Botox Treatments : Answers To Commonly Asked Questions

The treatment of ageing skin was revolutionized by the introduction of botox, and it is now the most popular non-surgical cosmetic procedure performed by doctors. Lots of people are still unsure about certain aspects of it though, with common questions being...

1. What is botox? Botox is special type of protein that relaxes muscles. By injecting it directly into facial muscles, lines and wrinkles that have developed as a result of frowning, worrying and laughing, are smoothed and softened.

2. What occurs during the treatment? The actual procedure takes just 5-10mins and involves a small number of injections of botox solution directly into the muscle groups causing wrinkling.

3. What post-treatment care is required? You are advised to stay upright and to try to exercise, by pulling various facial expressions, the areas treated for 2-4 hours following the injections.

4. How quickly are the effects noticeable? Results are not instantaneous, and typically take a couple of days to initially become noticeable. The full effects tend to take around 7-14 days.

5. How many times will I need to have botox injections? Most people have 3-4 botox treatments per year at first, in order to achieve and retain more youthful and fresher skin. This frequency can be reduced after the first year though, as the skin becomes more susceptible to botox with use.

6. If I do not have repeat treatments, will my face 'droop'?? No, you will suffer no adverse effects at all if you decide to stop having botox treatments.

7. Is there a chance that botox will make my face expressionless? Unless you have far too many botox injections, which only unscrupulous, and most probably unlicensed, cosmetic surgeons would administer, the there is no chance of your face losing its ability to express whatever emotions that it normally can.

8. What are the side effects? No long term side effects of botox have ever been found. In the short term, mild discomfort and headaches can be a problem for some people shortly after they have the injections, though this is the exception rather than the rule.

9. Is it safe to use botox? Botox is considered a very safe medication. It is now approved by medical authorities in over 70 countries worldwide. It has been used widely in the cosmetic industry for the last 15 years.

Now Try : Botox Treatments In London Or Cosmetic Surgery

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December 14 2009 | Anti-Aging | No Comments »

What is Botulinum Toxin?

One microgram of botulinum toxin is lethal to humans. It is one of the most acutely toxic poisons known to mankind and can kill by paralysing musculoskeletal and respiratory systems. Botulinum toxin acts by blocking the release of the chemical neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which relays nerve impulses from the brain to various parts of the body. This prevents nerve impulses from reaching the muscles, causing paralysis.

The anaerobic, Gram positive, spore-forming bacteria Clostridium botulinum is the primary producer of botulinum toxin. Ingesting the spores of Clostridium botulinum causes intestinal botulism or infant botulism, which is one of the kinds of the paralytic disease botulism. Wound botulism is caused when a wound is infected by Clostridium botulinum, while eating food that contains botulinum toxin causes food-borne botulism. Botulism is also known as botulinus intoxication.

Babies less than 12 months of age are susceptible to infant botulism because their digestive juices are less acidic than those of adults and older children. Thus, they have less capacity to destroy Clostridium botulinum spores that have been ingested. The spores germinate in the infant's intestines and produce botulinum toxin. Constipation, followed by generalized weakness, loss of head control and difficulty feeding are the symptoms of infant botulism.

4 to 14 days after a wound is infected by Clostridium botulinum, the symptoms of wound botulism, such as difficulty in swallowing, weakness of the muscles, drooping of the eyelids, difficulty in breathing, double or blurred vision, slurred speech, incontinence, diarrhoea, and dryness of the mouth begin to appear. The symptoms of food-borne botulism are the same but appear sooner, about 12 to 38 hours after eating food containing botulinum toxin.

Depending on the situation, one of the two primary types of botulinum antitoxin, trivalent botulinum antitoxin and heptavalent botulinum antitoxin, can be used to treat botulism. Coupled with artificial ventilation to combat the effects of respiratory paralysis caused by the botulinum toxin, the administration of antitoxin until the toxin is completely excreted or metabolised is effective if treatments are initiated on time.

Heat rapidly destroys botulinum toxin. Thorough cooking eradicates any toxin that is present in food. However, the Clostridium botulinum spores from which the toxin come from are very heat tolerant and will survive even prolonged boiling at 100 degrees Celsius. Proper food handling is required to forestall contamination. Low pH levels, high salt concentration, and proper refrigeration prevent the growth of Clostridium botulinum.

Botulinum toxin type A, one of the serologically distinct types of botulinum toxin, is used in the treatment of facial lines and wrinkles, certain neurological disorders, and hyperhidrosis, despite its toxicity. For the treatment of neurological conditions, Botox, Dysport, Myobloc, Neurobloc and Xeomin are the brand names under which it is marketed. It is also commercially available under the trade names Botox Cosmetic and Vistabel for cosmetic treatment purposes.

There is an indication that botulinum toxin can help promote weight loss by speeding up gastric emptying time. There is also an indication that it is effective in the treatment and prevention of chronic headaches, as well as chronic musculoskeletal pain, by blocking nerve impulses to the muscles of the affected area.

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October 05 2009 | Anti-Aging | No Comments »