Botox ® Cosmetic is a prescription cosmetic product that is used to eliminate lines and wrinkles on the face caused by every day facial expressions and muscle movements. Generically, Botox is botulinum toxin type A, and it is one form of botulinum toxins, which are a group of chemicals that can paralyze muscles. Botox is a good example of something that is highly dangerous in large amounts, but helpful when used in minute amounts.

Botulinum toxins are made by the bacterium, Clostridium botulinum, the same
bacterium that causes the deadly food poisoning known as botulism. There are
several botulinum toxins, of which only A and B have been approved for medical
use in the United States. Botulinum toxin A is Botox. Two other botulinum toxin A
products should be on the U.S. market within the next year or two. Myobloc, which
is botulinum toxin B, is already approved for certain muscle problems. But Botox is
the first and best-known of these products and the only one approved for cosmetic
use.

Originally, Botox was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the
treatment of a condition called blepharospasm, which is spasms of the muscles of
the eyelids, and strabismus, or crossed eyes caused by one or more eye muscle
being pulled too tight. It is now also approved for the treatment of cervical dystonia,
where the muscles of the neck have tightened causing severe pain and pulling the
head into an abnormal position. It is also used to treat hyperhydrosis, which extreme
sweating under the arms.

Botox is also used off-label (which means that it does not have FDA approval for that use)
in treating other disorders involving muscle spasms (dystonia) and some forms of migraine
headaches. Once a drug is approved by the FDA, a physician can use it in any way he
or she sees fit. However, the manufacturer is not allowed to publicize or advertise any
off-label use. Off-label, Botox has also been helpful for people with serious muscle
contractions and muscle imbalances caused by cerebral palsy.

Don’t be put off by the connection between Botox and botulism poisoning. Botox has
been used for many years with an excellent safety record when it is administered by
 a qualified cosmetic physician.

What Is Botox Cosmetic Used For?

Botox Cosmetic was approved in 2002 to improve the look of fine lines and superficial
wrinkles caused from every day facial expressions like smiling, frowning, or squinting.
A tiny injection of Botox into the facial muscle causing the line or wrinkle stops the
muscle from moving and prevents the wrinkling.

Officially, Botox is approved for cosmetic use only in the area between the eyebrows
(called the glabella) and on the forehead. However, once a drug is approved, physicians
are allowed to use it elsewhere, and they do. This is why Botox was widely used to treat
wrinkles before 2002.

Botox injections may not remove a long-standing wrinkle completely, although it might
lessen it. It can only keep you from furrowing your brow or squinting. However, if your
wrinkles are superficial, it can smooth them considerably.

How Does Botox Work?

Normally, when your body wants a muscle to move, your brain sends electrical messages
to the muscles telling them to contract. The electrical message is transmitted to the muscle
by a substance called acetylcholine. Botox blocks the release of acetylcholine so that the
muscle does not receive the message to contract. Essentially, this means that the muscle
has been stopped from moving and is paralyzed. And it won’t move until the Botox starts
wearing off in a few months.

Many people do not realize that they go through every day with a furrowed brow or
vertical lines between their eyebrows. They end up looking tired and worried or angry.
Botox can help smooth out their forehead, not only eliminating the lines and wrinkles,
but making them look more rested and relaxed and even happier.

Botox may also help you put off the need for having plastic surgery for several years.
It can be used in conjunction with injectable fillers such as Restylane and Sculptra to
further assist in rejuvenating your appearance. 

There are a lot of jokes about Botoxed people with rigid faces and no way to show
emotion. A cosmetic physician who is experienced with Botox and the correct
placement and number of injections will leave you looking refreshed, not stiff.

What to Expect at Your Botox Appointment

The most common areas to be treated with Botox are the forehead, the area between
your eyebrows at the top of your nose (the glabella), and the outer eye area. Botox is
injected with a very fine needle into the muscle or muscles that are causing the wrinkle
or furrow. Usually, you get several injections in each muscle. It may take about 30 minutes
or so to complete the whole treatment. 

Patients report very little pain or discomfort associated with Botox injections because
of the tiny size of the needle, but you will feel at least some discomfort from the injection.
You might feel a bit of stinging or a feeling of great pressure. 

In The Weeks After Your Botox Treatment

After your treatment, it can take between a few hours and a few days to see the effects
of Botox. In the first hours and day, you should try to move the treated muscles as little
as you can.

The maximum benefit is reached in 1 to 2 weeks and you will not see any improvement
beyond then. The effects last about 3 months with a single treatment session of Botox
Cosmetic. You will see a smoothing of your skin and the improvement of fine lines
and superficial wrinkles in the area of your treatment.  When the effects start wearing
off, you will notice a very gradual fading of the effects.  At this point you can schedule
another treatment. Botox  Cosmetic has proven itself again and again in eliminating
superficial lines and wrinkles. Patients report that during a course of treatment their
lines seem to disappear and the skin regains its former smoothness.

Botox Side Effects: Risks, Complications, and Contraindications

Although treatment with Botox is very safe, there are risks and possible complications.
A major risk is that either too much is used or the injections are placed incorrectly and
the wrong muscles are paralyzed or too many muscles are paralyzed. You could possibly
end up with a drooping eyelid or eyebrow, double vision, an inability to move one or
both eyes properly, or the inability to move other muscles in your face. However local
injections of antibiotics have been shown to reduce paralysis in some patients. In any
event, Botox wears off in a few weeks.

Botox can cause temporary headaches. There is also the possibility of bruising at the
injection sites. 

Treatment with Botox can usually be repeated indefinitely, whenever you need it. 
However, if you are pregnant or taking certain medications, you should not receive
Botox treatments.  The effects of Botox may be increased if it is used while you are
taking certain antibiotics or other drugs that interfere with neuromuscular chemicals.
This means that injections that had worked well in the past might paralyze a greater
area than intended. Be sure to disclose all pre-existing medical conditions and all
medications you are currently to the physician before having any treatment with Botox.