expected based on the product’s formulation, which has a different pH and lacks certain buffering ingredients used in traditional toxins.

Encouraged by these early impressions, we wanted to assess whether these perceived benefits held over time. You can read the full early results here.

The Six-Month Follow-Up Survey

We have now approached the same patients who were treated in the first month of us offering Relfydess, and 62 patients responded, all of whom had previously used other botulinum toxins before switching to Relfydess. We asked three simple questions:

  1. Did you feel that Relfydess kicked in faster, slower, or about the same as your previous toxin?
  2. How did you feel about the way Relfydess looked compared with your previous toxin?
  3. How do you feel the results have lasted over time compared with your previous toxin?

Here’s what our patients said.

Chart displaying our patients' response to the question "Did Relfydess kick in faster?"

1. Onset: Did Relfydess Kick In Faster?

  • 69% felt Relfydess kicked in faster than their previous toxin
  • 31% said it was about the same
  • 0% thought their previous toxin kicked in faster

This result confirms what many patients reported early on: a noticeably quicker onset. For busy patients who like to see results promptly before a special event, this may be a meaningful advantage.

Chart displaying our patients' response to the question "Did Relfydess look better?"

2. Appearance: Did It Look Better?

  • 52% felt Relfydess looked better than their previous toxin
  • 35% thought it looked about the same
  • 13% preferred the look they achieved with previous treatments

More than half of patients preferred the aesthetic finish achieved with Relfydess. The most common description was a “refined” or “cleaner” look, suggesting subtle qualitative differences in how the product diffuses in facial muscles and how movement settles over time.

Chart displaying our patients' response to the question "Did Relfydess last longer?"

3. Longevity: Did It Last Longer?

  • 56% felt Relfydess lasted longer
  • 38% thought it lasted about the same
  • 6% felt their previous toxin lasted longer

Durability is one of the key areas where Relfydess claims superiority, and our data seems to support that, at least modestly. Over half of patients felt their results lasted longer, with only a small minority perceiving shorter duration.

Interpreting the Results

These findings build on our earlier short-term impressions and suggest that Relfydess delivers tangible advantages for a majority of patients, particularly in terms of faster onset and potentially improved longevity. This is not in manufacturer-sponsored clinical trials but in a real-world setting.

However, as with all aesthetic treatments, results vary between individuals. Those who have already achieved excellent outcomes with their previous toxin may find the differences subtle. For others, especially those who had started to feel their results weren’t lasting as long as they once did, Relfydess appears to offer a welcome improvement.

We also continue to monitor the issue of injection discomfort. While most patients find it tolerable, we’ve adapted our injection technique by adding a small amount of local anaesthetic to help reduce stinging and will continue refining this as experience grows.

What This Means for Our Patients

The takeaway is clear: Relfydess is not simply a marketing gimmick; it appears to offer real, patient-perceived benefits. That said, it’s not necessarily the right choice for everyone. Our team will continue to offer a range of botulinum toxin options, tailoring each treatment to your goals, comfort level, and previous experiences.

If you’re curious about whether Relfydess might be a good option for you, we’d encourage you to book a consultation with one of our clinicians to discuss your aesthetic goals in more detail.

Book your consultation

Contact us today to arrange a consultation and discover which treatment option is right for you.

Dr Darren Mckeown

Dr Darren McKeown

Our founder, Dr Darren McKeown, is renowned for his expertise and artistry with dermal fillers. As a peer-reviewed medical author, he is passionate about treatments that stand up to scientific scrutiny. Above all, Dr McKeown believes in a global approach; delivering flawless results – and rejuvenation that lasts.

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Ok. So this is a younger patient in her late 30s and a lot of people might reasonably say "She's gorgeous, what does she need anything done for?" 

And I agree. But she had a little bit of excess fatty tissue around her jawline and neck which really bothered her, especially when she moved her neck. She wanted her jawline to look a bit slimmer and more defined and so we did a Quantum Lift for her. 

This is her just 24 hours later. Her bruising and swelling is not too bad at all, mainly because she didn't have a huge amount done - although she still has a lot of healing to go over the next few months. 

She is already loving the result however! What do you think?
This is a little sneak peek of our upcoming podcast between Dr Darren (@drdarrenmckeown) and our new body contouring expert, Dr George Christopolous (@gchristopoulos). The full video will be going live later this week.
On a scale of 1-10, how excited are we for George to start his body contouring in Scotland?
I’m super excited to welcome Dr George Christopoulos to the dream team at McKeown Medical.

George is a plastic surgeon with a particular interest in body contouring: liposuction, tummy tucks, arm lifts and thigh lifts.

What I really love about George’s work is his approach to liposuction. It’s not about simply emptying out as much fat as possible. He approaches the body almost like a sculptor, thinking about shape, proportion, contours, highlights and shadows. It’s those details that can elevate a fairly standard liposuction result into something really special.

You can check out some of his work on his own page @gchristopoulos 

I’ve also filmed a podcast with George where we get into all things body contouring — what makes a great liposuction result, loose skin, tummy tucks, lipoedema, technology and quite a lot more. I’ll be posting that over the next couple of days.

In the meantime, if you want to meet the man himself, George’s diary is now open for consultations at McKeown Medical.
IS THE QUANTUM LIFT A CUT-PRICE FACELIFT? 

No, and here’s why.

A deep plane facelift goes deeper into the face, removing deep fat, muscle and salivary glands which is how you get those sharp neck contours. The Quantum Lift works more superficially, tightening skin and reshaping jowls in 90 minutes under local anaesthetic, but it can’t reach those deeper structures.

I believe in the Quantum Lift. I just won’t pretend it suits everyone.

Good aesthetic medicine means the right procedure for the right patient, not one treatment doing it all.

#QuantumLift #FaceliftAlternative #NonSurgicalFacelift #SkinTightening #AestheticMedicine MedicalAesthetics GlasgowAesthetics GlasgowClinic

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