How Does Botox Work?

Kim Kardashian, Cindy Crawford, Kelly Ripa, Jenny McCarthy – these are just some of the Hollywood celebrities who have admitted to using Botox to fight off the wrinkles and look fresh and young in their forties. But what can Botox really do, and how does it work? This article can help answer your questions and help you decide whether you want to give this anti-aging treatment a try.

What Is Botox?

Botox is a neurotoxin made by a bacteria called Clostridium botulinum. So in a nutshell, it’s a poison made by a bacteria, but don’t let that freak you out. It’s safe when it’s injected by a licensed and experienced professional, such as a plastic surgeon or dermatologist.

How Is Botox Used?

Botox is typically used to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, but it has other beauty benefits too. The doctor can inject it in into the nostril area to mimic a nose job, or at the forehead and jaw for a temporary face lift. It can also be used like a lip filler, since it’s cheaper than collagen injections.

Many women in their 50s and 60s also get Botox injections around their neck to tighten sagging skin and loose jowls. Interestingly, singer John Mayer got Botox injections in his vocal chords to let them rest and treat his throat condition. He couldn’t speak for several weeks, but it saved his voice!

How Does Botox Work?

Botox basically paralyzes the muscles by blocking the nerves or synapses. So even if your brain tells you to move the muscle, it won’t. Don’t worry, the muscle won’t feel numb. There are two kinds of nerves – one that controls muscle contraction, and one that detects feeling and sensation. Since Botox only blocks the first kind, your face will feel perfectly normal. It will, however, look years younger because the muscles that cause the creasing, crow’s feet and fine lines are frozen.

Two things to remember: Botox is localized, and it’s temporary. When it’s localized, it only affects the muscles in the area it’s injected into. That’s why you may need more than one injection if you want to treat larger areas like the neck or jawline. Results last only a few months, so you need to get another round of injections to maintain that youthful look. Luckily, your body doesn’t develop a tolerance for Botox, so do you don’t have to increase your dosage in succeeding sessions.

What Happens During A Botox Treatment?

The doctor mixes the Botox powder into a saline solution and injects it strategically into your facial muscles. This is where experience and expertise can save your life. If the doctor uses fake Botox, mixes it in the wrong concentrations, or injects it in the wrong muscles, you can experience difficulty breathing and swallowing, or vision and bladder problems. So when it comes to Botox, it’s better to pay more for a credible and well-recommended clinic versus a cheaper less trusted clinic.

You won’t feel any pain (except for the initial prick) and the entire session takes less than an hour. Aside from a little swelling or redness in the area – which goes away after a few hours – nobody will even notice that you had something done. You can leave the clinic and return to your usual routine the same day. Just don’t rub the area, which can cause the Botox to migrate to other muscles.

Expect to see results within a few days of the treatment. So if you’ve got a big event planned, schedule your Botox injection a week before.

Will Botox Affect My Body?

Don’t worry: Botox won’t introduce toxins into your organs. After it’s injected into the muscle area, the body breaks it down into amino acids which are either used in protein synthesis or flushed out by the kidneys.

How Does Botox Compare To Other Beauty Treatments?

Botox paralyzes the muscles involved in the facial expressions where wrinkles and fine lines appear. Facial fillers, on the other hand, plump up the area with collagen. Dermatologists and plastic surgeons that while both reduce fine lines, they each have their own strength.

Botox is more effective on what they call “dynamic wrinkles” that appear when your face is moving (like when you smile, frown, or talk). Facial fillers are more effective on “static wrinkles” that can be seen even when your face is totally relaxed.

Botox is also non-surgical alternative to face lifts and neck lifts. While there’s no shame nor blame in getting plastic surgery, some people would prefer not to go under the knife – whether it’s because of the cost, or fear of complications, or the long recovery time. Others also feel that Botox is “more natural” – although honestly, the end result depends largely on the skill of the doctor who is administering it. Badly done Botox can make your face look harsh and stiff. So if you’re trying out his treatment, ask to see photos of former clients.

How Can I Make Botox Work For Me?

So that’s how Botox works, and what it can do for you. Are you ready to have it done? Here are some questions to ask the doctor or aesthetic or plastic surgeon: