Botulinum toxin used to be associated in the medical world with occasional deaths from eating tinned food, but shortened with its name shortened to Botox it has now become known universally as something which is used in cosmetic procedures. When it causes food poisoning it leads to death by paralysis of nerve and muscle signals, and it is precisely this attribute which allows it to be injected locally to relieve wrinkles and lines on the face.
As well as formation of lines and wrinkles, aging actually leads to loss of some of the fat under the skin on the face and also to loss of collagen, the support tissue which provides the scaffolding for our facial appearance. This leads to unsightly changes in the contours of the face and may also contribute to wrinkles. To overcome this, the medical world has developed a number of "fillers", these are inert substances that can be injected underneath the skin to overcome some of these problems.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Medical Cosmetic Procesures with Botox or Dermal Fillers
The medical advantages of botox were originally discovered when it was used for injecting locally to treat a condition called Blepharospasm, meaning spasm of the eyelids. As a side effect, patients noticed an improvement in the appearance of wrinkles. It's main role now is in releaving the appearance of wrinkles which appear due to contraction of muscles of the face. These are commonly known as "crows feet" or "frown lines" Most doctors stick to treating the area predominantly around the brow and the eyes but more experienced doctors may consider treating lines around the lower part of the face. Treating the area of the lower face is associated with a greater risk of complications. Botox can't reverse the damaged caused to skin by excessive exposure to the sun, this is because these sun lines are not caused by underlying muscle contraction.
The Botox itself works by blocking the release of a chemical called acetylcholine. This tells the muscle to contract and when its release is blocked the muscle goes into a relaxed state and the wrinkles are relieved.
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