"I've been intending to write about Botox for some time. Of all the procedures I perform in my office, Botox is the most popular, and sometimes the most misunderstood. In 2006, the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) ranked Botox number one on its Top 5 list of cosmetic procedures. But some of the men and women who consult with me about the procedure express the concern that they will end up with "face freeze" - that deer-caught-in-the headlights look that the media seems to consider synonymous with Botox treatment.
Ironically, many celebrities who are pilloried in the media for being "over-Botoxed" are actually victims of over-zealous surgical brow or face lifts, rather than Botox. When properly performed, Botox treatment smooths out your frown lines and other facial wrinkles while preserving your normal facial expressions, so you don't look permanently surprised. A recent survey of approximately 1000 patients who had received Botox for cosmetic purposes found that 97% of them were satisfied with their results[1].
The FDA approved Botox in 2002 for the temporary treatment of moderate to severe frown lines between the eyebrows in adults aged 18 to 65. These vertical lines are often referred to as "the 11" because they resemble the number 11. Since its approval, Botox has been used for more than 13 million cosmetic procedures in the United States. Some are for the FDA-approved indication - to relax frown lines. Botox is also used "off label" for other wrinkles, such as forehead lines, crow's feet, lines around the mouth, chin dimpling and lines on the neck..."
"So how does Botox work? Botox is the brand name for botulinum toxin A (BTX-A), a purified protein that binds to the junctions where nerves meet the muscles that they activate (the neuromuscular junctions). BTX-A has been very well-studied over the past century and there are about 3000 publications to date on it in medical and scientific journals. When Botox is injected just beneath the skin into overactive muscles such as those that cause frown lines, it prevents these overactive muscles from contracting (tightening) too strongly and thus removes the undesired wrinkles. "
