BOTOX®

     Botox® is the trade name of Botulinum Toxin Type A, a potent muscular paralyzing agent.

     Nowadays it is used with increasing frequency and therefore it is the object of much attention from the press. However, many doubts still persist among lay people, such as: How does it work? What is it used for? Will I lose my facial expression? How long does the effect last? Does it have contraindications?

This short text will try to answer these questions.

     Botulinum toxin prevents the transmission of the electrical impulse from the nerves to the muscles (by blocking the release of acetylcholine). Thus, the muscles are paralyzed. The use of Botox® is esthetic therapies derives from the fact that the so-called dynamic facial wrinkles (crow's feet, wrinkles on the forehead or between eyebrows) are due to muscular contraction. Therefore, if the muscles producing such wrinkles are paralyzed, there will be no more wrinkles! It is exactly on these specific muscles that the plastic surgeon applies Botox®, injecting it with a very thin needle.
The procedure is fast (five minutes) and not very painful. Muscle paralysis occurs after 48 hours, remains for six months on average, and does not leave the patient without facial expression.

     The return of muscular activity, therefore of wrinkles, occurs due to reinervation of the muscle. When this happens, a new application may be done.

     Among the few contraindications are neurological disorders, hypersensitivity to the product, pregnancy and the use of some specific antibiotics.

     Due to its fast application, marked effect on dynamic wrinkles and almost immediate results, Botox® became the top hit in today's facial esthetic management.