What does botox do?

Botulinum toxin A is a muscle relaxer. It acts by inactivating the nerves that stimulate muscles. It has been used for over thirty years in medicine to treat a variety of muscle related eye disorders and certain types of muscle spasm. The cosmetic use of botulinum toxin A began in the early 1990's when it was reported that patients who had eye problems treated with botulinum toxin also had a softening of lines and wrinkles around the eye. This astute observation by ophthalmologist Dr Jean Carruthers and her husband dermatologist Dr Alastair Carruthers led to further studies on the cosmetic use of botulinum toxin A. Today we use the commercial products Botox Cosmetic and Dysport to soften lines and wrinkles that come from the movement of muscles. This includes frown lines, forehead lines, crow's feet and bunny lines that found on the sides of the nose. Make no bones about it, botulinum toxin treatments have truly revolutionized the field of non-invasive facial rejuvenation.

Botox has many indications and usages. For cosmetic results, Botox can be used to reduce wrinkles and fine lines on the facial area. It acts as a neuromuscular blockade of the muscles (frontalis, orbicularis oculi, and procerus, and corrugators. Other usages include: treatment for urinary incontinence due to detrusor overactivity associated with a neurological condition (MS, spinal cord injury), chronic migraine headaches, treatment of upper limb spasticity, cervical dystonia, axillary hyperhidrosis, and strabismus. 

Injections of botulinum toxin type A is the number one cosmetic procedure in the world, with more than 4 million treatments done in the United States in 2006. (Interestingly, 60 percent of female Botox users have never had any cosmetic surgery before, according to the Aesthetic Surgery Education and Research Foundation.) Its supreme popularity is for a good reason: it works. Botox and Dysport are purified forms of botulinum toxin type A (and no, the shots do not produce the deadly disease botulism). When injected in tiny amounts, the neurotoxin causes facial muscles to relax and almost magically erases frown lines, forehead wrinkles, and crow's feet. Because it smoothes the skin, the procedure also makes slight structural changes to the face: opening up the eyes, widening the forehead, and elevating the brows.

Find out more about this book: Simple Skin Beauty: Every Woman's Guide to a Lifetime of Healthy, Gorgeous...

Buy Book