McKeown Medical
167 Bath Street, Glasgow, G2 4SQ
When a new wrinkle-relaxing treatment comes to market, it often generates a lot of buzz but at McKeown Medical, we prefer evidence over hype.
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.
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 true over time. You can read the full early results here.
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:
Here’s what our patients said.
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.
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.
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.
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 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 in a small amount of local anaesthetic to help reduce stinging and will continue refining this as experience grows.
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.
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Contact us today to arrange a consultation and discover which treatment option is right for you.
Relfydess is one of the most talked-about and exciting new arrivals in the world of aesthetic medicine — a next-generation...
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Relfydess is one of the most talked-about and exciting new arrivals in the world of aesthetic medicine — a next-generation...
Laser eye rejuvenation! Thank you to our lovely patient for allowing us to share her photos, just one week after her laser eyelid rejuvenation.
Crepe skin, loose skin, wrinkles are all common signs of ageing around the eye which do not respond well to surgery. The optimal treatment for these problems is laser resurfacing - which is exactly what this patient had.
We’ve been performing these treatments in the clinic for several years, although I’ve recently modified the technique to achieve incredible results with less downtime.
What do you think?
Here’s another fantastic result from our phenomenally talented plastic surgeon, @bramhallplasticsurgery .
As we age, the eyebrows naturally descend which allows excess skin to fall into the upper eyelids. The two main surgical options to address this are a brow lift, an upper eyelid lift (upper blepharoplasty) or both, but for many patients the most appropriate option is also the simplest: to leave the brows exactly where they are and address the excess skin at the eyelids alone.
Upper blepharoplasty is a straightforward procedure with scars hidden in the natural eyelid crease, making them very hard to see once healed. Brow lifts are usually more involved, often require a general anaesthetic, and tend to create a more noticeable change to the face.
The aim with upper eyelid surgery is subtle improvement - looking fresher and more rested, without it being obvious that you’ve had anything done.
This 42-year-old gentleman had a bilateral upper blepharoplasty under local anaesthetic and is shown here six months after surgery.
What do you think?
With darker evenings and fewer social engagements, January is a great time to think about treatments which benefit from a little down time or those that will deliver their best results by spring.
Here’s Dr Darren with his top recommendations for treatments to have over the winter months, including Sofwave, HALO, full-field resurfacing and varicose vein treatment, all of which will deliver beautiful results in time for the weather getting better and social calendars filling up!
Which treatments are you planning?
Another year, another round of incredible transformations from our team at McKeown Medical!
Eye bags banished, jowls lifted, skin refined, veins gone. Thank you so much to all of our patients who have allowed us to share their photos with you and thank you to our incredible team who work so hard to take care of every patient who trusts us with their care.
Here’s to 2026 and another year of incredible transformations!
“But Daddies, WHEN is Santa coming? I want to wait up for him!”
Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night 🎅🏻
Laser rejuvenation of the eye area can be an incredibly powerful tool for the right patients, especially those whose ‘bags’ are more about loose skin and fine lines, like this lovely patient here.
We treated her with full field ablation, which takes around 2 weeks to recover from. Her she is a few weeks later and you can see how much tighter the skin is, the crepey skin has gone and the fine lines have been ironed out. The patient is over the moon.
What do you think?
Eyelid surgery is one of the most popular procedures we do in the clinic. It’s a great fix for hooded eyes! Excess skin on the upper eyelids can not only create a hooded, heavy appearance but often affects the vision too.
Here’s the very talented @bramhallplasticsurgery discussing how upper eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) can restore a more open, refreshed look by removing the excess skin and subtly redefining the natural eyelid crease. Scars are hidden within the fold of the eyelid, leaving eyes that look brighter, not “done.”
Do you have any questions about surgery? Ask in the comments or send us a message!
Thank you to our patient for allowing us to share her before and after photos of her upper blepharoplasty.
Excess skin on the upper eyelids can make the eyes appear tired or heavy. This simple procedure restores a lighter, more open look while keeping the result completely natural.
Another fabulous result from the very talented @bramhallplasticsurgery!
What do you think?
We’ve been in our new home for a year now and I thought this would be a good time to remind you just how special it is with a little video tour.
It’s been a remarkable year for us in our new home; we’ve introduced new doctors, new treatments, new services and our team continues to grow from strength to strength - always striving to provide more and better for our wonderful patients.
Enjoy the tour!