Botox Basics

Look at the smooth face of any Hollywood celebrity and chances are you'll start thinking of the term Botox. Many people have the thought in their head that Botox is some magic cure for wrinkles that everyone else is taking advantage of. Since so many stars and starlets are supposedly using this "magic pill" for wrinkles, what's to stop you from doing the same?

Before you start hunting for the nearest dermatologist that offers this injection or run out to the nearest Botox party, there are some things you would do well to consider about this treatment.

What Is Botox?

Obviously before you can make a decision about whether or not to actually go the Botox route, you need to know exactly what this treatment is and what's contained inside those injections.

Notice what the Food and Drug Administration says about Botox:

"Botox is a drug made from a toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. It's the same toxin that causes a life-threatening type of food poisoning called botulism. Doctors use it in small doses to treat health problems, including:

• Temporary removal of facial wrinkles
• Severe underarm sweating
• Cervical dystonia - a neurological disorder that causes severe neck and shoulder muscle contractions
• Blepharospasm - uncontrollable blinking
• Strabismus - misaligned eyes
• Migraine headaches
• Incontinence
• Spastic disorders including those related to stroke, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy
• TMJ
• Diabetic neuropathy

Botox injections work by weakening or paralyzing certain muscles or by blocking certain nerves. The effects last about three to four months. Side effects can include pain at the injection site, flu-like symptoms, headache and upset stomach. Injections in the face may also cause temporary drooping eyelids. You should not use Botox if you are pregnant or breast feeding."

Notice that Botox is used not just for facial wrinkles but for migraines and excessive sweating, among other conditions.

When the face receives an injection of Botox, the muscle is weakened and cannot contract the way it normally would. Therefore the lines smooth out because of not being used and not making that same crease in the area of the injection. Typically a natural facial expression is still possible because of the small area of the injection site.

Usually Botox is used in conjunction with other procedures such as chemical peels, laser treatments, and dermal fillers.

SIDE EFFECTS

Botox takes only a few minutes to apply and usually has very little recovery time. The most common side effects are:

• Headache.
• Bruising.
• Flulike symptoms
• Drooping eyelid (ptosis)
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Dizziness
• Redness at the injection site
• Reduced blinking
• Weakness in the muscles of the face

There still needs to be more research done on the long-term side effects of Botox injections.

CONSIDERATIONS

While many think of Botox as the best thing for wrinkles these days, of course it is not without its considerations and warnings.

Side effects and Complications

Recently a U.S. consumer group demanded that Botox come with strong warnings following the death of 16 patients after the botulinum poisoning contained in Botox spread throughout their body:

"Public Citizen asked U.S. authorities to require the strongest possible warning, highlighted in a "black box," on Allergan Inc's Botox and Solstice Neuroscience Inc's Myobloc.

Botox is famous for smoothing facial wrinkles but also has approved medical uses such as treating cervical dystonia, or rigid neck muscles. Myobloc is cleared only for the neck condition.

Both injections are made with forms of the botulinum toxin, which can paralyze muscles.

Public Citizen said it reviewed 180 reports submitted to the Food and Drug Administration by manufacturers involving patients injected with Botox or Myobloc. The reports detailed cases of muscle weakness, difficulty swallowing or aspiration pneumonia, a serious condition caused by breathing a foreign material into the lungs.

Reports to the FDA do not prove a product caused a particular problem, but the agency uses them to look for patterns of potential complications.

Officials at Allergan, Solstice and the FDA could not immediately be reached for comment.

Sixteen of the cases reported were fatal, including four involving children under 18, Public Citizen said. Some patients were hospitalized.

Dr. Sidney Wolfe, director of Public Citizen's Health Research Group, said such problems can occur if botulinum toxin spreads from the injection site to the esophagus, causing partial paralysis. Instructions for Botox and Myobloc mention the issue but it is easy to miss, he said.

Public Citizen asked the FDA to order a black-box warning to highlight the concern, plus a letter to doctors. The agency also should require a consumer-friendly guide explaining the risks that would be handed out by doctors when the drug is injected, the group said.

"These significantly improved warnings to doctors and patients would increase the likelihood of earlier medical intervention when symptoms of adverse reactions to botulinum toxin first appear, and could prevent more serious complications, including death," Public Citizen said in a petition to the FDA.

The group said European regulators have warned physicians to watch for signs of botulinum toxin complications, most recently in March 2007."

All of the side effects of Botox have yet to be learned. There still needs to be much research done to regarding the long-term use of Botox as well. Typically Botox administration is successful and without many complications other than the side effects we've listed here, but there still needs to be much research.

Cost

Botox treatments typically cost upwards of $500 per site, and sometimes more. And because the effects are only temporary, this means that you may actually wind up spending thousands of dollars every year for the results you're looking for.

Botox of course is not covered by insurance, so this means you would either need to go into debt or somehow save enough money for repeated treatments.

Long-term Effects

The use of Botox for cosmetic procedures and for the curing of wrinkles has not been around long enough for scientists and doctors to really understand the long-term effects that its regular use will have on a patient.

Realizing that Botox is derived from an actual poison should make anyone stop and think seriously about its use, and especially about repeated use. It's so easy to think that all the Hollywood starlets are doing it and that they haven't suffered any long-term consequences, but remember that you don't always know the real truth or the whole truth about cosmetic procedures when it comes to celebrities. Who knows what problems they've experienced because of prolonged Botox use that they are just not sharing with the general public?

Again, no one can make this decision for you, but you do need to consider seriously that there have already been serious side effects from this treatment option.

CHOOSING BOTOX

If you do choose to have Botox treatments, it's imperative that you choose a dermatologist or medical doctor for its application.

There has been a trend that has developed in recent years of people have so-called Botox parties where a stylist from the local salon services many people in one afternoon while everyone relaxes with wine and cheese while waiting for their turn. While this sounds all fabulous and fancy, remember that Botox is derived from a poison that is being directly injected into your skin. This is not like getting your hair colored or having your ears pierced - and chances are you wouldn't do either of those with anyone other than a professional!

Choosing someone that is not a licensed physician to administer your Botox is foolish and dangerous.

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