Dr. Tahsini performing a botox injection on the forehead
Aging can be difficult. To deal with the lines, wrinkles, and age spots. Although these are the normal effects of growing older – and long sun exposure, we know it can be hard to look at your face in the mirror and see someone who looks completely different. That’s why we decided to shed more light on Botox Injections, as it seems many people still don’t know how a botox injection can contribute to their appearance.
You may need an injectable answer to eliminate some signs of aging. Most people who have gotten Botox treatments now swear by them. They also 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. Read on to find out if a botox injection in Torrance is the right solution for you.
Botox is a product from 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.
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, the best Botox clinics dilute the toxin for use in beauty treatments.
This diluted form of the bacteria temporarily weakens the muscles within the botox injection site. In the process, it effectively treats conditions like a lazy eye, blinking control loss, wrinkles, facial creases, and other signs of aging.
When the treatment is for smoothing wrinkles, botox will be diluted before we 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 Botox treatments 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, we use it to temporarily paralyze muscles, which results in preventing and disappearing wrinkles and fine lines.
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 Botox treatments every year.
Botox, at its most basic level, is a neurotoxin. Originally from a naturally occurring organism, Clostridium botulinum, which is largely non-toxic and inactive.
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 we use Botox injections for a variety of medical purposes. The bacteria that create Botox, 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.
In excess, the botulinum toxin can cause botulism. This condition causes severe respiratory failure, which could prove to be fatal.
Like with every beauty treatment and drug, there are both pros and cons that come with using Botox. Consider the following:
Most people prefer Botox as the best alternative to undergoing plastic surgery. This is because it:
Although Botox is much less expensive when comparing to cosmetic surgery, it still comes with its own disadvantages. Consider the following:
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 we inject 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. Consider the following:
1- Botox injections in cosmetic surgery
2- Botox injections in non-surgical treatments to improve the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines
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 is currently under investigation. It is also currently FDA Okay for many therapeutic applications, including:
In other instances, this prescription drug is off-label for the following conditions:
We will administer the botulinum toxin in the form of a powder that we dilute in saline. After that, we 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.
To answer this question, one should first understand the side effects of botox.
Yes, it carries some side effects and risks.
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:
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.
There are a variety of reasons why Dr. Matt Tahsini would recommend Botox for decreasing the presence of fine lines and wrinkles; however, if it is not the right treatment for you, Skin Works Medical Spa offers a variety of other Anti-Aging treatment options that can reduce the presence of fine lines and wrinkles, ranging from facials to laser treatments.
Schedule your free skin consultation today in order to see what options will be best for you!