Have you noticed a net of fine wrinkles under the eyes or furrows on the forehead and think there is nothing to do with it? Do not hurry up to despair and give up in front of imminent approaching aging. Yes, you cannot prevent it or stop, but you can postpone it. How? Good old Botox is a way out. Modern cosmetology has elaborated dozens of effective procedures to enhance the appearance and improve imperfections, including age-related changes. Botox is here one of the most effective, in-demand, and famous procedures. At the same time, this remedy is covered up with myths and misleading prejudice regarding its safety and impact on health. All this happens due to people’s lack of knowledge and understanding of the drug’s nature. Indeed, it can help to keep the skin on your face smooth and youthful for a long time. Wonder how? Keep on reading!
What is Botox?
Today, all of us know that Botox is some kind of injectable solution to eliminate wrinkles. But in fact, it is much more than just this. What if we tell you that its medical name is Botulinum toxin (type A), a poisonous substance produced by bacteria. It is known since ancient times, but then, it had the “sad” glory of a deadly dangerous toxin able to paralyze and even kill.
According to professionals from fillersupplies.com, this ability to paralyze the muscle attracted the scientists and doctors who supposed it could help to treat different diseases and cases related to muscle spasticity. Thus, the first medical application of the purified and refined botulinum toxin (back then, there was no such drug as “Botox”) was to treat strabismus. A couple of Canadian doctors noticed the elimination of fine wrinkles under the eyes, known as crow’s feet, after the botulinum injection in the periorbital area. They started the investigation of the cosmetic usage of botulinum toxin for wrinkles elimination. Later on, French-Canadian company Allergan has bought the right for the production of the drug, and it obtained the name all of us know as “Botox”.
So, Botox is a purified and deluded botulinum toxin type A remedy, indicated for solving a range of cosmetic and therapeutic purposes.
How Does Botox Work?
We have already found out that Botox injection has a paralyzing effect. How does it happen? When the substance is applied under the skin (mainly into superficial and middle layers of the derma), the molecules of botulinum toxin find and bind to special proteins located at the edges of the nerve endings. These proteins are responsible for receiving and transferring the signal from the brain to the muscles, provoking the corresponding reaction. When these proteins are bound, the muscles become insensitive and unable to contract.
Thus, when we speak about wrinkles elimination with Botox, we mean exclusively mimic wrinkles caused by active muscle movement during facial expressions: smiling, laughing, crying, frowning, screwing up one’s eyes, etc. These wrinkles are not age-related and can appear even in your 20ies if you are an emotional person and like to express your emotions. Thus, the most common places for appearing of mimic wrinkles and Botox injections correspondingly are:
- Forehead;
- Glabella (the area between the eyebrows);
- Under the eyes (crow’s feet);
- Marionette lines (wrinkles around the mouth).
When the muscles are paralyzed, the tension in the tissues decreases and the wrinkles disappear. The effect of the procedure lasts for 4-6 months, depending on the individual peculiarities of the organism. The effect reaches its apogee till the end of the 2nd month of the injection. Then, the impact of the toxin gradually weakens as the new nerve endings grow, renewing the muscles’ ability to contract. Why the duration violates from 4 to 6 months? It depends on the individual peculiarities of the organism. The faster your organism is inclined to the renewing processes, the sooner you will need to visit your cosmetic doctor for the repeated injection.
What are the Side Effects of Using Botox?
You may get scared when hearing about toxin, but the truth is that Botox is quite safe (if you do not have contraindications for the injections: pregnancy, lactation, minor age, bleeding disorder, infectious diseases, inflammation at the injection site, minor age, etc.). Moreover, it is one of the most studied remedies on the market, as the realm of its usage, except for cosmetic Botox, is wide for therapeutic application:
- Blepharospasm;
- Strabismus;
- Cervical dystonia;
- Overactive bladder;
- Limbs spasticity;
- Cerebral palsy
- Chronic migraines;
Nevertheless, there are some common side effects of Botox application:
- Swelling;
- Redness;
- Bruising;
- Itching;
- Headache;
- Nausea;
- Droopy eyelid;
- Cockeyed eyebrows;
- Crooked smile or drooling;
- Eye dryness.
These reactions are temporary and should disappear within the next two-three days. You should follow simple rules to minimize negative manifestations of the drug: avoid intense physical activity, visiting the gym, pool, high temperatures like spa, sauna, taking a hot bath or shower. You should also be careful when touching your face, do not scratch or rub it. Minimize usage of decorative cosmetics. If the symptoms do not cease during this time, or you observe severe reactions, immediately contact the doctor.
Final Word
Botox is a very popular remedy both for cosmetic purposes, helping thousands of people look better and younger, and therapeutic uses, treating diseases where other drugs and therapies are helpless (such as cerebral palsy). Fortunately, medicine and cosmetology reached such a level of development that allowed them to tame even poisons. Medicine is poison, poison is medicine, rephrasing a famous saying of Paracelsus. We cannot formulate it better about Botox. Botulinum toxin perfectly fights mimic wrinkles under the eyes, between the eyebrows, and on the forehead, leaving the skin smooth and even. It may be used as a mono treatment or in combination with other cosmetic procedures such as dermal fillers injections, depending on the individual demands of the skin. Moreover, it is a perfect preventative method when freezing the muscles and not allowing them to contract, prevent the skin from formation wrinkles. In any case, Botox is one of the most genius medical inventions.
