Is Botox Worth It?
Botox treatments have become so commonplace that people assume that it's been around forever.
Botox was originally used by ophthalmologists to treat a condition that causes involuntary twitching of the eyelid.
Once doctors realized that Botox could be used to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, Botox took off as a cosmetic procedure and soon became wildly popular.
Botox fights wrinkles by interfering with the production of a chemical called acetylcholine.
This chemical, when released, causes a muscle contraction and when you have enough of these contractions over time the skin becomes wrinkled.
If the chemical is prevented from being released, the muscles basically become paralyzed.
No contractions, no wrinkles.
It usually takes around a week for the injections to take effect and the treatment lasts for approximately three months.
Determining where to make the injections is key to how successful the treatment will be.
Usually, there are many injections made for each of the areas that need to be treated and it's not usually done right on the wrinkle but in the locations where the muscle contractions start.
Once the botox is injected it then attaches itself to the muscles nerve ending.
Once it's attached it then can prevent the muscle from releasing the chemical that enables the muscle contraction.
Another benefit of botox that you may not be aware of is its use as a treatment for migraine headaches.
In tests performed by Allergan, the manufacturer of botox, over 1300 patients suffering from chronic headache and migraine were treated with botox injections in the neck and head.
After six months the treated patients reported almost a one third reduction in headache days over a group who received no injections.
What started as a strange observation by some patients has now turned into an approved treatment by the FDA.
So, what is the down side of getting botox injections? For one thing, it's a temporary fix.
After a period of time, the effect wears off and you will have to go back and get the injections again.
Another obvious drawback is the expense.
You can expect to pay around $500 per session to treat the areas around the eyes and mouth.
One more problem that some people experience is that they find themselves unable to squint or even move their eyebrows giving them a flat, unemotional "spock-like" appearance.
If you are thinking about botox treatments it's critically important to talk to a doctor who is qualified to help you with your goals and what you expect to get out of it.
Do some homework in advance to find what credentials the doctor has, what kind of training he has and how often he has performed the treatment.
A doctor who has performed the treatment over a number of years will be more skilled than one who only does it occasionally.
For best results, make sure that you follow instructions for both before and after the treatment.
Botox was originally used by ophthalmologists to treat a condition that causes involuntary twitching of the eyelid.
Once doctors realized that Botox could be used to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, Botox took off as a cosmetic procedure and soon became wildly popular.
Botox fights wrinkles by interfering with the production of a chemical called acetylcholine.
This chemical, when released, causes a muscle contraction and when you have enough of these contractions over time the skin becomes wrinkled.
If the chemical is prevented from being released, the muscles basically become paralyzed.
No contractions, no wrinkles.
It usually takes around a week for the injections to take effect and the treatment lasts for approximately three months.
Determining where to make the injections is key to how successful the treatment will be.
Usually, there are many injections made for each of the areas that need to be treated and it's not usually done right on the wrinkle but in the locations where the muscle contractions start.
Once the botox is injected it then attaches itself to the muscles nerve ending.
Once it's attached it then can prevent the muscle from releasing the chemical that enables the muscle contraction.
Another benefit of botox that you may not be aware of is its use as a treatment for migraine headaches.
In tests performed by Allergan, the manufacturer of botox, over 1300 patients suffering from chronic headache and migraine were treated with botox injections in the neck and head.
After six months the treated patients reported almost a one third reduction in headache days over a group who received no injections.
What started as a strange observation by some patients has now turned into an approved treatment by the FDA.
So, what is the down side of getting botox injections? For one thing, it's a temporary fix.
After a period of time, the effect wears off and you will have to go back and get the injections again.
Another obvious drawback is the expense.
You can expect to pay around $500 per session to treat the areas around the eyes and mouth.
One more problem that some people experience is that they find themselves unable to squint or even move their eyebrows giving them a flat, unemotional "spock-like" appearance.
If you are thinking about botox treatments it's critically important to talk to a doctor who is qualified to help you with your goals and what you expect to get out of it.
Do some homework in advance to find what credentials the doctor has, what kind of training he has and how often he has performed the treatment.
A doctor who has performed the treatment over a number of years will be more skilled than one who only does it occasionally.
For best results, make sure that you follow instructions for both before and after the treatment.