All About Botox Treatment

Botulinum Toxin or "Botox" is a natural toxin created by bacteria that causes botulism. In small doses Botox is a very safe alternative to plastic surgery facial lifts. Botox has been used for cosmetic purposes only recently, since the mid-1990s. Before this time Botox was used on a variety of medical conditions. It is from these uses over the past several decades that the substance has been tested and confirmed to not present a danger to the patient seeking a cosmetic procedure.

Botox is administered to the patient in a liquid form and this is injected directly into the skin at the point of consideration for its most effective use. It is most effective on the deep wrinkles of the face created by strong and repeated facial expressions. These include crow's feet around the eyes and the vertical wrinkles of the upper lip which are caused by smiles. Other wrinkles that can be addressed by Botox include horizontal forehead creases and scowl lines between the eyebrows. For each of these conditions Botox has been shown to drastically enhance the skin's natural, healthy tone or even eliminate these deep and penetrating wrinkles.

These wrinkles are called dynamic wrinkles because they are caused by peak facial expressions and the action of facial muscles associated with those expressions. Contrary to what most people believe Botox does not make the skin harder or immovable instead, Botox weakens the muscles used in facial expressions thereby reducing the pinching effect of the muscle's motions.

This substance is closely regulated and considered a full medical procedure therefore Botox is administered only by plastic surgeon physicians. The patient is screened to ensure an overall healthy constitution and then the injection is performed at the exact area that the patient would like to remove the facial wrinkles. The effects of the injection are not immediate. Although the patient will experience a little discomfort this does not last and they may return to work immediately after the procedure. The actual effect of the injection on the wrinkles will begin to occur within the first 24 hours. Within the first week the wrinkles will seem to disappear completely.

Botox has been used for several decades to treat numerous medical ailments. There is a lot of medical data available to show that there are no negative long-term effects. Some patients have observed that injections in the forehead may reduce the ability to raise their eyebrows however this has largely not been stated as a problem for most people. There is a small risk of allergic reaction however the administering physician is quite adept at monitoring each patient's condition after the injection. People with diseases of the nervous system or pregnant woman should not use Botox.