Back in the early 1990's the rich and famous began to appear more youthful with fewer wrinkles and frown lines than the average person. Soon the secret was out, they were using a product called BOTOX® to keep them looking younger than ever. This new miracle drug was first approved by the FDA for use in treating muscle spasms near the eyes and the side benefit of smoothing wrinkles was quickly apparent. Since then the popularity of BOTOX® has ballooned beyond anybodies expectations. Studies show that BOTOX® is the leading cosmetic procedure performed in the United States.
How BOTOX® Works
BOTOX® should only be administered by a qualified cosmetic physician . The doctor injects small doses to the treatment area using a tiny needle. There is very little pain associated and a topical anesthetic is sometimes used to make it even less painful.
BOTOX® is the brand name of a powerful neurotoxin called botulinum toxin. When injected into the skin in very small doses, it inhibits the chemical signals that command your muscles to contract, virtually paralyzing them. Since you are no longer frowning all the time, the wrinkles that result in constant frowning or brow furrowing begin to disappear. BOTOX® is used to treat the following areas.
- Glabellar lines (the deep wrinkles between the eyebrows)
- Frown lines
- Crows feet
- Neck bands
Avoid rubbing the treated area to ensure that the solution does not travel and affect muscles or other systems that you do not want included in the treatment.
National Clearing House of Plastic Surgery Statistics
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons conducts an annual study on all cosmetic and plastic surgery treatments. According to the study, BOTOX® is the most popular cosmetic treatment in the United States with more than 4.5 million applications performed per year.
In 2007, the latest year numbers are available, 4.3 million of the almost 10 million procedures among women were BOTOX® treatments for unwanted wrinkles. Among men, BOTOX® is still the most popular procedure, with 296,000 treatments performed. Since 2000 the number of treatments has grown by more than 400 percent, a testament to its popularity.
Safety and Efficacy
BOTOX® is easy to administer and takes fewer that five minutes per treatment area. The results are almost immediate, but take about one and half to two weeks for full effects. The effects last up to six months and usually need to be redone to maintain your new youthful look.
As with all medical procedures, there are some risks involved with BOTOX®.
- Anesthesia reactions
- Blurry vision
- Muscle weakness
- Ptosis
- Respiratory problems
There are very few cases of death reported that are related to botulinum toxin, but none of those were administered for cosmetic reasons. The safety and efficacy are thoroughly discussed prior to treatment.
Thanks to continual monitoring by the FDA and the skillful administration of BOTOX® to patients by qualified cosmetic surgeons, BOTOX® enjoys first place in the list of cosmetic measures.
