The major reason for Botox surgery is to eliminate wrinkles. The theory behind this type of injection is that the chemical once injected, causes the nerve endings to become numb and the muscles being controlled by them to become paralyzed. Why do you want your muscles to be paralyzed you might ask? Because when muscles are paralyzed they are unable to pull tightly to cause wrinkles. Botox injections are primarily administered to the lips, neck, eyes and forehead but can realistically be used on any part of the body.

What most people don抰 know however is that Botox injections are also being used to treat certain diseases. There are certain conditions that result from the continual and frequent spasm (or contraction) of certain muscles. Examples of these conditions include Strabismus or cross eye, Dystonia and Blespharospasm. By causing the dulling of small muscles patients of these conditions can begin to notice relief in as little as a few days. Unfortunately for this group the effects of a Botox injection aren抰 permanent, but will generally last up to 6 months.

While it has been proven and confirmed by the Food and Drug Administration to be effective, Botox is not a procedure that should be taken lightly. There are potential side effects to having the injection that include nausea, headache, bruising and soreness at the injection site, Ptosis and more. As a curative procedure the chances that these side effects will be outweighed by the benefits of its result are much higher but those who seek Botox for cosmetic reasons need to seek consultation and high consideration before making a decision.

While beginning as a process solely for women, the popularity of Botox is increasing amongst members of both genders. When all is said and done and regardless of the circumstances, Botox treatments do work. Once begun they will have to be renewed every 4 to 6 months and so they represent a long term commitment in terms of time and energy. If you decide Botox is for you and you are willing to make the necessary sacrifices there is no question that you will be happy with the results.

Soon afterwards, further medical uses for Botox were discovered. Patients who have the condition called blepharospasm constantly and involuntarily blink their eye muscles. This disease, when it progresses far enough, can prevent people from reading or driving. It can also make work almost impossible. Its devastating physical and psychological effects lower the quality of life of many people who have it. By relaxing the eye muscles, Botox greatly helps these people. Patients who could no longer drive are able to drive again. People who had difficulty reading can read again comfortably after the use of Botox for this purpose.

Soon after, roughly around 1990, related conditions were also treated with Botox. A condition similar to Blepharspasm, called Hemifacial Spasm, occurs when half of the face uncontrollably twitches. Just like Botox can be helpful in the case of Blepharspasm by relaxing the involuntary blinking muscles, Hemifacial Spasm patients can feel more comfortable in social settings because of the fact that their face is no longer twitching uncontrollably.

Other forms of so called Dystonia, where muscles involuntarily twitch throughout the body, were soon thereafter treated with Botox. Children could also benefit from this medication. Patients with spastic Dystonia who had difficulty walking or using their hands or arms were treated with Botox, and in some case could walk again.

It was recognized early on in the use of Botox that the patients who were treated for some of these conditions enjoyed reduction of wrinkles in the areas that Botox was placed. This was most noticeable in the patients who were treated on one side of their face. These patients, and their doctors, recognized that the side treated with Botox had far less wrinkles than the untreated side. When these patients repeated the use of their medications, the difference in appearance of the treated and untreated side became even more and more prominent.

Allergan, the company that makes Botox, received approval for use of Botox for cosmetic purposes in 2003. Allergan completed trials to show that the use of Botox in the glabella, the frown line between the eyebrows, could relax the frown line and improve one’s cosmetic appearance. The FDA granted approval of Botox for this purpose in 2003. Although this is the only “On-label” cosmetic use of Botox, physicians soon began to use Botox elsewhere on the face. An On-label procedure is one that is specifically approved by the FDA. However it is not only legal, but customary and common, for doctors to use medications that are On-label for some purposes, Off-label for other purposes. Likewise, Botox was quickly used for relaxation of forehead lines, crow’s feet and occasionally on other areas in the face to reduce lines created by overactive muscle movement. There are now millions of people around the world who have been treated with Botox for these purposes.

On a chemical level, Botox is a protein derived from bacteria, Clostridium, that temporarily disrupts the signal from a nerve to a muscle. Nerves communicate with muscles, telling them to contract, using substances called neurotransmitters. These are proteins that are released from a nerve and enter a muscle telling the muscle to contract. When Botox is placed near a nerve, the nerve takes up the Botox protein and even when the nerve tries to send the signal to the muscle telling the muscle to contract, Botox overrides this signal and does not allow the muscle to squeeze. This effect is always temporary. Typically after three months or so the nerve will metabolize the Botox protein and the signal will resume as though the Botox was never there.

