People searching for ways to have younger looking faces will probably arrange a course of Botox injections; there are many myths about what it is and before a person starts a course, it is worth finding out more information. To understand exactly what it is and does, we first have to look at just how this amazing miracle of modern science came to be. 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.
Then a few decades later in 1989, the Federal Drug Administration in America finally approved its use to treat disorders associated with vision; these included people with eyes that were not aligned correctly and those that suffered from uncontrollable blinking called blepharospasm. Later in the first year of the millennium after many more years of research, it was granted permission to be used on patients with cervical dystonia; this helps people with contractions in the upper back and shoulder and neck area, plus other eye disorders. Scientists found that if the botox drug was injected into the lines between the eyebrows it would gradually soften them and make them disappear; following this the FDA finally recognized the implications and agreed its commercial use in 2002.
You see botox is a neuro toxin, meaning it paralyses the muscles it is injected into and makes them relax; given sufficient treatments, frown lines that the person has lived with for many years will gradually fade. In many cases the lines eventually disappear completely but it can also be injected into the muscles of the face that cause crows feet, forehead lines and frown lines. The injections actually contain a purified form of the Botulinum toxin; Botulinum toxin can be deadly and at the very least make us unwell but when it is used in cosmetic procedures it is safe.
The problem is that when we laugh, cry or frown for example, lines and wrinkles appear caused by the muscles that have helped create the expression; these injections can help eliminate those lines. 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. Botox paralyzes the facial muscles which means everyday expressions we use in communication and take for granted cannot be made; many people believe that overuse leaves the recipient with a look similar to that of a mannequin.
Depending on the amount of treatments, a person can look fairly normal but their facial gestures will be restricted so that the creases and lines do not show. Whilst popular this cosmetic treatment is still very expensive for what it is; the average cost of just one injection in the United States ranges from a few hundred dollars to in excess of 1,000 dollars, depending on where the injection is used. 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.