If you want a younger and fresher facial look without the pain and great expense of major cosmetic surgery, then Botox injections might be the approach you’ve been looking for. Botox can also be used to treat migraine pain and some types of muscle problems, and has been a great boon to many people suffering these painful disorders, in contrast to popular jokes about vain celebrities. Although Botox is not something to be used lightly like aspirin or Band-Aids, these treatments can be of great use to those suffering from migraines which are not responsive to other forms of treatment, muscle disorders, and of course facial cosmetic improvement.
Clostridium botulinum sounds like an extremely arcane musical group from Boston, but in fact it is the scientific name for a bacterium that secretes a powerful neurotoxin known as botulinum. This toxin, while deadly in large enough doses, can be used medicinally in tiny amounts to relax nerve and muscle tissues in the body. The discovery of the bacterium both solved a problem of public health in the meatpacking industry, but also gave medical science a useful tool. Through the 20th century researchers developed novel and sometimes highly productive uses for this deadly but versatile by-product – not least in the area of cosmetic surgery.
Botox treatments have a reputation for being fast and simple, and this reputation is largely earned. At a clinic where you already have a treatment plan, each session takes 15 minutes or less. At a reputable doctor’s office, you will start with an examination so that the doctor can check how the muscles and nerves in that area of your body are working. Some patients use a mild anesthetic or an ice pack to numb the area, but this is largely optional as the injections are very quick, lasting only two or three minutes. If there is discomfort it is generally not severe and does not last long. Patients can resume work, family life, etc., immediately following the procedure. Results can show up overnight but more typically take a few days. The effects of the Botox procedure will last for at least three months, longer if you receive Botox treatments regularly.
The medicinal uses of Botox were developed first, and the toxin was used in the treatment of a variety of muscle and eye problems, as well as severe migraines. Since the 1980s, the cosmetic uses of Botox have been more common. Botox works by relaxing the muscles and nerves in an area, which eases wrinkles that already exist. In addition, Botox in younger patients has a preventive effect, delaying the onset of wrinkles by relaxing the muscles that contribute to their development over time. Deeper wrinkles can be greatly eased or smoothed by Botox injections as well, and many patients find it useful to add a filler product to their Botox regimen. Cosmetic surgery is ultimately about helping people to feel better, and so the primary benefit of Botox for most patients will be the enhancement to their self-image and the way they feel about their appearance.
Botox injections are quite safe as cosmetic surgery procedures go, although no medical procedure is ever entirely free of risk. Even though botulinum is a toxin, the Botox injection itself, done professionally in a safe clinical setting, bears very little risk to the vast majority of patients. However, some patients should not use Botox. Those suffering from asthma, emphysema, or other breathing disorders, muscular and neural ailments like myasthenia gravis and ALS, and patients allergic to botulinum or other ingredients in the Botox preparation should not be injected. Pregnant and breastfeeding women, or those intending to do so, should avoid Botox as the effects of Botox on breastfeeding children and the unborn are unknown. Patients can check with their physician, either their own primary doctor or the doctor providing the Botox injection, to see whether they have any disqualifying conditions or ailments. Most people can safely use Botox either for its medicinal or its cosmetic benefits.
If you are interested in Botox Injections then you must make the choice of whether or not to use these injections for an inexpensive but effective cosmetic improvement. The first place to check is the Complete Botox Guide by The Plastic Surgeons at ppskc.com