How Does Botox Work

Botox is the Brand Name for Botulinum Toxin

Botox, what is it, how does it work and what uses does it have. The lines that appear between your brows actually result from muscle movement and the passage of time. You may have heard the expression “wearing your emotions on your sleeve,” but in reality you wear them on your face. If you’re angry or annoyed, for example, you knit your brows together. Underneath your skin, your facial muscles contract, cause a pleating of the overlying skin, and then, as anyone can see, you’re frowning. After years of crinkling and wrinkling, those lines start to linger longer and can become more pronounced. For women, whose faces tend to be more animated than men’s, and whose skin is typically more delicate, these lines may appear exaggerated and more permanent.

For the record studies have shown that smiling releases endorphins, natural pain killers, and serotonin. Together these three make us feel good. Smiling is a natural drug. When you smile you also look younger! Even some skin products such as Obagi Nu Derm have shown some success in preserving youth.

Botox or botulinum toxin which comes in the form of a purified protein. It works by paralyzing the muscles which cause the dynamic wrinkles, preventing them from repeatedly producing those problem lines. Botox, is a neurotoxin protein produced by the bacterium Clostridium Botulinum. By injecting very small amounts of the protein we are able to immobilize the muscles which are causing the frown lines or wrinkles. The Botox attaches itself to the nerve endings of the motor muscles, thereby affecting the nerve transmission to these muscles.

How fast does Botox work

Generally It takes anywhere from two to ten days to block the nerve transmitters which innervate the muscles where it was injected. There is no loss of sensory feeling at all during the time that botulinum toxin A is effective. Once these motor nerve endings are interrupted, the muscles cannot contract. treatment and may last up to 4 months, although results may vary. In clinical trials, nearly 90% of men and women surveyed rated the improvement in the appearance of frown lines between their brows as moderate to better 1 month after treatment.

Botox is usually injected. A doctor uses a thin needle to inject tiny amounts of Botox into specific muscles. By carefully choosing the muscles to treat, the doctor weakens only the wrinkle-producing muscles to preserve your natural facial expressions.

The number of injections needed depends on many factors, including your facial features, the extent of the wrinkling and the specific area being treated. For example, crow’s-feet usually require two to five injections. Furrows in your forehead could take eight or more injections.

Botox injections take about 10 to 15 minutes and are usually done in a doctor’s office. You may experience mild pain with the injections, but most people find the discomfort tolerable. The procedure requires no anesthesia.

Botox has many other uses in dentistry and in other areas of medicine such as treating incontinence, Botox has been used as a treatment for migraines,  Studies show Botox can also be used to greatly reduce the symptoms of excessive sweating for many patients.

 disclaimer; this website is currently a personal blog and is not managed by a medical doctor; therefore, the information  about Botox should not be taken as authoritative.

obagi nu derm

Be Sociable, Share!