Botox®

What is Botulinum Toxin?

Botulinum Toxin is a truly remarkable treatment. It is a chemical produced by the Botulinum bacteria. Botox® is a protein derivative of the toxin, which, when injected into the muscle, causes it to become weakened or inactivated. It stops the muscle from functioning by blocking neuromuscular transmission - i.e. it stops the chemical messages from the nerve to the muscle.

How does it work?

As facial muscles are used repeatedly, over time the skin is creased in areas of greatest use. The aging process causes the slow down of collagen and elastin production in the skin so that as we get older the areas of over-use become damaged and the lines become permanent.

By reducing the movement of muscles in these areas, the skin stops being creased and is allowed to recover, causing the lines to soften or even fade away. In the areas treated, the muscles are temporarily inactivated (always reversible), during which time the patient can break the subconscious habit of overusing these muscles. Depending on each individual and the dose used, the response to the treatment can vary from a relaxation of the muscles to an inability to move the muscles.

After Botox® treatment, normal activities can be resumed straight away, with the exception of exercise, lying down, or touching the treated areas, all for about 4 hours, after which you may continue with all normal activities.

For the first couple of years, frequent treatments (three monthly) are required to 're-educate' the facial muscles. Thereafter, treatments are less frequent until a yearly maintenance treatment is normally all that is required.

How long has Botox® been in use?

As long ago as 1978, Botox® was used as a treatment for patients with eye squints by weakening the overactive eye muscle. Since then, in addition to it's very popular use in medical cosmetics treatments, Botox® has been used in a variety of therapeutic areas such as spasmodic neck, writer's cramp, tics, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, and cerebral palsy. It has been used cosmetically for more than 15 years and one full treatment dose is now considered as safe as a quarter of an aspirin!

Facial Lines and Wrinkles

Botox® is most commonly used in anti-wrinkle injections for the treatment of frowns, other lines on the forehead, and crows feet around the eyes. In addition, Botox® can be used to stop the mouth from drooping at the corners, to reduce neck bands, and to create an eyebrow lift.

The treatment involves a number of small injections in the areas to be treated. The effects of the Botox® take a week or two to appear. In the beginning, the effect of a session will last up to 4 months. After a two or three treatments, at intervals of a few months, the effect of the treatment will last longer. After a year or so of treatment, the areas being treated by Botox® gradually relax and further treatments are only required perhaps once a year.

There are few unwanted side effects of treatment. Any side effects of treatment are temporary and may involve mild bruising at the site of the injection and occasionally a passing redness and slight swelling of the treated area which usually lasts less than an hour.

When the frown lines are treated, about one percent of people (one in a hundred), experience a partial eyelid droop that can last for two or three weeks. This uncommon event happens when Botox® for a variety of reasons may move sideways into the eyelid. This rare side effect can be reduced if it occurs, by use of a particular eyedrop.

Excessive Sweating

Botox® can be injected superficially into the skin of the hands, armpits, and feet, to reduce excessive sweating in these areas. Firstly, a starch-iodine test highlights the sweaty areas. The area is wiped with iodine and then starch is spread on top of the iodine. The areas of maximum sweat show up darker.

Botox® is then injected into the darker areas, after numbing with anaesthetic cream. The Botox® acts on the nerves running to the sweat glands and reduces the nerve transmissions to these glands, so reducing the sweating.

Treatments of the hands and feet for sweating can be painful. An uncommon side effect from treating the hands for excessive sweating is mild weakness in the muscles of the hand.

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