What is Botox?

When it comes to Botox, there’s a lot of controversy about whether it is ethical, healthy or even a viable path to the fountain of youth. Botox is used medically to treat certain muscular conditions, but most commonly used cosmetically to remove wrinkles and improve physical appearance. This is done by temporarily paralyzing muscles. Botox is made from a neurotoxin called botulinum toxin that is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. The bacterium can also be found in the intestinal tracts of mammals and fish and in the gills and organs of crabs and other shellfish. Botox itself is extremely poisonous, and that is why it is usually injected into humans in extremely small concentrations. Botox works by preventing signals from the nerve cells from reaching muscles, therefore paralyzing them.

It Has Gained A Lot Of Popularity

Botox has been the number-one non-surgical procedure in the world since the year 2000. As of 2015, there have been over 4 million Botox procedures performed, and people increasingly continue to go in to get the procedure done. Over the years, Hollywood has played a big role in advertising the procedure and selling it to the masses. These days, you don’t have to be a multi-millionaire to get the procedure, you can simply walk into an office, set up an appointment and you are ready to go. It sounds pretty convenient, but it doesn’t mean that that makes it 100% safe.

Initially, It Was Used Medically

Botox was first used as a medical treatment for a muscle-related eye condition in the early 1970’s and late 80’s. After a while, through experimentation, doctors soon began to discover that it also helped to treat face and neck spasms, among other medical conditions. Its cosmetic benefits were later discovered by coincidence.

It Is Not Completely FDA Approved

The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) officially approved cosmetic Botox in the year 2002, however up until this day, it has only been approved for three purposes in the dermatological world: for use in-between the eyebrows, the lines around the eyes, and sweating under the armpits. It is important to note though that just because not every cosmetic Botox procedure is FDA-approved does not necessarily mean that it is not safe and effective, if done properly. Off-label procedures are still within the standard of care. There are so many non-FDA-approved applications for Botox. According to dermatologist Dendy Engelman, MD. “It can be used to decrease scalp-sweating, fix brow asymmetry, decrease skin oiliness, and minimize the appearance of pores, to name a few”.

It Helps With Really Bad Migraine Headaches

Botox shots have a profound effect on migraine headaches as it tends to turn them right off. It reduces and often stops the severity as well as the duration of time which the patient feels any form of discomfort. Another one of the little known benefits of Botox is that it can be used to help crossed eyes, blurred vision and eyelid spasms. Without going into too much detail about the muscles in the eye, Botox can help to relax the eye muscles so that they aren’t working against each other, which can help the other eye muscle to heal faster.

“Botched” Botox Is A Rampant Problem

Botched Botox is a situation that occurs when a Botox procedure goes wrong and the patient looks terrible because of it (swollen face, swollen eyelids, face asymmetry and so on)Two out of five persons who have had Botox done on themselves usually have a “botched” situation, and this is because  people are increasingly getting their procedures  done by inexperienced, and often unlicensed, practitioners who don’t know the dimension of the face shape that they are working on and how to correctly administer the Botox. Other times a botched situation may occur when a patient goes overboard and has way too many procedures. Because Botox is so popular these days, it is easy to get the procedure done at some gyms and spas, but in these cases, you never know what you’re getting for your money’s worth, how old the product is, what it has been mixed with, and whether or not  the person administering the injection knows what he or she is actually doing.

It Is Universal

Unlike certain surgical procedures,  which could potentially cause pigmentation or scarring, when Botox is done correctly, it can be done on all skin tones and skin types. It  is a procedure and that crosses all racial diversity and divides. Men, Women, Caucasian, African-American, Asian, Indian, to name a few, are all participating in the Botox movement.

It’s Side Effects Can Be Brutal

Just like all drugs have their side effects, there is definitely a downside to Botox. While Botox has helped many women look younger and more rested, it usually does not work for all types of wrinkles. A little-known Botox side effect for some women is that it can cause changes in their mood for the worse. Some women reported experiencing symptoms of depression and anxiety along with panic attacks after getting the procedure done. Although some more research needs to be done about the matter, there is only one study that finds that the loss of sensation and muscle control from Botox can cause severe anxiety and depression. Another uncommon but potential side effect of Botox is that patients can become immune to it. Women have reported becoming immune to Botox after only a few treatments. When Allergan was contacted about this they reported that since Botox is a protein complex, some people’s immune systems reject it by creating “blocking” antibodies within the body which can cause the drug to become inactive. This could serve as a side effect of the procedure as well.

Things To Consider

If you intend to use Botox someday, here are a few things to think about:

You should not use Botox if you have any form of infection in the area where the medicine will be injected. Although one major advantage of Botox is that it can help to relieve issues related to the bladder, Botox should not be used to treat an overactive bladder if you have a current bladder infection or if you are unable to urinate. The botulinum toxin contained in Botox can easily spread to other body areas beyond where it was originally injected, and this has caused serious life-threatening issues to even people who are using Botox solely for cosmetic purposes. If you ever undergo Botox treatment, reach out to your doctor at once if you have symptoms such as drooping eyelids, vision problems, severe muscle weakness, loss of bladder control, or trouble breathing. Some of these effects can occur up to several weeks or hours after receiving a Botox injection.

I think that there are other natural ways to preserve youth and keep your face looking fresh. Botox may be a surefire way to remove wrinkles and smoothen out an area of your face, but what happens after you leave the doctor’s office, go home and find something else that you want to “fix”?. Exercise and a healthy diet still remain two of the top ways to keep your skin and face looking young and fresh. There are also organic supplements in stores that help to boost physical appearance. Although I am writing on Botox, and how people engage with it, it’s disadvantages outweigh ts advantages.