What is Botox?
Botox is actually a trade name used for a substance called botulinum produced by the bacteria Clostridium Botulinum. Believe it or not, this substance is actually a neurotoxin and one of the most poisonous substances known to man, with as little as a single gram having the ability to kill a million people. In high doses, the botulinum toxin can result in the botulism disease which can be deadly. Despite all this, we have figured out how to use it in a completely safe way as an extremely effective anti-wrinkle treatment, amongst many others. Botox is not the only form of anti-wrinkle treatment using the botulinum toxin, but it is the most well known and popular that many people are loving and using on a regular basis to help maintain a youthful look.
How does Botox work?
The cosmetic Botox injections work by blocking the nerve signals to certain muscles. As a result, the muscles then become more relaxed, which further reduces the appearance of lines and wrinkles on the skin, giving a fresh look to the face. This is the main reason why people go for Botox. Essentially, Botox forces muscles to go on holiday and doesn’t let them contract. Without any muscle contractions in the face, for example, facial lines have an extended period of no creasing and time to flatten out.
How does the injection procedure work?
Botox is used by diluting the botulinum powder into a saline solution before injecting it directly into the muscle tissue. It is important a professional is administering the injection and dosages as you’re dealing with a toxin around sensitive areas, typically in the face. A professional with experience will be able to pinpoint key areas for injection and get the most out of every Botox dose.
How long does Botox last?
A Botox injection will stop your muscle movement by blocking neuro-transmissions. As a result, this effect lasts for about 4-6 months for most people. This means you will need to go for top-ups a few times in a year if you wish to maintain your line-free look. Once you’ve had Botox injected, the effects on the muscles become very apparent within few hours, but the main effects take about a week to appear. These are estimates and will vary depending on the person and how much Botox was used in the injection site. In rare cases some people will develop antibodies to Botox and their bodies will destroy the botulinum and their treatments will not last long and any future injections will not be worth it.
What are the side effects of Botox?
Botox treatments are generally regarded as safe. Although, while going for a Botox treatment, you should make sure to always go for Botox by a qualified medical professional to ensure that you are getting the correct amount and in the right area. The safety of this product largely depends on the person using it. Visiting someone for Botox without the correct qualifications and experience could lead to asymmetrical results, frozen expressions, muscle drooping, as well as various other dangerous consequences. If Botox carried out correctly, however, side effects are generally minimal in most of the cases, and in fact, some don’t even experience anything at all. However, after Botox, there is a chance of occasionally some getting light bruising or redness around the area where the injection was. Redness and light bruising are common but they don’t last for long which is the worst most people will have to deal with.
Rare side-effects of Botox can include difficulty in speaking, breathing or even swallowing. If this happens in your case, you should immediately seek medical attention. However, the above side effects are super rare, especially in the cases where the procedure has been carried out by a professional using the ideal dosage. There is a number of patients who are able to undergo Botox during their lunch break and they are easily fit to go back to work without having any problems.
So if you’re thinking about getting that Botox treatment, know that it can work great, but for long-term results, you will need a few treatments as wrinkles and frown lines are typically formed over decades and need at least a year of two or three Botox treatments to see really solid results.
Article sources:
Botulinum Toxin – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Botulinum_toxin
Appearance medicine & Wellness centre– https://www.appearancemedicine.co.nz/botox
What is Botox, what is it used for, is it safe and how much are injections? – https://www.thesun.co.uk/fabulous/2055524/botox-wrinkles-remover-cost-injections-safe/
Botox side effects drug center – https://www.rxlist.com/botox-side-effects-drug-center.htm
