Injections of Botox, one of the fastest-growing cosmetic procedures on the
market today, are used for the reduction or elimination of facial wrinkles
caused by dynamic, or hyper-functional, muscles (muscles that get a lot of use).
Those are the wrinkles that form when you contract your facial muscles to form a
frown, squint, grimace, smile, or other type of expression, resulting in those
tell-tale lines around your eyes, mouth, or nose, and across your forehead. Botox can be very effective in temporarily getting rid of some, but not all, of
your facial wrinkles. But before we talk about which wrinkles Botox can banish,
let's find out more about this popular substance.
How Botox Can Help?
Every year in the United States, millions of men and women undergo one or
more cosmetic procedures that in some way enhance or change their appearance.
From chemical peels to nose reconstruction to eyelid tucks, dermatologists,
plastic surgeons, and other cosmetic surgeons across the country are reshaping
the way Americans look, and as a result, how they feel about themselves.
What is Botox?
Quite simply, Botox is a type of toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium
botulinum. If you're thinking that something sounds familiar about this
substance, that's because this bacterium is the same one that causes botulism,
or food poisoning. It's also the same bacterium that some countries stockpile
as a bacterial weapon. You might be wondering if this is a substance you would
want injected into your face.
Thanks to the wonders of medical technology, injecting Botox into the face
isn't only possible, it's being done thousands of times a day, and safely. In
the late 1970s, scientists discovered that botulinum toxin, when it was diluted
to a great degree, had some very positive characteristics, properties that
could bring significant relief to thousands of people who had specific
neuromuscular problems throughout the body. And after years of science and
serendipity, experts discovered that botulinum toxin A (the bacterium has eight
different toxins, or serotypes, each named for a letter of the alphabet) has
cosmetic uses as well, especially when it comes to getting rid of wrinkles in
the upper third of the face—that is, along the forehead and at the outer corners
of the eyes. If you're familiar with the concept of homeopathy, you'll see a
similarity with Botox.
In homeopathy, a substance— sometimes one that is poisonous when taken at
regular strength, such as arsenic—is diluted to such a tremendous degree that
when it is finally ingested, it is completely safe. Botulinum toxin is
extremely potent, but Botox injections contain a greatly diluted form of the
toxin, rendering the injection safe yet effective.
The Desire to look young
Own up to it: you may believe the old adage that wrinkles add character to a
face . . . but you don't want it to be your face, at least not just now when
you're thirty or forty or fifty. You want to look as young as you feel. And why
shouldn't you?
The desire to look young and beautiful is far from new. Since ancient times,
both men and women have searched for ways and concocted formulas to look more
youthful. Eye and face cosmetics were used by the ancient Egyptians, the most
famous of whom is Cleopatra, who was known to use lactic acid to peel her skin
to look more beautiful. Archaeologists have found formulas, written on papyrus,
that explain how to prepare mixtures of plants and honey for women to use as
facials. Archaeological digs have also uncovered many containers that once held
green malachite, black antimony powder, and lead sulfide, all types of minerals
that were ground up and used as cosmetics.
Ancient people even performed crude cosmetic procedures to improve—in their
opinion—people's appearance. In western Russia, for example, a broad, flat nose
was considered beautiful, so parents would bind the nose of a child to achieve
this result. Because the Chinese believed that dainty feet were a sign of wealth
and beauty, the practice of binding the feet of girls to prevent foot growth
existed for thousands of years. Among some African tribes, an elongated neck is
considered a thing of beauty, so some women keep adding rings around their necks
to gradually stretch it to a desirable length.
Modern-Day Cosmetic Procedures
As we've seen, there have always been people who are willing to undergo
different procedures or use various products to help them look young and
beautiful. Apparently many people still feel similarly. According to the
American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, 623,588 Botox procedures were performed in
1999, two years before the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) even approved Botox injections for cosmetic use. These procedures, which were done to reduce
or eliminate wrinkles on various sites on the face and neck, are known as
"off-label" uses (once a drug has been approved for one use, it can legally and
ethically be used for other purposes, at the discretion of the practitioner).
Botox has been approved for various medical (that is, non-cosmetic) uses since
1989. And its off-label uses for cosmetic purposes continue to grow: in 2000,
the number of procedures was 730,787; in 2001, it ballooned to 913,484.
FDA-Approved for Cosmetic Use
With the new FDA approval of Botox on April 15, 2002, for removal of frown
lines—also known as glabellar lines— on the forehead, experts believe the number
of procedures will greatly surpass the million mark. Right now, only one other
cosmetic procedure—chemical peels—is performed more often: more than two million
people undergo them each year. And some combine a chemical peel with Botox
injections to get rid of wrinkles and improve skin texture. It's important to
note that the only cosmetic use the FDA has approved Botox for is the removal of
glabellar lines. However, doctors have been using Botox for cosmetic reasons in
this and other areas of the face for about ten years. Some of the wrinkle sites,
like smile lines that run from the nose to the corners of the mouth and down the
sides of the mouth, do not respond as well to Botox because the facial lines
that form there are not as strongly muscle-driven as those in the other regions.
However, Botox can be used along with other cosmetic procedures to get the look
you desire.
But overall, the risks of Botox, when administered by a knowledgeable
professional, have been very low. And this safety factor has fueled a growing
interest in Botox among people of all ages.
Botox injections have become all the rage, and not just among aging baby
boomers. Approximately 17 percent of the people who underwent Botox injections
in 2000 were between the ages of nineteen and thirty-four, hardly an agegroup
one usually associates with bothersome wrinkles and aging skin problems. By far
the largest percentage of Botox users was the 35 to 50 age group, at 41 percent.
Those in the 51 to 64 age group counted for 29 percent, with men and women
65-plus rounding out the total at 13 percent.
As of spring 2001, about 12 percent of those getting Botox injections were
men. And the number of men seeking Botox injections is expected to grow. Botox
is an easy, convenient way to accomplish the look they want. And it's not just
actors, jet-setters, and chief executive officers who are lining up for their
injections. Even construction workers, police officers, social workers, and
others from all walks of life are looking to get rid of their wrinkles.
Why is everyone doing it? You may want to look
younger to help advance your career. For some industry, pleasant looking is a
must, and you'd better look young and vital to stay in the game
About The Author
Ito Nakamura is a Internet Health Enterprenuer specialising in marketing
Contact Lenses; health supplements; health exercise equipments & beauty
products.
http://www.detoxprofessor.com
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