Botox uses various forms of botulinum toxin to temporarily paralyze or relax muscle activity and is a good option for dynamic wrinkles. It can smooth out wrinkles and restore a more youthful appearance.
Botox works by preventing the release of acetylcholine, the neurotransmitter responsible for signaling muscle movement. As a result, nerve signals to muscles are blocked, causing temporary, localized muscle paralysis.
Nevertheless side effects can occur and these usually develop in a few days and may last up to two weeks. It is important to note that sometimes it may take a few weeks for side effects to appear. The potential side effects relate to which area was treated.
Over time, repeated injections of Botox® to a particular area in the body can also cause permanent paralysis of the muscle. This is by far one of the most important and dangerous side effects of using Botox® injections. The toxins can spread into the surrounding tissues and this can prove to be fatal.
How does it work? Botox is a neurotoxin. These substances target the nervous system, disrupting the nerve signaling processes that stimulate muscle contraction. This is how the drug causes temporary muscle paralysis.
Does Botox ruin your face? Studies have shown that Botox (most commonly known as the brand name Botox), when used in low but effective doses, does not ruin your face, but rather is a temporary paralyzation of the microscopic muscle nerve endings.
Once inside a neuron, botulinum toxin cleaves proteins responsible for fusion of chemical containers, known as vesicles, with the plasma membrane. This fusion event releases chemical signals that underlie communication with muscles, and the inability to fuse leads to the temporary paralysis caused by botulinum toxin.
Possible side effects and complications include: Pain, swelling or bruising at the injection site. Headache or flu-like symptoms. Droopy eyelid or cockeyed eyebrows.
There are no long-term or life-threatening adverse effects related to botulinum toxin treatment for any cosmetic indications. Moreover, the risk of possible complications can be reduced by means of a thorough analysis of the patient's medical history and the use of the appropriate dose and technique for the injection.
Cosmetic procedures like facial fillers, when incorrectly placed, can cause swelling, pain, lumps beneath the skin, facial scarring and if injected into the retinal artery, can even cause blindness and stroke.
People who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or have a neurological disease shouldn't use Botox. Because Botox doesn't work for all wrinkles, check with a doctor first.
If the injection is done too fast or too deep, excessive swelling and bruising can occur. Bruising is especially common if the injector hits a vein or pushes to hard. While this is a temporary side effect, the patient will be forced to live with an unsightly bruise for days if not weeks.
Botox for aesthetic purposes is a pure protein, meaning there is no bacteria and it cannot replicate, like the live protein mentioned above. Further, Botox is injected into the skin, not the bloodstream and is slowly metabolized by the body.
Actress Dana Delany told Prevention magazine that her doctor hit a nerve when injecting her forehead with Botox causing a large hematoma. This permanently killed the nerve and she experiences a drooping eye still, years after receiving this treatment.
MACON, Ga. -- Psychology Today reports that injections to smooth out wrinkles, like Botox and Myobloc, can rearrange the brain's sensory map of the hands. That study found ongoing treatments over a period of years could lead to permanent changes in the brain.
Will it cause you to look older? From a medical point of view, once the effects of Botox wear off, your face will NOT look older. Actually the opposite happens with certainty. Botox injections help you get rid of some of the unwanted wrinkles around the eyes, forehead, chin etc….
Botox injections are not without risk of side effects, such as drooping eyelids, uneven eyebrows, or even blindness . “When you make an appointment for Botox, you are putting your trust in the provider,” Williams warns.
If you just found out that you are expecting, and recently had Botox treatment to treat fine lines or wrinkles, do not worry. It is highly unlikely that Botox will affect your pregnancy or the baby.
The most common side effects include neck pain; headache; migraine; slight or partial facial paralysis; eyelid drooping; bronchitis; musculoskeletal stiffness; muscular weakness; pain in 1 or more muscles, ligaments, tendons, or bones; muscle spasms; injection site pain; and high blood pressure.
The research shows that having facial Botox injections for cosmetic reasons can also produce side-effects including muscle stiffness, pain, dizziness and even a heart attack.
There is no definite age when you should start BOTOX®—it's more about the state of your skin, and everyone's timeline is different. For wrinkle treatments, it's best to start when you notice forehead lines, frown lines, or crow's feet even when your expression is neutral.
Injecting into the wrong muscle, bypassing the muscle altogether or injecting into the wrong muscle can result in your Botox having absolutely no effect whatsoever. The rules of injection and strict adherence to the injector's knowledge of facial anatomy must be followed for the ultimate natural look.
There are a few key areas to avoid when injecting Botox. These include the forehead, the area between the eyebrows, and the crow's feet. These are some of the most commonly injected areas, and injecting Botox into them can result in a frozen or surprised expression.
Botox has the advantage of being around longer, making it a trusted brand. This means that most patients interested in injectables would opt for Botox. However, Xeomin is just as effective at reducing wrinkles in areas like eyebrows, the forehead, and around the eyes.
“When an area of the face is frozen with absolutely no wrinkles, you can assume the person has had a date with a needle.” "When you look at a photo and see an area of the face that is extremely smooth and shiny," Rusher says, "that can be an indicator that the person may have had Botox."