Facts About Botox

Botox is currently among the most popularly used wrinkle treatments on the market. It is a form of botulism or rather a small amount of the toxic botulism variety, and it is used to freeze the skin cells, stop them from contracting, and therefore give you quick and easy results with just an injection. Many pay hundreds to go in and get several different injections, hundreds for each individual injection actually, and the results generally last for about 4 months. Many have found that doctors are actually buying cheaper versions and not telling consumers that there’s a difference and actually causing more problems and side effects in the process.

As a toxin, botulism was discovered between 1817 and 1822 by a German physician and poet, Justinus Kerner. He called it the sausage poison at the time, and since then, it has been recognized as quite a toxic and dangerous substance. It has only been recently that it was changed, in December of 1989, and then FDA approved to treat certain problems, leading to its use in wrinkles. However, it has not actually been approved by the FDA for the treatment of wrinkles.

Since it freezes muscles, botox has been used to treat a myriad of medical conditions and diseases in general. It has for example been used to treat a spastic neuromuscular disorder of the neck and head, excessive blinking, excessive sweating, failure of the lower oesophageal sphincter to relax, migraines, anal fissure, stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy, focal dystonias, TMJ, diabetic neuropathy, excessive salivation, wound healing, and vocal cord spasms. So as you can see, there are quite a few valid uses for botox.

Unfortunately, it is now not used in those under 12, and frankly it has been recommended to some degree that nobody use it. Between 1989 and 2003, botox has been linked to 28 different deaths. Adverse reactions are common. The most common are drooping eyes, lack of expression, etc. However, it can easily spread to other areas of the body, which is where the worry and sometimes the more serious side effects come in. Once botox wears off, after 4 months, the generalized side effects wear off. However, it may be too late in some cases, as the deaths would indicate.

Now known side effects of botox include difficulty swallowing, muscle weakness, pneumonia, speech disorders, breathing problems, anxiety, back pain, dizziness, drowsiness, dry eyes, eye irritation, facial pain, flu-like symptoms, headache, inability to focus eyes, increased cough, nausea, neck pain, redness, swelling, tenderness, runny nose, sensitivity to light, sweating, upset stomach, weakness of muscles, dysphagia, respiratory problems, glaucoma, ptosis, vertical deviation, spatial disorientation, hemorrhaging, and other problems. However, it should be noted that at least 2 of the above named deaths were due to the previously referred to fake botox. Fake botox can be more dangerous because you don’t know what is in it. But that does not make botox as a lethal element any less dangerous keep in mind.

Botox generally takes about 1 month to set in, and so you actually get the full potential benefits for about 3 months. Prices vary according to the physician, and I would be extremely cautious if you see a lower price due to the risk of fake botox. But there has been more than one celebrity and ordinary citizen scared off by their first and only experience with botox.