Botox is the brand name of the toxin which is produced from clostridium botulinum. Other brands of the same product include Xeomin. When a small amount of botulinum toxin is diluted and then injected into the muscle, it can temporarily reduce the wrinkle-causing muscle contractions.
The FDA has approved the usage of the treatment in the 1980s since it was found out that Botox can stop problems like strabismus and blepharospasm. Doctors use Botox also to treat facial creases and wrinkles. Botox has been approved to work on other areas of the face to treat severe or moderate frown lines found between the eyebrows also known as glabellar lines. Botox can also be used on many areas of the face.
How Botox works
Botox will block the signals from the nerves within the muscle. When the muscle has been injected with Botox, it will not contract as much, which causes the wrinkles to soften and relax.
Botox is most often used on the crow’s feet, forehead lines, and frown lines. The wrinkles which have been caused by the gravity or sun damage may not respond to the treatment.
How is the procedure done?
Giving Botox injection will take a few minutes but there is no anesthesia needed for its use. The injections are given using fine needles in the muscle and it only leads to minor discomfort. Some patients may ask for a topical anesthesia to numb the area first. It can take only three to seven days for the procedure to take its full effect and it is good to avoid taking alcohol for a week before the treatment. Anti-inflammatory medication and aspirin should also be stopped for at least two weeks of the treatment so that bruising and bleeding can be reduced.
How long will the effects last?
Botox effects can last for about four to six months. After this period, the muscle activity will return, but wrinkles and lines can be kept away with touch up sessions.
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