Divaskincare

Botox is a “safe” purified form of the deadly Botulinum toxin, otherwise known as botulism. Botox supporters claim that the toxin is diluted so greatly that it is completely harmless, and possesses nothing but positive effects on the body. However, as with any procedure there are risks and side effects associated with the somewhat controversial youth in a vial. To completely understand how Botox works you must first understand the deadly disease…not meant to scare you in any way, just to help you understand the actions of the drug on the body. Although, as a supporter of health and life, I do have some serious reservations about the whole procedure, just the thought of it makes my face cringe. This by the way is an obvious sign that I have never received Botox!

Botulism acts as a neurotoxin, what this means is that when you ingest the bacteria it automatically attacks your central nervous system and causes paralysis, and eventually if not promptly treated death. The paralytic effects of the bacteria are what make it work so well as a facial rejuvenator. However, Botox was not initially created for its preservation of beauty. Back in the 1960’s it was researched as a treatment for certain neurological disorders, but it was not until 1989 that it was approved to treat certain eye disorders, and the approval for its use as a cosmetic treatment didn’t come until early 2002. Since then however, Botox has been taking the world by storm and is used by everyone from women, to men, and even some children.

So how does Botox work exactly??

Humans are very characteristic people when we laugh, smile, or even frown we show it very well in our facial expressions, it is one of our amazing communicable abilities. However, making all these facial expressions, repeatedly can and will cause certain types of wrinkles such as crows feet, laugh lines ect. When injected in to the face the toxin blocks nerve impulses which dramatically weaken the muscles, thus preventing these characteristic facial expressions. One must understand that Botox is not a one time thing; the effects of it last only a short period of time, and you must keep these muscles restricting your facial movements paralyzed for several months before you notice these lines disappearing.

The pros of using Botox are it is a minimally invasive procedure, it is a simple injection, and recovery is 30 minutes. Plus people love the results. The Cons are Botox injections must be repeated time and time again, if the injections are stopped the lines will reappear. Also, they are super expensive, with prices usually starting at $600.00 per injection, and there are some side effects to consider; although rare they do occur. Some common problems associated with Botox injections are droopy eyelids, paralysis of the face(unexpected and unwanted), nausea, muscle weakness, and facial pain. Many people…like myself, have reservations about receiving Botox because of the simple fact that it is a toxin, the makers of Botox have addressed this issue by stating that there has never been a reported case of botulism after receiving an injection.

Fact is people, most definitely women, will continue to do what ever it takes to look young, and chances are nothing about that is going to change until society loosens its tight grip on our self esteem. However, don’t let this insane obsession sway your personal opinion of yourself, honestly it makes me sick to hear about a young woman in her twenties seeking out a cosmetic surgeon to get Botox injections…there is absolutely no way that a woman in her twenties has a real need for Botox and she shouldn’t start having the injections this early. Whether or not Botox is effective the first time, or the fiftieth time, it is a toxin and really shouldn’t be used at such as young age! Simply because we don’t know the real long term effects of this drug/toxin so lets approach it cautiously!