Is Botox Safe? Tips for You

Apr 1
09:14

2011

Andrea Avery

Andrea Avery

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If you are looking at the most popular way to rid yourself of fine lines and wrinkles then you've probably asked yourself if Botox is safe. Is injecting a toxin into your system really a good idea? Read on to learn more.

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If you've started noticing fine lines and wrinkles on your face you're not alone. Many people,Is Botox Safe? Tips for You Articles men and women, are noticing the signs of aging before they expected to. It's not surprising when you consider the stress level and pollution that we encounter on a daily basis. Numerous solutions to the aging problem have appeared on the market, each touting to be better than the rest. Botox is one of the most popular non-surgical solutions on the market today. But how safe is it? 

To understand the safety of Botox you must first understand what it is. Botulinum Toxin A and B are the main ingredients. It probably doesn't sound safe to inject yourself with Botulinum but these are small doses as opposed to the much larger intake you get from eating tainted food. One of the safety requirements is that doctors double check the dosage amount prior to use as to avoid an excess amount which could have harmful side effects.

Botox, in its original role, was used to calm muscle spasms of the body. It works by invading the nerve cells of the muscle it's injected into. Once in the nerve cell it disrupts the production of the Snap-25 protein. Disruption of this protein disrupts production of a compound called acetycholine, which is used to stimulate the muscle. With this stimulation halted the muscle becomes weak and paralyzed. While it may sound like the toxin is damaging your nerve impulses this couldn't be further from the truth. The effects are only temporary and will wear off over time. If you suffer from limb spasticity you would probably consider this treatment a gift from God.

But if the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Botox for muscle spasms, how can it be considered safe for the removal of fine lines and wrinkles? In 2002, the FDA approved this treatment for fine line and wrinkles on the brow and between the eyes. It was discovered, through clinical trials, that the same paralytic qualities that the toxin had on spasming muscles could be applied to non-spasming muscles. When injected into these types of muscles, they become paralyzed just as muscles that are having a spasm. The difference when these muscles are paralyzed is that it keeps them from contracting, which in turn keeps your skin from forming wrinkles. No contraction, no wrinkles and smoother skin is what a patient can expect.

As with any type of cosmetic treatment, you will ideally use it as little as possible. Your doctor will be able to tell you exactly how many treatments you'll need, where the injections will be placed and what to expect. As long as you keep the dosages to a minimum, studies show that there are few side effects. Anyone can have a reaction to any type of treatment, which doesn't mean that the majority of the population shouldn't look into it. Just make sure to keep the dosages small, don't go back for multiple treatments too soon, and remember to give it time to work and you should have no problems with Botox being safe.

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