You might have heard about Botox being used to solve cosmetic issues through blogs, magazines, or just gossip among friends. However, there are many factors and misconceptions regarding Botox and its use that you need to know about. Botox has been accessible for cosmetic purposes through prescriptions since 2002, when it gained approval by the FDA for use in the country. The same Botox, however, gained approval for medical purposes like uninhibited muscle spasms in 1989. Read on for more facts about Botox that you need to know.
What is Botox?
Botox, or as it is medically called, OnabotulinumtoxinA, is used to help with three things: intense underarm sweating, muscle spasm control, and for cosmetic enhancement. What you will find below is a detailed explanation regarding the third use. Cosmetic enhancement is done with a product known as Botox® Cosmetic. This particular type consists of type-A botulinum toxin as an active ingredient; also, sodium chloride and human albumin, a protein commonly detected in the plasma of your blood, are included in as ingredients. It is also used for temporarily smoothening frown lines, which are the lines that make you appear unhappy, tired, and angry and occur around your eyebrows.
How does Botox work?
A wrinkle is usually formed in your skin at an approximately 90-degree angle when the muscle that is situated below the skin contracts. For example, when the vertical muscle of your forehead contracts when you raise your eyebrows, the skin will show horizontal lines. Similarly, the contraction of two muscles between your eyebrows causes frown lines. These frown lines appear in a vertical orientation.
In order to disrupt the nerve impulses to the muscles affected, they are injected with Botox. This decreases the activity in your muscles that lead to frown lines and other cosmetic issues, showing much better results. When the muscle underneath your skin does not contract, the formation of wrinkles becomes extremely difficult.
Your skin might generally show an improvement in a matter of days because Botox needs around two to four days to attach itself on the nerve ending that is responsible for the muscle contraction. It takes around 10 to 14 days for the skin to show maximum results. Hence, the effects that your skin shows after two weeks of taking the injection is usually considered the optimal effect.
How often should you get Botox injections?
Despite what you might believe, Botox administered in a single injection does not last forever. In most cases, the effects last for a period of three or four months. However, that period might get longer or shorter, depending on various factors, some of which are as listed here:
- If you are an older individual, your lower muscle tone might cause the results to fade away faster as compared to people with firm and young facial muscles.
- How long your skin shows the effects of Botox depends on how well you care for your skin. It is advised to employ resurfacing methods such as facials or microdermabrasion.
- The longevity of Botox also depends on the amount of damage your skin has sustained from the harmful rays of the sun.
