Botox is the brand name of the toxin Clostridium botulinum. When ingested in large amounts, this toxin can cause botulism, an illness known in conjecture as food poisoning. Botulism causes paralysis, something that works as a stimulant in Botox injections.
In the 1980s, Botox injections were approved for the treatment of muscle spasms such as lazy eyes and uncontrolled blinking. The injection works by numbing the receptors between your nerves and the muscles. This means the targetted muscles can no longer contract.
Botox has been used as a cosmetic treatment for decades. In 2002, the injection gained FDA approval for removing the lines between your eyebrows, also known as glabellar lines. Your wrinkles relax, soften, and do not move for some months. This means the wrinkles do not show up when you move your face, giving you a younger look.
Being an injectable that relaxes your muscles is also a reason why Botox is majorly used to treat migraines, muscular disorders, migraines, and bowel and bladder disorders.
How It Works
Botox injections are primarily used on dynamic wrinkles. These folds and creases appear on your face when you smile or frown. These wrinkles become deeper over a lifetime of use. Botox prevents the formation of additional wrinkles and folds caused by aging.
While the effects of Botox are underway, your dynamic wrinkles do not move, giving your face some time to recover from the effect that wrinkles have. This, in turn, slows down the aging process. However, damage caused by exposure to the sun and the effects of gravity will not be cured by Botox injections.
Results
You will notice the results of Botox within a week. Since your facial muscles are not moving, the skin on your face does not stretch with active use. As an added advantage, Botox also prevents the formation of future wrinkles.
The injection will prevent lines from forming if you inject the muscle underneath a dynamic wrinkle before you use it. You will need regular injections – at least one treatment in four months – to experience the continued effects of the injections. The smaller the muscle, the longer the effects of Botox will last. For example, you will notice longer effects on bunny lines as compared to nasolabial folds.