In the near future Botox will enjoy competition from other medications designed for the cosmetic treatment of facial lines. A medication called Dysport (also called Reloxan) is in clinical trials in United States. This medication, much like Botox, is designed to temporarily disrupt the signal from the nerve to the muscle in order to relax muscle that creates wrinkles. Nobody can say with certainty when the FDA will approve this medication. It is noteworthy that it is currently being used in Europe with consent of the European body that oversees drug approvals.

The manufacturing process for this medication is different from Botox so it is not clear if its length of action is the same as Botox. Furthermore, because its formulation is slightly different from Botox, it is not clear if it is less uncomfortable or more uncomfortable to place in a patient’s facial muscles. Furthermore, the price that Medicis, the company that will have the right for distribution of Reloxan in the United States, will charge for this medication has not been revealed to the public. One must be critical when listening to estimates from the companies that develop these medications as to the timetable for FDA approval, but it is thought by the company that Reloxan will receive FDA approval in the summer of 2009 and be available for use by patients interested in cosmetic improvement shortly thereafter.

Other competitors for Botox are also in the process of developing similar medications. These competitors may not be as far in clinical studies as Reloxan, however. and may take even longer to get to the market. One such competitor is Xelmin, a Botox like product made by the German pharmaceutical company Mertz. The properties of this medication in relation to Botox have not been released to the public and we are unsure as to its advantages or disadvantages. Similarly, another product in the early to mid phases of testing is called Puretox.

Patients have enjoyed the unique and striking effects of Botox for many years. It’s mechanism of action to promote cosmetic enhancement and facial rejuvenation is a true breakthrough. It has changed how patients view surgery as many patients now have a nonsurgical alternative to improving appearance. Very soon, we will be entering a new phase of cosmetic enhancement and facial rejuvenation as these Botox competitors reach the market in the next few years. Whether they demonstrate the unparalleled safety and effectiveness that Botox has demonstrated remains to be seen. Most physicians and patients welcome the possibility of competition to the market place. It seems nothing but beneficial to have a widened array of products and prices to help patients with their choices in facial rejuvenation.

But what exactly is a botox? The answer to this can be explained as such that, botox is a substance which is usually injected to make the areas around the eyes more soften and relaxed. It consists of a toxin which is called as botulin toxin. Botulin toxin is generally considered as an enzyme which breaks the fusion proteins which lead to the formation of wrinkles. On the other hand, it helps in the release of acetylcholine which helps in the reduction of the fine lines and the wrinkles around the eyes.

Botox as it is effective for reduction and smoothing out of the wrinkles, it is also quite prone to certain side effects like dry mouth. It can also to an extreme level impair and paralyze the muscles which work in the process of breathing. Thus in certain pretext botox can be very much deadly. But in spite of all these side effects, botox has been enormously used for removal of wrinkles and the fine line around the areas of the eyes. Botox is considered as a basic treatment which can be meted out for the purpose of removing the wrinkles. Botox also helps in the relaxation of the eye muscles and thus lessens the appearance of wrinkles and the fine line in the area of the eye which is called the crow抯 feet or the laugh lines.

But if we overrule the side effects of botox, we can confidently refer botox as the 搗ital cascade of youth.?Botox is a general form of therapeutic treatment which works appropriately over the muscles and the nerves around the area of the eyes. The way that it works for the reduction of the wrinkles is through the process of blocking the transmission of the nerves in order to reduce the facial contraction of the muscles. Thus in this way the wrinkles and the fine lines around the eyes are eventually reduced to a certain extent.

The side effects may include numbness or tingling at the location of the injection, some swelling or bruising around the injection, an allergic reaction to the product, lack of results after treatment, temporary headache, nausea, drooping eyebrow or eyelid (this can last for 2-3 weeks, but it’s temporary), and flu-like symptoms. The good news is, you can avoid a lot of these Botox side effects by seeing a specialist who knows the proper techniques for injection.

Another way to avoid some of the common Botox side effects is to refrain from rubbing the injection area for about 12 hours after the procedure has been completed. Botox side effects are less of a concern if you visit an experienced and qualified cosmetic surgeon who has carried out many Botox procedures over the years. If you do some research on surgeons in your area, you should be able to find someone who knows Botox inside and out.

Botox injections have been performed for many years to erase facial lines and wrinkles on millions of people. Most Botox side effects are mild and shouldn’t be a concern – the procedure is not a risky one for most people. Most of the time minor bruising is the only problem, and this disappears quickly – use concealer makeup to cover the bruises until they go away. The reason for temporary drooping right after Botox injections is that the Botox sometimes spreads to nearby muscles.

