Botox: Are Botox Injections Safe?
May 1st, 2008 Posted by: Raymond Lam
For the last few years if you have wanted to eliminate the signs of aging like wrinkles, sagging skin and other lines then it is more than likely you would consider using botox; despite how often this treatment is used, few people understand the method it uses. Before this can be done we need to go back a little in time to when this was originally discovered. The first research into Botulinum toxin was carried out over five decades ago; it was used to treat patients with neurological problems.
It wasn’t until around 1989 that the Federal Drug Administration agreed to allow its use in medical procedures to help people with disorders of the eye; some of these included patients with excessive, involuntary blinking and for those suffering with crossed eyes plus, on occasion, wrinkles. More research was carried out into other medical uses and in 2000 it was allowed to be used on patients that had a cervical dystonia condition; this eases the pain from serious contractions in the shoulders and neck, but it was also given the ok to be used on another more unusual eye condition. In their research, doctors discovered that Botox softened the frown lines between the eyebrows; after further tests in 2002 the FDA allowed it to be used for the first cosmetic enhancement and the drug finally had a new field of use.
Botox paralyses the muscles that cause wrinkles keeping them in a relaxed state; after a number of treatments the lines start to lessen. The lines will to the casual observer, disappear but the same process can now be used on laughter lines around the eyes and forehead lines as well. The form used in these injections is one that has been cleaned up and diluted, posing no threat; this same botulism can make us very ill but when use in cosmetic surgery it is a purified form the Botulinum toxin.
The problem is that when we laugh, cry or frown for example, lines and wrinkles appear caused by the muscles that have helped create the expression; these injections can help eliminate those lines. These lines are formed on our faces after years of wear and tear; whilst many manufacturers have tried to produce creams that eliminate these wrinkles and creases (unsuccessfully), this treatment can at least for a short period. After being injected into the effected area, botox temporarily paralyzes these muscles so that you can’t make these expressions; many people believe that overuse leaves the recipient with a look similar to that of a mannequin.
Because frown line, wrinkles and facial creases have all but disappeared, it provides the user with a look of someone much younger. Some will be happy that the people who can afford the treatment are still the wealthy with individual treatments still costing a great deal of money; this is why it has been coined as something only celebrities have performed because the least expensive injection can still cost upwards of 300 dollars to in excess of 1,000 dollars. The side-effects of regular botox use may take some time to appear as it is only a recent addition to the cosmetic surgeon’s armory but for now, its use does not seem to be diminishing.
