Botox, the wonder drug, was discovered accidentally by a German doctor, Justinus Kerner, in the 1820s. He began experimenting with botulinum toxin-a protein produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, producing botulism- a fatal form of food poisoning. Kerner desired to take advantage of the bacteria's muscle weakening qualities for medical use. His experimentation deduced that botulinum could be effectively used for relieving muscle spasms by blocking acetylcholine release, a neurotransmitter that directs muscles when to contract.



Taking cue from this discovery, Alistair and Jean Carruthers, a dermatologist and an ophthalmologist initiated treating their patients with botox injections for curing muscular disorders of the eye. The result was encouraging. However, history was created when one of her assistants advised her to inject the toxin in her freckled region between the eyebrows. The effect was simply spectacular!

Initially, people were apprehensive about the workings of botox. But it needs to be understood that botox works in the same way as other drugs. One is injecting a product of botulism bacterium very much like penicillin, derived from mold, being administered into the body. In fact, almost all the antibiotics have their origin in micro organisms, and botox is no different.

The US Food and Administrative Department gave botox the first green signal in 1989 for treating crossed eyes and Blepharospams (incontrollable blinking). In 2000 and 2002, the toxin was approved for cervical dystonia (neurological movement disorder) and for reduction of the frown lines respectively. From then on, the renown of botox as a miracle wonder defying the signs of age began to spread far and wide. Initially used as a single cosmetic procedure, doctors have now begun using botox to reduce wrinkles in other facial areas like laugh lines, crow's feet around the eyes, etc. Injected in little quantities, botox relaxes the muscles by putting a break on the release of acetylcholine from the nerve endings. A single botox treatment includes around twenty doses of injections on the affected site. Once administered, botox spreads no more than a quarter-inch, which doctors believe, are safe enough for the body.

Cosmetic treatment using botox are now being offered by most of the leading clinics across US and the UK. However, London is known to house world-class beauty clinics offering botox treatment. Botox London can be safely relied on for its superior quality and high effectiveness. The effect of a single treatment easily lasts to six months, after which you need to undergo the procedure once again. In treatment can cost anywhere between £200 and £400, depending on the number of areas to be treated. Nevertheless, when beauty is desirous, the cost does not matter!