Botox Information

The success and popularity of BOTOX® for use in ****** wrinkle treatment, known as BOTOX® cosmetic, is due simply to its effectiveness at treating the problem. It is so successful and well known by the public that its name is often used as both a noun and a verb. Recent negative publicity with its use in children with neuromuscular disorders does not appear to accurately represent its safety record in cosmetic applications. It is useful, therefore, to review some of the safety data about BOTOX to allay any cosmetic patient concerns.

BOTOX® cosmetic and Botulinum Toxin Type A is manufactured by only one proprietary provider, Allergan out of Irvine, California. It was initially approved for the treatment of excessive eyelid twitching 18 years ago and its approval for the treatment of vertical brow lines was 6 years ago. Many millions of cosmetic patients have been treated globally and the manufacturer reports that more than 13 million doses have been given since 2002. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgery, BOTOX® cosmetic is the #1 cosmetic procedure done in the U.S. since 2002 with over 3 million doses given in 2006. With over 3,000 published medical reports and a large number of clinical trial subjects studied, a welth of safety information is available. Significant adverse reactions to the use of BOTOX, despite the large amount of doses given and the patients treated cosmetic is extremely rare.Any true allergies to its use have not been reported. To date, there has never been a single reported death associated with its use either.

These cosmetic experiences must be contrasted with the media reports where its use has been in limb spasticity, which is not an FDA-approved application. Substantially larger doses (up to 100 times) are given in these neuromuscular uses compared to what is given for cosmetic wrinkle treatments and are injected in these juvenile patients who are often sickly from their neuromuscular disease. There simply is not a correlation between these two patient populations. The FDA appears to recognize these differences and has issued no stoppage of its use for any application to any health care provider at the present time.

The accurate portrayal of the safety data on BOTOX® cosmetic should provide great comfort to those patients who regularly receive aesthetic treatments or to those considering it in the near future.



By: Dr Barry Eppley

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It’s a bacterium that’s also a cosmetic wonder. It’s been called the ultimate fountain of youth. When small doses are injected into ****** muscles it eliminates unwanted wrinkles revealing a younger, fresher appearance. Botox® treatments can improve the following conditions:

· Forehead creases

· Crow’s feet around the eyes

· Frown lines between the nose and eyebrows

· Skin bands around the neck

· Improves appearances of scars long term

What is Botox®?

Botox® is short for botulinum toxin type “A”. It is a purified low-concentrate protein produced by the bacterium Clostridium Botulinum, which contains the same toxin that causes food poisoning. When it’s injected into a muscle, it blocks the chemical signals that causes the muscles to contract. The muscles react to the bacteria by tightening up causing the skin to flatten revealing a smoother, softer appearance.

The Food and Drug Administration approved the use of Botox® for the temporary treatment of moderate and severe frown lines back in 2002. According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS). , Botox® is the fastest growing cosmetic procedure in the industry today.

Before getting a Botox® treatment, be sure to do the following:

· Get a qualified doctor that is trained in cosmetic surgery of the face to perform the procedure

· Be informed – ask lots of questions about the benefits and risks of the procedure

· Be sure you are in a medical setting that uses sterile techniques. Emergency equipment should be available if there are any problems

· Do not drink alcohol before Botox®

· Sit upright for several hours after the procedure

The Procedure

The doctor carefully chooses “wrinkle-producing” muscles, and then inserts a thin needle injecting a small amount of Botox® into the area. Your doctor will choose muscles that will preserve your natural ****** expressions. The number of injections depends on several factors:

· Your ****** features

· The area that’s being treated

· The extent of the wrinkling

· Crow’s feet may take 2-3 injections

· Furrowed brow approximately 5 or more injections

The whole procedure takes 10 to 15 minutes in your doctor’s office. There’s no anesthesia and very little discomfort or pain after the injections. You may experience headaches for a few hours but will be able to resume your normal activities immediately. Take caution to not rub the area near the injection, so the toxins won’t migrate to other areas of the face. The results could be temporary weakness or droopiness of the ****** muscles.



By: Patricia Woloch

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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 London botox 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!



By: Wain Roy

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