Botox treatment costs less than you might expect – the affordable prices are a result of the ease of implementing this procedure and the number of treatments that surgeons carry out on patients. Again, Botox treatment is quite safe, but it may react with some herbal remedies, antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, as well as heart and Alzheimer drugs. If you’re thinking of getting Botox, consider the possible complications before going for the treatment.

Before most treatments, you will be asked for a list of all the prescription and over-the-counter medications that you’re taking or have taken recently. This is to ensure you don’t suffer any adverse side effects and become ill after the injections. If you have a neuromuscular disease, you should not have a treatment.

Costs for these treatments can vary, but it ’s a relatively inexpensive procedure. It doesn’t take very long to receive a Botox injection, and most people don’t experience any discomfort during the procedure. As the years go by, prices for injections are expected to become even more affordable for the average person.

It’s important to know that people with a neuromuscular disease shouldn’t take Botox – neither should pregnant women nor nursing mothers.

To learn more about Botox treatments and side effects, check out the Free Consumer Review Web Site.

However, in spite of the life long pursuit for the fountain of youth, many celebrities have attempted to master the removal of wrinkles. Just pick up People magazine and it read for yourself. Fourty-five year old actress Virginia Madsen from the film Sideways is the new spokesperson for Allergan, Inc., who is the maker of Botox and Juv餥rm.

She says, “I made a lot of choices to keep myself youthful and strong. I work out. I eat good foods. And I also get injectables.” She goes on to say, “I lost the lines, but I still look like me, which is the result that I think many people want to experience.” Whether you want to inject a toxin into your body like Madsen or do it the natural way like Brat Pitt who uses a gadget to “iron out his wrinkles” we all would love to use an anti-wrinkle product that works and makes us big bucks promoting it.

If you’re interested in a natural needle-less BOTOX or a non surgical facelift in just 10 minutes and want to know how you can make big bucks by endorsing your extraordinary results let us know.

Beth Shoop
anti-aging consultant
1-814-696-8590

Harsh environmental conditions cause free radicals to form; as a result, the skin becomes rough and dry resulting in loss of flexibility, and firmness. The sun is the major cause of unwanted changes in the skin, causing a cascade of events. UV radiation from the sun causes collagen to break down, resulting in an abnormal rebuilding process. Over time, this abnormal rebuilding process leads to the development of wrinkles. Beginning at childhood, it is important to use a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15, a brimmed hat, and other protective clothing. Avoid sunbathing and limit exposure between 10:00am and 3:00pm.

In addition to the devastating effects of cigarettes, smoking causes collagen damage much like sun light which lead to wrinkles. Smoking reduces the amount of oxygen supplied to the skin by reducing circulation, and compromises the skin’s ability to fend off free radicals. All of these factors considered separately and together, cause the appearance of wrinkles.

While the formation of wrinkles, for the most part are unavoidable, treatments have been developed to address the various types. Products, and procedures that increase the thickness of the skin, or that remove damaged skin are the goal in wrinkle treatments. Moisturizers are perfect for superficial, surface deep wrinkles. Facial creams would be the next line of defense, Retinoic acid, used successfully in treating acne, has been shown to improve the surface texture of the skin, and increase dermal collagen. Alpha hydroxy acids also show promise in reversing some of the effects of the sun. Resurfacing is one of the most common Laser treatments used for wrinkles. These procedures improve wrinkles by vaporizing damaged skin cells and allowing the remaining collagen to become thicker and healthier. Botox, is an injection that temporarily reduces or eliminates frown lines, forehead creases, crows feet near the eyes and thick bands in the neck. The toxin blocks the nerve impulses, temporarily paralyzing the muscles that cause wrinkles.

There are several practical steps that can be taken to hasten, or delay the appearance of wrinkles. It is important to stay out of the sun as much as possible. Try to avoid rubbing your eyes , the tendency is to stretch delicate skin. Maintain a stable body weight, a constant weight gain or loss can cause the skin to sag. Keep your skin moisturized to maintain its elasticity and suppleness. Avoid alcohol and smoking. Drink plenty of water. Eight glasses of water a day is the recommended amount necessary for adequate hydration. Spend 15 minutes each morning and evening exercising the muscles in your face. Try to think about your face several times a day and totally relax all your facial muscles.

Jay B Stockman is a contributing editor for Wrinkle Treatment Resource. Visit http://wrinkletreatmentonline.com/ for more information.