Botox had been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of several medical conditions since 1998, but only in 2002 was it approved for cosmetic use. You may have read about Botox injections in magazines, celebrity news, cosmetic advertisements, or heard about it from your friends, however with what you’ve read in the tabloids or heard about, it is good to be aware that there are a lot of misconceptions about Botox and how it is used. Whether you are a candidate or a skeptic of the procedure, here are some of the facts that would take the wrinkle out of Botox injection myths.
Myth: Botox is toxic and dangerous since it is derived from a bacteria which can cause a life-threatening type of food poisoning, botulism, in humans.
Fact: Botox® is a trade name for botulinum toxin A, which is one of the neurotoxins produced by the bacteria clostridium botulinum. If someone eats something that has been contaminated by neurotoxins, botulism which is a life-threatening type of food poisoning occurs. This is why Botox is associated with botulism. However, Botox is made from purified proteins derived from the toxin that are completely safe. It has been used for nearly 20 years with 16 million treatments performed and recorded since its approval and release in the market. No long term side effects have been reported to prove that it is unsafe or dangerous. However, drinking alcohol close to the time of treatment can increase swelling and bruising around the injected areas.
Myth: Botox is only effective for facial wrinkles and lines.
Fact: While it is true that Botox used in cosmetic procedures is effective in erasing crow’s feet or facial wrinkles, forehead lines, marionette lines, and smokers lines around the lips, it is also used for treatment of several medical conditions such as blepharospasm, strabismus and cervical dystonia, all of which involve muscle spasm; other medical uses have been recorded which include spasmodic dystonia, neurological disorders affecting the larynx and hyperhidrosis or excessive sweating.
Myth: Botox injections affect natural facial expressions.
Fact: Many believe that Botox injections can lead to loss of facial expressions since the procedure is intended to freeze targeted facial muscles. On the contrary, Botox is used to temporarily smoothen glabellar lines or the lines between your eyebrows that can make you look tired, unhappy or even angry. FDA approved the cosmetic use of Botox for this area only, however Botox is now used effectively to ‘erase’ other facial lines and wrinkles. If performed by a skilled physician, you will not suffer from any temporary side effects of a ‘frozen expression’ since the injection simply relaxes targeted facial muscles.
Myth: Botox is dangerous to the eyes.
Fact: Botox is developed and approved by FDA with eye safety in mind to treat strabismus (eye muscle problem) and blepharospasm (uncontrolled eyelid twitching). However, precaution is still necessary to prevent possible side effects such as double vision, droopy lids, eye swelling, blurred vision, decreased eyesight and dry eyes.
Myth: The procedure is extremely painful.
Fact: Any injection or skin insertion can hurt, however the needles used in Botox injections are very small and thin so the pain is usually minimal. Some compare the pain to the sting of an ant’s bite. To ensure that pain is minimal to non-existent, the area can be anesthetized with a topical anesthetic cream or to apply a cold pack 10 to 20 minutes before the procedure. If pain is felt rather intensively or if a swelling, infection or inflammation is experienced on the injection site, that could indicate an allergic reaction.
Myth: Anybody can have Botox injection.
Fact: People with an allergic reaction to Botox and to other botulinum toxin brands such as Myobloc, Xeomin and Dysport, develop skin infections in the injection area, have ALS or Lambert-eaton Syndrome, experience problems in breathing such as asthma sufferers, have drooping eyelids, experience bleeding issues, have difficulty in swallowing, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers or those planning to breastfeed, are strongly advised against getting Botox injections.
Botox cosmetic in Perth is widely popular and millions have benefited from the treatments globally. It is highly recommended to have skilled practitioners or physicians perform the procedure in a controlled medical environment as they are trained with knowledge about the best injection sites, the number of times to perform the procedure, the exact dose to inject and etc.
If you are based in Perth, Australia, Liift Aesthetics have the experts to help you with anything you may want to know on anti-wrinkle solutions.
