Botox has the effect of making men and women appear younger than they really are; one has to wonder just what it is that this substance is and 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. Botulinum toxin was first researched back in the 1960's; it was used to treat patients with neurological problems.



A treatment finally came in 1989 when the FDA granted approval for it to be used on these patients with visual conditions; these included people with eyes that were not aligned correctly and those that suffered from uncontrollable blinking called blepharospasm. More research was carried out into other medical uses and in 2000 it was allowed to be used on patients that had a cervical dystonia condition; it was found to be effective at helping patients with neck and shoulder contractions but other eye disorders were included at the same time. However, it was the discovery of the effect botox had on reducing frown lines that finally changed things; this discovery won over the FDA who agreed that it could be used in cosmetic procedures from 2002.

Now, botox is injected into a number of areas, one of which is the forehead to help lessen the effect of years of muscle use that causes a frown; eventually, over a period of several months, given enough of these injections, the frown lines start to soften. If this procedure is continued, in many instances the lines will soften so much they will seem to disappear; now the same procedure is used on other areas of the face where lines form, generally with age. 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.

This popularity is due to the fact that we all have wrinkles and lines (increasing with age) when we smile, laugh and make other facial movements, which are the result of muscles in the face. After years of making these expressions the wear and tear on your face begins to be noticeable and the lines start to become permanent; this is something that many skin creams have attempted to do for many years. 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. However, this cosmetic treatment is still expensive; some single injections costing in the low to high hundreds of dollars. The side effects of regular botox use may take some time to appear as it is only a recent addition to the cosmetic surgeon's armory but for now, its use does not seem to be diminishing.