The cosmetic effects and age reducing properties of botox are well documented; for such a recognized treatment it is surprising how many people haven't a clue how it works. In order to appreciate just what this is we need a brief history lesson into its discovery, quite a while ago now. The first research into Botulinum toxin was carried out over five decades ago; It used originally for disorders of the brain.

It wasn't until around 1989 that the Federal Drug Administration agreed to allow its use in medical procedures to help people with disorders of the eye; 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 is where severe neck and shoulder contractions were causing discomfort to a number of people, but other eye conditions were included in this approval. Scientists found that if the botox drug was injected into the lines between the eyebrows it would gradually soften them and make them disappear; following this the FDA finally recognized the implications and agreed its commercial use in 2002.

Botox has a paralyzing affect when it is injected into areas of the forehead which control the muscles that cause frowning; after a number of treatments the lines start to lessen. Continued treatments mean in many cases the lines disappear and now the same treatment is used on other areas of the face like the crows' feet, laughter lines and other facial wrinkles. The injections are a purified and watered down version of the sometimes fatal Botulinum poison; because of the purification process it can be used in cosmetic surgery.

The reason people want to use the injections is because every time you laugh, smile, frown, or for that matter do just about anything with your facial muscles, wrinkles are caused by the underlying contractions of these muscles. 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 ‘skin age reduction cream' manufacturers have tried to produce creams that reduce facial line but this is the only treatment that works, currently. Because botox paralyzes the facial muscles, normal movement, expressions and gestures are almost impossible to make; because facial movement is reduced, it can give a doll like appearance to the user.

Because frown line, wrinkles and facial creases have all but disappeared, it provides the user with a look of someone much younger. Injections of this very popular cosmetic treatment are still costly; some single injections costing in the low to high hundreds of dollars. Whether there are any long term effects from continued use of botox is still unknown as the treatment is still to new but for those people who do use it, it doesn't seem to matter.

 

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3.25 Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."