Botox
Find a beauty therapist/salon for a Botox >>
What is botox?
Botox is the trade name for a substance injected into the skin which is known to inhibit muscle movement and prevent wrinkles developing or worsening. The name Botox or Botoxulim toxin actually comes from the word “botulous” meaning sausage. This is because the substance is actually related to a naturally occurring poison, occasionally found at dangerous levels in bad meat products which can paralyze and kill. It has been described as “the most poisonous substance known” but certain varieties in minute purified doses have been discovered to actually perform a safe and useful function.
Botox injections are now one of the most popular cosmetic treatments in the world and celebrities including Madonna and Kylie Minogue are rumoured to use this procedure for aesthetic purposes.History
In the early 1970s botulinum toxin type A was first used in experiments on monkeys, but it wasn’t until 1980 that the toxin was used on humans to help treat eye disorders. In 1989 the Botox A substance was approved by the FDA (the U.S. Food and Drug Administration) as a treatment for eye problems caused by malfunctioning muscles such as squinting, strabismus (wandering eye), amblyopia (lazy eye) and blepharospasm (twitching eye). Eye specialists then noticed that when using the drug for this purpose the area around the eye appeared much more relaxed and wrinkles were significantly less prominent.
Approval for the toxin was granted to be used for cosmetic purposes in 2002 and it has since become a popular anti-wrinkle treatment around the world. In 2006 it was declared the most popular cosmetic treatment in the United States. Other uses for botox include the prevention of underarm sweating and the treatment of migraines, although treatments in these areas are still awaiting approval by the FDA.
The procedure
When injected into the problem area, botox freezes muscle movement by blocking neuro-transmitters for a period of 4-6 months, so the treatment needs to be administered a few times a year to maintain the curative affects. Botox should be administered by a qualified medical professional (preferably a cosmetic surgeon) as it is very important to get the right amount in the right area to avoid asymmetrical results, muscle drooping, frozen expressions and potentially dangerous consequences. Administered properly there are not many known problems associated with the treatment. If the botox treatment is stopped the muscles will begin to function normally and the ageing process with resume normally.
It has become popular in the US to host botox parties where friends can share the cost of the treatment by sharing the serum that they have paid for and having injections done at the same time, however the FDA has administered warning against such parties and patients should be wary of such packages being offered by under qualified practitioners.
Cost and effects
Botox is usually purchased by the vial or patients might be charged per area injected. Costs vary greatly but in the UK an average session might cost around £200. Occasionally some light bruising or redness might occur in the area of the injection but this should subside quickly. Many patients have botox in their lunch hour and return to work immediately afterwards! The effects of botox on the muscles become apparent within a few hours, however the main effects will appear after about a week.