Botox

Botox is the number-one cosmetic procedure in the United States, with 3.8 million treatments in 2005. Botox was introduced in the late 1980s by ophthalmologists for treating optic muscle disorders. It was approved by the FDA for cosmetic use in 2002, helping millions of patients get rid of nagging facial lines and wrinkles.

Today, the variety of Botox uses includes ocular muscle spasms, problems with eye coordination, severe armpit perspiration, and as an anti-wrinkle treatment for crow's feet, frown lines, and to eliminate furrows in the forehead.

How Botox Works
Botox combats wrinkles that are created when nerve cells within the muscles beneath the skin release a chemical called acetylcholine. This chemical triggers a muscle contraction that creates wrinkles. The Botox product, medically known as Botulinum Toxin Type A, is an injectable compound that disrupts the release of acetylcholine which essentially paralyzes the muscle and stops the contraction. Results are fully evident within one week after treatment and remain for a minimum of three months.

Botox typically reduces wrinkles by 80 percent. Patients are typically between the ages of 35 and 60. Results vary among individual cases, and the results are temporary. You will need to plan for additional injections, depending on your long-term treatment goals.

The Botox Procedure
Botox injection is performed in the doctor's office, usually without anesthesia. However, a numbing cream may be applied to the treatment area. Patients may experience some minimal discomfort from the needle injection. Depending upon the extent of treatment, the procedure can take a few minutes up to 20 minutes. Generally, patients return home shortly after the treatment is complete.

The selection of injection points is critical to the success of the procedure. The points of injection are first scored with a marking pencil. The doctor may select numerous injection points for each location to be treated. These points may not be located on the wrinkle itself, but at the area where the muscle contracts. Antiseptic is also applied.

The doctor will then determine the amount of Botox to be used for the procedure.

The Botox filler is then injected into the marked points beneath the skin. The toxins in Botox fasten to the muscles' nerve endings, which inhibits the release of the chemical acetylcholine. This will stop the muscle contractions that wrinkle the skin.

Results are usually evident within one week and typically last about three to five months.