Is Botox Safe to Use?
Botox is widely used by women (and some men) as an aid to beauty - but is botox safe for women to use in this way?. Lets look at the background to botox and some of the pros and cons.
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. To help with this, we need to step back a few decades to when this substance was first researched and used. The first research into Botulinum toxin was carried out over five decades ago; originally the purpose of this was to treat neurological disorders.
Botox Safety Approval
A few decades later after much research, the FDA granted permission for it to be used medically and the first patients to make use of the drug were those with eye conditions; patients suffering with uncontrollable blinking and crossed eyes were given this and sometimes those who suffered with wrinkles as well. Later in the first year of the millennium after many more years of research, it was granted permission to be used on patients with cervical dystonia; this disorder causes severe neck and shoulder contractions but they also permitted it to be used with other eye problems. In their research, doctors discovered that Botox softened the frown lines between the eyebrows; following this the FDA finally recognized the implications and agreed its commercial use in 2002.
The Cosmetic Effects Of Botox
Botox has a paralyzing affect when it is injected into areas of the forehead which control the muscles that cause frowning; when given sufficient injections given over a period of time, frown lines for example, will reduce in intensity. 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. To allay any fears about injection toxin into our bodies these injections only contain a diluted and purified version of the poison; because of the purification process it can be used in cosmetic surgery.
Unfortunately, lines and creases form whenever we laugh (especially as we get older) or make any other facial gesture; they are caused by muscles contracting. When we are young and our skin is more elastic, these lines do not show but as we age the constant use of facial muscles leaves us with lines; many cosmetic manufacturers have tried to create creams to eliminate the creases but this is the only treatment to date that can actually rid them from us. Botox paralyzes the facial muscles which means everyday expressions we use in communication and take for granted cannot be made; people who have regular treatment often look as though they are dummies because they cannot smile properly or make other facial gestures that we tend to rely on.
People still have enough movement to look fairly normal but not enough to cause these wrinkles; so in fact by taking these injections they help you to look younger. Whilst popular this cosmetic treatment is still very expensive for what it is; 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.
