Botox has now been used for a number of years for men and women that want to hide signs of aging,the problem lies in the general misconception about the cosmetic effect it creates.
Before this can be done we need to go back a little in time to when this was originally discovered. The substance is derived from Botulinum toxin, discovered nearly five decades ago,it was tested for use as a treatment for disorders of the mind.
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,these included blepharospasm (uncontrollable blinking), strabismus (crossed eyes) and even wrinkles.
In the year 2000 was given the all clear for the of treatment cervical dystonia it was found to be effective at helping patients with neck and shoulder contractions but other eye disorders were included at the same time. Scientists found that if the botox drug was injected into the lines between the eyebrows it would gradually soften them and make them disappear,this discovery won over the FDA who agreed that it could be used in cosmetic procedures from 2002.
Botox is injected into the muscles of the forehead, it blocks nerve impulses which results in the weakening of the muscles that cause frowning,when given sufficient injections given over a period of time, frown lines for example, will reduce in intensity.
The lines will to the casual observer, disappear but the same process can now be used on laughter lines around the eyes and forehead lines as well. The form used in these injections is one that has been cleaned up and diluted, posing no threat,this same botulism can make us very ill but when use in cosmetic surgery it is a purified form the Botulinum toxin.
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,that's why people who have had these treatments can look like mannequins.
People still have enough movement to look fairly normal but not enough to cause these wrinkles, For some people the obvious downside to this treatment is the cost,some single injections costing in the low to high hundreds of dollars. There is always some concern about new treatments and botox is no exception with many people worried about the long term effects of injections, but even so this has not stopped its popularity.
