What is Botox?



Botoxis a protein that comes from the botulism toxin. Its original clinicaluse was back in 1973 when it was used to treat patients with crossedeyes. Its cosmetic benefits were first realised by Canadian doctors in1988. But it wasn't until 1997 that it was recognised as havingexceptional benefits in the fight against lines and wrinkles caused byrepeated facial expressions.

Botox is injected under the skin as part of cosmetic procedures torelieve the signs of aging. Botox works by temporarily paralyzing themuscles in the face, giving the patient a more youthful appearance.

When Botox is used appropriately it is a less invasive alternative tosurgery. Botox involves much less swelling and bruising than cosmeticsurgery. In comparison, swelling related to Botox disappears in amatter of days, whereas with plastic surgery, swelling and otherpost-operative signs can exist for months after the procedure iscarried out.

However the results of Botox are not permanent and would requirefurther regular injections to maintain the results of the treatment.Nevertheless the doctor will also attempt to help the patient breaktheir habit of frowning, and therefore naturally prevent there-appearance of wrinkles created from repeated movements of the face.

Traditionally, Botox is used as an alternative to getting a faceliftand removing the wrinkles in the forehead. However, Botox has manyother uses besides just removing forehead wrinkles. Alternative usesinclude the following:

Sagging Breasts ? Doctors have recently discovered that women withsmaller breasts can experience a lifting effect from the use of Botoxinjections into their pectoral muscles.

Prevent Sweating ? Hyperhidrosis or excessive sweating affects about10% of the population. This can be very embarrassing for the peoplethat suffer from it. However Botox injections can help people with thisproblem. Injections are made into the armpits and this temporarilyprevents the sweating from overactive sweat glands.

Crow's Feet ? The facial expressions involved in laughing, smiling andfrowning can all cause the skin to fold and eventually wrinkle.Injections can be made into the skin around the side of the eyes. Thisfreezes the muscles, tautens the skin and reduces the folds of the skinknown as crow's feet.

Neck Folds ? As we get older, some people get vertical folds in theneck region. By using Botox injections, the folds can be softened,giving a similar impression to the results of a surgical ?neck lift?.

Migraine ? Botox injections in the back and sides of the head, theforehead and above the brow can all help to relieve the pain associatedwith migraines for long-term sufferers.

Eye Twitching ? Some people suffer from a nerve problem that gives thema constant twitch in their eye. This can be both visually irritatingand socially embarrassing. Correctly applied Botox treatments to themuscles around the eye could stop or greatly reduce eye twitching.

Botox is a safe, non-invasive and cost-effective alternative to othercosmetic procedures such as surgery. It has many beneficial uses andwith regular injections it can offer a more youthful appearance foradults of any age.

If you would like to find out more about Botox, or cosmetic surgeon Dr.Ravi Jain Visit our website at http://www.riverbanksclinic.co.uk