Botox is probably the most talked about and popular cosmetic procedure of today. Since its release millions of women, and men have been rushing into the offices of the nearest practitioners to have the procedure done. With the FDA approval for cosmetic procedure came the emergence of the trendy ?Botox parties.? Practitioners began sending out invitations to potential candidates for food, drinks, conversation and a Botox injection. While the procedure itself is quick, and virtually painless you would be well advised to discuss the procedure with your doctor beforehand and schedule an appointment to have the treatment administered in a clinical setting, rather than at a social affair.



Botox is a trade name for the neurotoxin botulinum type A; a complex protein produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. The botulinum toxin acts as a nerve blocker and binds itself to the nerves leading to the muscle preventing the release of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that stimulates the muscle to contract. Botulism is a paralyzing form of food poisoning that occurs when the neurotoxin is ingested, the reason that it can be fatal is usually due to the paralysis of the respiratory muscles making it impossible to breath. So in this way, Botox is related to the food borne illness, but that is where the similarities end. With controlled application the botulinum type A can be injected into specific muscles and alleviate many problems associated with muscle spasms, or involuntary contraction of the muscle. Botox Cosmetic, when injected into the corrugator and procerus muscles, temporarily prevents them from contracting and this is what reduces the appearance of glabellar, or frown lines. Basically if the muscles cannot contract, or scrunch up, the wrinkles go away.

Botox has been indicated in treatment of several medical conditions, and has been proven to successfully treat blepharospasm, a condition which causes the involuntary spasmodic contraction of certain eye muscles, strabismus, a manifest lack of parallelism of the visual axes of the eyes, or crossed eyes and cervical dystonia, a state of abnormal tension in any of the tissues resulting in the impairment of a person's voluntary movement in the neck area. It has also been used to treat other dystonias, such as writer's cramp, as well as facial spasms, head and neck tremors and hyperhidrosis, or excessive sweating. Other applications for which Botox may be useful are currently being investigated. By injecting the toxin into the affected muscles the spasms or contractions that normally occur are greatly reduced or eliminated. The effects of the treatment for these conditions can be seen and felt anywhere from a couple of hours to a couple of days after treatment, they are temporary and will last anywhere from three to eight months.

Botox Cosmetic is a simple non-surgical treatment that has been proven to treat moderate to severe glabellar, or frown lines and eliminates wrinkles temporarily. It is the only treatment of its kind approved by the FDA for use in adult patients aged 18-65. The FDA approved the use of Botox for cosmetic use in April of 2002 and before that it was approved for use to treat certain medical conditions since 1989. In the year 2005 there were over 3 million procedures performed.

The procedure itself takes about ten minutes and involves a few tiny injections. The injections go directly into the muscle and then it enters into the nerve endings to block the chemical that causes the muscle to contract. Once the muscles are at rest and can no longer contract the appearance of the skin becomes firmer and smoother and the lines or wrinkles that would normally be see are greatly diminished or eliminated altogether. The results of the treatment can usually be seen within hours and will last for about four months. Because the treatment targets only certain areas and only the muscles that are affected the risk of the toxin spreading is severely reduced.

A topical anesthetic is usually applied to the area that will be treated to numb the injection site. There is usually only minimal pain or discomfort associated with the actual injection but it does not persist past the process of injection. There is usually no downtime resulting from the procedure so return to work and normal activity can usually resume immediately. There is usually little to no bruising, bleeding, swelling, pain or other discomfort involved with the procedure.

It would seem only natural to think that there would be a lot of risk involved with injecting toxins into the body but in fact Botox injections are believed to be safe and result in few side effects. Any side effects that may arise from the treatments typically last no more than six months since the treatment itself is temporary. The most common, but rare side effects associated with treatment include bruising at the site of the injection, headache, respiratory infection, nausea, and flu like symptoms. In rare occurrences the Botox cosmetic may spread to adjoining muscles and cause temporary paralysis. In less than 1% of patients this can cause drooping of the eyelid. Less frequently occurring side effects include pain in the face, erythema, or abnormal redness at the injection site, and muscle weakness. These adverse reactions occurred in less than 3% of patients and occurred within the first week of treatment. They are thought to be associated with the injection itself.

There are only few restrictions to who is eligible to receive treatment. Those who are pregnant or nursing are definitely ineligible. Those who suffer from neuromuscular disease have allergies to certain medications or who are taking certain medications should discuss this in depth with their physician, as they may not be eligible for treatment. Any medications that are being taken should always be disclosed as certain medications; mostly antibiotics can alter the effects of Botox. Many people return for new treatments as soon as the effects start to wear off. The cost of the procedure varies depending on how many areas are being treated and who is performing the procedure. The price typically ranges from $175 for one area of treatment to $800 for three or more areas of treatment.