All you need to know about “Botox”

All you need to know about “Botox”

Botox (Botulinum toxin A) is a liquid neurotoxin injection to treat facial lines like frown lines, squint and smile lines, nasal crunch lines and forehead wrinkles. Botox has other uses other than treat facial lines; they are used to control muscle spasms and severe underarm sweating although it is widely used as a cosmetic improvement. Botox has gained in popularity because it is a quick and easy procedure to treat facial lines. Botulinum toxins once injected, will block the nerve signal that makes your muscles contract. It makes the muscle relax and when it cannot move, it cannot wrinkle. It freezes the muscles that cause the wrinkles and the lines will be less visible giving a more youthful appearance. Botox is much preferred to plastic surgery as it is not invasive and does not require downtime.

It is possible for the Botox to spread beyond the intended muscles which could also make that area droop temporarily.

Bolutinum when ingested will make people ill, poisoned, paralyzed and even die from botulism. Surprisingly, Botox is made from the same material which is one of the neurotoxins products by Clostridium botulinum.

Botox should only be administered by a highly trained and qualified practitioner. If injected, it can raise the outer part of the eyebrow, lift the corners of the mouth, tightens the lip so that it appears longer and smooth dimpled chins. Botox is not used for lines around the mouth as it will make talking and eating difficult, in this case, dermal fillers are used instead. Dermal fillers work differently; it plumps up the tissues so that wrinkles diminish.

According to a skin specialist and a laser procedure expert in Lahore, Dr  Mahwish Malik, Botox is preferred than plastic surgery because it is non-invasive. Although because its full of chemicals, you can get hypersensitivity or reaction. It is not permanent, so reinforcement of the procedure is necessary.

The injections only take about 10 minutes and any redness/swelling will be gone in the next 10 minutes after the procedure. An injection may hurt but it is usually minimal and the needles used are very small. There may be discomfort afterwards when the anesthetic cream wears off. Usually, you will see the Botox taking full effect after 4-6 days and it lasts 4-6 months.

Botox is not recommended if you are trying to conceive or pregnant or breastfeeding as clinical studies have not been done and it’s better to be safe than sorry. Botox can still be used later on after these phases.

You would need to repeat the procedure in order for the results to continue. However, it all depends from one person to another as some might gain a long lasting effect with repeated use whilst some might need more frequent treatment when they developed a resistance to the drug. Some might get aesthetically addicted to it and end up repeating the procedure more than needed which will make the face appear frozen. The good thing about this procedure is that it is not permanent, meaning, if by any chance if doesn’t work or hit the wrong muscles, the effect will wear off eventually.

Although we hear so many side effects and bad things Botox can do, it would be extremely rare to experience all of them. Here are tips to prevent Botox side effects:

1.     Always go for a highly trained professional or practitioner. A beauty salon stylist does not have sufficient equipment or medical knowledge to treat them if it goes wrong. Some even use counterfeit products or may be diluted so it would not give the result you want.

2.     Talk to your health provider before undergoing the procedure to see if you are fit for it health wise.

3.     Inform the practitioner about any medicine, supplements or contraception you are taking since some combination of Botox and these products can cause serious side effects.

4.     Follow the practitioner’s instruction for before and after the procedure.

5.     Report immediately if the side effect is not going away.

The cost of Botox injections varies from one practitioner to another. Some might charge very less and some exceedingly high. Choose wisely which one you prefer although choosing the cheapest might not be wise. Some might charge by the number of units injected meanwhile some charge by the “zone”. For example, the frown area as one zone and the eye wrinkles another zone.

Although it is rare, but there is a possibility of botulinum toxin to spread to other parts of the body. Seek medical help if you notice these side effects after receiving Botox such as muscle weakness all over the body, vision problems, trouble speaking/swallowing, trouble breathing or loss of bladder control.

However, if you want to treat a specific condition or not overusing the Botox treatment, you may find relief from your condition. When used sparingly, before any treatment, you should know your facts before undergoing any treatment as knowledge is the power to analyze if it is worth the risk. It can either make or break you as if done correctly, everyone will wonder how you always look so youthful and fresh.