Are you thinking of getting botox but concerned about its safety as a procedure? It’s a concern many others share because botox is made from a toxin that can be life-threatening in high doses. So is botox safe?
What Is Botox?
Botox is the brand name for botulinum toxin type A, which is a protein produced by the bacterium clostridium botulinum. Botox is used to treat moderate to severe forehead lines, frown lines, and crow’s feet. These are all dynamic wrinkles that develop due to the contraction of the muscles related to expressions such as smiling, squinting, or frowning.
Is Botox Safe?
Botox is entirely safe for the treatment of fine lines and wrinkles. When used for cosmetic purposes, botox is injected in tiny, targeted doses, and does not generally lead to any harmful effects.
Botox also has a very safe history when used to treat medical conditions such as axillary hyperhidrosis (excessive underarm sweating), lazy eye, migraines, and eye twitching.
Although botox is generally safe and well-tolerated, there are potential side-effects that patients should be aware of including swelling, pain, and bruising at the injection site, and droopy eyelids.
What Happens When You Get Botox?
When botox is injected into the facial muscles it blocks the chemical signals from the nerves that cause the muscles to contract. This limits muscle movement and reduces the appearance of the related wrinkles and fine lines. The results of botox last 3-6 months.
Choosing A Botox Provider
The risk of complications increases when botox is administered in inappropriate doses by an inexperienced injector. Consequently, botox should only be administered by a qualified medical practitioner. Patients should also assess the qualifications of their provider, and verify how long they have been doing botox treatments. It’s also advisable to take a look at ‘before and after’ photos of past botox patients to determine the proficiency of the provider.
Would you like to learn more about botox? Search our directory to find a practice in your area.
If you are in the Guilford and New Haven, CT area, The Langdon Center is our featured practice.
You can reach them at https://www.langdoncenter.com/, or by calling (203) 442-9219.