PROS AND CONS OF BOTOX: PROS AND CONS
Botox injections, what are the consequences. Benefits and harms, pros and cons of this procedure.
INNA CODRU , OCTOBER 27, 2021
Botox is an injectable drug made from botulinum toxin type A. This toxin is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. Although it is the same toxin that causes botulism (a life-threatening form of food poisoning), its effects vary depending on the amount and type of exposure. For example, Botox is administered only in small targeted doses.
In the 1970s, scientists began using botulinum toxin to treat strabismus. When testing this treatment on monkeys, the researchers noticed that botulinum toxin reduced wrinkles on the glabella. The glabella is the skin between the eyebrows and above the nose.
Botox is the face of the non-surgical cosmetic surgery industry. An estimated 6 million people receive Botox treatment each year, and Botox industry sales reached nearly $1 billion in the last fiscal quarter alone.
The FDA only approved the use of Botox for cosmetic procedures in 2002. At the time, it was introduced primarily as a remedy for forehead wrinkles. Since 2002, Botox has been proven to be a powerful treatment for a number of health problems such as: eyelid spasms, severe neck and shoulder spasms, chronic migraines, excessive sweating, strabismus, overactive bladder, wrinkles between the eyebrows, crow's feet around the eyes.
HOW DOES BOTOX WORK?
Botox is a neurotoxin. These substances act on the nervous system, disrupting the nerve signaling processes that stimulate muscle contraction. That is, Botox actually causes temporary muscle paralysis. To contract any muscle, nerves release a chemical messenger called acetylcholine at the junction of nerve endings with muscle cells. Acetylcholine attaches to receptors on muscle cells and causes the cells to contract or not contract. Botox injections prevent the release of acetylcholine, which stops muscle cells from contracting. In other words, Botox “paralyzes” wrinkles.
After an injection of botulinum toxin, our brain still sends a signal that travels through the nerve cells to the muscle cell, but the toxin inhibits the release of acetylcholine from the nerve cell. This prevents the message from reaching the muscles and thus prevents the muscles from contracting.
HOW DO BOTOX INJECTIONS ARE DONE?
At one time, many stubbornly thought that the injections were allegedly very painful. In fact, Botox is injected using a thin needle of an insulin syringe, so the risk of discomfort is very small. If you suffer from hypersensitivity, then the beautician will definitely offer you to use an anesthetic spray.
Botox looks like a regular powder, which is diluted with saline immediately before the procedure. Before administering the drug, the doctor will ask the patient to tighten the "problem" muscles - for example, frown if you are worried about wrinkles between the eyebrows, or raise your eyebrows in surprise if the problem is in the longitudinal wrinkles on the forehead.
The entire procedure will take no more than 10-15 minutes, but it may take 24-72 hours for the injection to fully work. In rare cases, it may take up to 5 days for the full effect to appear. Also, within 3-4 hours after the procedure, it is not recommended to lean forward, lift weights or go to bed. And refrain from sauna, active fitness, tanning, beauty treatments and alcohol for several days.
HOW LONG DOES BOTOX EFFECT?
The action of botulinum toxin is not permanent. The nerves regain their normal function in about 3-9 months. However, before the original nerves recover, immature nerves sprout in response to growth factor signals from the silent muscle. Later, the original nerves regain their full activity, allowing the muscle to move and function again.
Each client has his own terms: someone will be content with smoothed facial skin for up to 9 months, and for whom even three months will not be enough to not return to the beautician again. If you regularly introduce new portions of Botox under the skin, then the effect will last a little - on average for a month after each session of Botox therapy.
Among other things, it is important to remember that the worst enemies of Botox are acid peels, microcurrents and facial massage. If you suffer from oiliness or acne and are battling it with fruit or BHA products, this can be a problem. In your case, it is worth looking for an alternative to Botox in order to avoid deterioration of the skin condition.
IS IT DANGEROUS TO INJECT BOTOX? SIDE EFFECTS.
Although botulinum toxin is life-threatening, small doses, such as those used by cosmeticians when applying Botox, are safe.
Of course, it is very important that the doctor who will carry out this procedure for you has a lot of experience, because if the doctor misses and injects the drug into the wrong muscle, drooping of the muscles or ptosis of the eyelid can occur for the entire duration of the toxin.
Side effects after botulinum toxin treatment include bruising, swelling, headaches, discomfort, as well as muscle weakness, which can affect the muscles surrounding the injected muscle.
Anticoagulants should be stopped for two weeks before botulinum toxin injection to minimize bruising. In addition, botulinum toxin treatment should be started at a lower dose and gradually increased.
A 2021 Review of Research concluded that some people who received Botox injections experienced: superficial redness of the skin, swelling, drooping eyelid or eyebrow, pain at the injection site, some changes in skin color.
However, most of these side effects were mild and temporary. This is why Botox is generally considered safe.