Dr. Tahsini is performing a botox injection on the forehead
Aging can be difficult. To deal with the lines, wrinkles, age spots, and the aftermath! Although these are the normal effects of growing older – and long sun exposure, we all know it can be hard to look at your face in the mirror and see someone who looks completely different. It’s no secret anymore that botox is among the first thoughts that come to mind when trying to defy the effect of time on your facial appearance. That’s why we decided to shed more light on the very basic question:
Should I get Botox?
It depends! You may need an injectable answer to eliminate some signs of aging. Most people who have gotten Botox now swear by it. Most would agree that it helps them look more energetic, and – perhaps most importantly – much younger. Perhaps that is why this medication has been a cornerstone in millions of cosmetic procedures. However, people are different and one treatment may not be the best for everyone. We believe the more you know about Botox, the better you can decide whether it’s the right way to go. Read on to find out if a botox injection is a good treatment for you.
What are Botulinum Toxins?
Botox is a product of the botulinum toxin, which is derived from the Clostridium botulinum bacteria. Today, we use both medicinally and cosmetically for treating a variety of conditions, including aging.
What Should I Know About Botox?
One of the things you need to know as you consider Botox is how it works. Botox is the trade name for a neurotoxic protein, botulinum toxin. To be more precise, clostridium botulinum bacteria make the toxin.
If you get it in large amounts, the protein might cause botulism – a serious illness that science links to death and food poisoning. To ensure that this does not happen, medical clinics dilute the toxin for use in beauty treatments. That’s one more important reason for you to get your treatments in a certified medical facility.
This diluted form of the bacteria temporarily weakens the muscles within the injection site. In the process, it effectively treats conditions like a lazy eye, blinking control loss, wrinkles, facial creases, and other signs of aging.
Is Botox Right For Me?
When the treatment is for smoothing wrinkles, botox will be diluted before doctors inject it directly into the muscles on your face. However, you should know that the toxin sometimes temporarily paralyzes the muscles by blocking nerve impulses. In the process, it will create a smoother, younger-looking skin surface.
That said, the effects of a Botox treatment can last for anywhere between 3 and 4 months. Younger patients, however, will experience longer-lasting effects.
Botox is now world-known medically in the treatment of a variety of muscular conditions. Cosmetically, doctors use it to temporarily paralyze muscles, which results in preventing and disappearing wrinkles and fine lines.
Most Popular Non-Invasive Treatment
At the moment, Botox is one of the most popular cosmetic treatments that does not require surgery. As such, medical professionals perform over 7 million injections every year.
Anti-Wrinkle Prescription Medicine
Botox, at its most basic level, is a neurotoxin. Originally from a naturally occurring organism, Clostridium botulinum, which is largely non-toxic and inactive. This is an FDA OKAY prescription drug that should be administered by a medical provider.
Excessive Botulinum Toxin Injections
The botulinum toxin works greatly to reduce wrinkles and fine lines. It works by paralyzing the muscles under the skin’s surface. Some people use this treatment for bowel and muscular disorders, bladder trouble, botox injection for migraines, and excessive sweating.
That said, nowadays doctors use botox injections for a variety of medical purposes. The bacteria that create botulinum toxin, known as clostridium botulinum, is found to occur naturally in forests, lakes, and soil.
This bacterium also lives in the organs and gills of shellfish like crabs as well as inside the intestinal tracts of fish and mammals.
These naturally occurring Clostridium botulinum spores and bacteria are usually harmless. However, problems might arise once the spores develop into vegetative cells, which could lead to an increase in the cell population.
The bacteria can also start producing botulinum toxin, which is a deadly neurotoxin that causes botulism.
Risk Of Botulism
In excess, the botulinum toxin can cause botulism. This condition causes severe respiratory failure, which could prove to be fatal.
Pros & Cons of Using Botulinum Toxins
Like with every beauty treatment and drug, there are both pros and cons that come with using botox injections. Consider the following:
Pros of a Botox Injection
Most people prefer botox as the best alternative to undergoing plastic surgery. This is because it:
-
Happens to be non-invasive
-
Is fast and does not come with recovery time, unlike surgery, meaning that you can resume your normal activity immediately after the treatment session
-
Is quite affordable
-
Can be quite effective, meaning that you will only need to undergo Botox treatment every 3 or 4 months.
