Botox injections have gained immense popularity all over the world, especially in the US. The number of Americans seeking Botox treatments is on the rise, and the number of clinics offering them has also been increasing. If you too are considering this cosmetic procedure, you might want to know what Botox injections actually do. Botox is a neurotoxin injected into the muscles or the tissue surrounding a muscle or a nodule. When the toxin blocks nerve transmission, the nerves that surround that muscle or the nodule die. This causes a wrinkle to appear around that area of the body.
In an attempt to counter the negative consequences of Botox injections, your physician will inject a dilute solution in front of the muscle or nodule, causing the nerves to send signals to the eye, resulting in temporary vision loss. The temporary loss of vision can be treated with glasses, contacts that bend light rays. Once the wrinkles disappear, they will be replaced by deeper lines. In some cases, the Botox injection may not prevent further wrinkling; in such cases, your physician may recommend stronger doses of Botox.
There is no need to confuse Botox with botulism; the Botox injections do not cause botulism. A person having Botox injections suffers from a temporary muscle weakness, and that weakness causes the muscles around the Botox injection site to contract. This results in a wrinkle-free appearance of the skin. Botox injections are generally given on the faces, but there are some situations where the injection is also useful on the hands (for example, if the skin on the hands is infected with moles).
The actual cause of wrinkles remains unknown. However, the primary use of Botox is to reduce the wrinkling caused by frown lines, crow’s feet, and facial wrinkles. Scientists have also identified other conditions where Botox treatment is useful. For example, patients undergoing breast cancer treatment suffer from excessive sweating. The Botox injections can help to control the sweating, thereby reducing pain and other unpleasant side effects.
The Botox injections are usually injected into the muscles of the face, and they are done by a qualified medical practitioner. The doctor will first examine you, take your medical history, perform a physical examination, and then give you a number of choices as to where on your face you wish the Botox injections to be placed. In some cases, the Botox injections will be placed on the forehead, while in other cases, they will be injected into the frown lines between the eyebrows. You will usually be given a local anesthetic while the Botox injections are being performed, so you won’t feel any pain at all.
After the injections, the skin will become smooth for a few days, but you may have to wait for up to six weeks for the smoothest effect to occur. If you notice that there is some redness or swelling after the injections, you should contact your doctor right away. Botox treatments are usually performed only on the eyebrows, because the injections put stress on the muscles of the forehead that cause those dreaded wrinkles. If you wish to reduce your wrinkles, consider looking for a quality wrinkle cream that contains Botox.
