BOTOX – SUBSTANCE WITH DRAMATIC BEAUTIFYING PROPERTIES
For a substance with such dramatic beautifying properties, Botox has a much publicised and controversial background. Botox, or botulinum toxin type A, is a highly purified derivative of a toxin that in much, much larger doses could be hazardous. When used for cosmetic, or wrinkle zapping, purposes the toxin is purified and diluted and injected into the facial muscles. Almost instantly, the toxin blocks the nerve impulses that control muscle movement by restricting the patient’s abilities to contract the facial muscles. No
contraction of the muscle equals no movement of the skin lying over it and no movement equals no wrinkles. A smoothing effect is seen while the patient is still in the exam chair, with improvement continuing over the following couple of days. This result lasts approximately three to six months, at which point most patients gradually return to their original state of wrinkling.
Of the seven different forms of the botulinum toxin that exist, type A is the one that is most studied and used and the only one approved for the cosmetic treatment of frown lines. Neurobloc, manufactured by Elan Pharmaceuticals, is another paralysing ag’ent, this time derived from botulinum type B. It is used very similarly to Botox, but it’s only j approved for cervical dystonia, which are involuntary contractions of the neck and shoulders. However, the potential of Neurobloc as a cosmetic treatment is starting to emerge, with more information to come within the next couple of years.
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