-
Is virtually painless
-
Only takes a couple of minutes to administer
-
Will only require a couple of injections to all the treatment areas
Cons of a Botox Injection
Although botox is much less expensive when compared to cosmetic surgery, it still comes with its own disadvantages. Consider the following:
-
Botox comes with some risks, including the potential for numbness, falling eyelids, and muscle paralysis
-
Botox is not cheap for everyone, since you may have to pay between a couple of hundred dollars every single time you undergo treatment
-
In some extreme cases, the patient may experience an allergic reaction, which could lead to death
-
It does not work well for people who do not like needles and injections
-
The results of the treatment last for a shorter time frame than surgery
So should I Get Botox?
Let’s recap everything before making that decision. After all, an educated decision is the best decision.
Today, medical professionals inject people with this toxin in the smallest concentrations. It works by effectively preventing nerve cell signals from reaching the muscle. In the process, it paralyzes the muscles in the treatment area.
For muscles to effectively contract, the nerves must release acetylcholine, a chemical messenger, and neurotransmitter at the point where the muscle cells join in with the nerve endings.
This neurotransmitter then attaches to the receptors on the cells of the muscles. This leads to the shortening or contracting of the muscle cells.
When your doctor injects the botulinum toxin into the body, it will effectively prevent the nerves from releasing acetylcholine. In the process, it also prevents muscle cells from contracting.
Additionally, this toxin will lead to a reduction in the abnormal contraction of muscles. This way, it will allow your muscles to feel and look less stiff.
As a direct result, this prescription drug now has a wide variety of uses and applications. If you want to go for Botox, consider the following applications.
Medical Applications of Botulinum Toxin
Apart from its aesthetic applications, this treatment is also great for various medical conditions, including leaky bladders, excessive sweating, migraines, and eye squinting.
Also, more applications of Botox are currently under investigation. It is also currently FDA Okay for many therapeutic applications, including:
-
For Blepharospasm, or spasms of the eyelids
-
For Canthal lines, or crow’s feet
-
A chronic migraine
-
Glabellar lines, which are the frown lines that form in between the eyebrows
-
Hemifacial Spasm
-
Idiopathic rotational cervical dystonia, which occurs as severe spasms of the muscles in the shoulder and neck
-
Overactive bladder
-
Overactivity of the bladder wall muscle (detrusor), which causes urinary incontinence
-
Post-stroke spasticity of the upper limbs
-
Severe primary axillary hyperhidrosis, or excessive sweating
-
Strabismus, or crossed eyes
Non-Approved Applications of Botulinum Toxin
In other instances, this prescription drug is off-label for the following conditions:
-
Achalasia, a throat problem that might make it difficult for you to swallow
-
Allergic rhinitis, or hay fever
-
Anismus and anal fissure, a condition where the anal sphincter is not functioning properly
-
Cerebral Palsy
-
Laryngeal dystonia, which happens when the vocal cords contract forcefully
-
Oromandibular dystonia, the medical term we use to refer to the forceful contraction of the tongue, face, and/or jaw
-
Sialorrhea, where you produce excessive saliva
-
Sphincter of Oddi/hepatopancreatic dysfunction, which causes severe abdominal pain
How Does a Botox Injection Look Like?
Your certified provider will administer the botulinum toxin in the form of a powder that they first dilute in saline. After that, they will directly inject it into the neuromuscular tissue of your skin to cause the anti-wrinkle effects.
The botulinum toxin normally takes anywhere between 24 and 72 hours for its effects to start showing. In rare cases, it can take as long as a week, but this is not typical.
If you are lactating, pregnant, or breastfeeding, this treatment should wait till after this time period in your life. You should also inform the medical team if you have had an allergic reaction in the past to Botox or any of its constituent ingredients.
Are Botox Injections Risky?
To answer this question, one should first understand the side effects of botox.
Do Botox Injections Come with Side Effects?
Yes, it carries some side effects and risks.
What Risks Do Botox Injections carry?
Like with any other treatment – including cosmetic surgery and many others – botox does come with some potential side effects. These include, but are not limited to:
-
Bleeding
-
Double vision
-
Dry mouth
You should ask about any concerns prior to opting into being a new patient at any botox clinic. However, most people will generally tolerate botulinum toxin injections quite well, and few will suffer from any side effects.
In some rare cases, however, you might find that you are genetically predisposed to certain conditions, which may result in unusually mild and transient responses to this treatment.
For instance, 1% of all the people who receive injections of the botulinum toxin type A may develop antibodies to it, which may render any subsequent treatment quite ineffective. It alwyas pays off if you talk to your trusted beauty doctor to make sure what other skin tightening solutions exist to address your wrinkle problems.
Read more like this:
Who does the best botox near me?
Preventative botox – what you should know
9 Facts about preventative botox for people under 30
Botox Injections FAQ
Which is Better, Botox or Dysport?
Botox Vs Dysport; Choose Your Wrinkle Treatment