Botox Article:
Botox is a beauty product produced from Botulin, one of the
most poisonous substances known to mankind. According to
scientists, 300 gm of Botulin, which is a toxin produced by
the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, is enough to wipe out
the whole human race. Fortunately, the vilest of human
minds has not been able to come up with a method of doing
this.
In contrast, medical researchers have found a way of using
Botox to enhance the beauty of human race. They inject
small amounts of the toxin to arrest the formation of
wrinkles. Most would consider the physiology behind the
process morbid. But the patients don't mind injecting Botox
into their facial muscles, and paralyzing them.
Since Botox is a neurotoxin, it attaches itself to nerve
endings, and stops them from functioning. The muscles
become helpless, and paralyzed. This process may take two
to three days, depending upon the dose. First, the muscle
movement slows down, and then it stops altogether.
The patient can now feel relieved. Since the muscles cannot
move the wrinkles cannot be formed. The patient can look
young and youthful for three to eight months, till the
affect of Botox lasts. After that the patient needs to take
a fresh dose of Botox.
Of course, the doctors need to exercise great care in
injecting Botox. They must locate the muscle or group of
muscles that have to be paralyzed, and inject the right
dose. A high dose, when delivered wrongly can cause serious
problems.
One of the popular uses of Botox is to remove frown lines.
Many individuals don't want their looks to be marred by an
excessive number of frown lines. This makes them look
harsh, and cold. Botox paralyzes the muscles responsible
for creating the frown lines. The result is that the frown
lines vanish for the period that Botox holds its sway on
muscles.
The Food and Drug Administration may have approved the use
of Botox for cosmetic use but it is certainly not happy at
the way it is being administered. There are reports in the
US of people injecting Botox at parties or before parties
to look younger. Sometimes, this is done without medical
guidance. The FDA has been warning people not to use Botox
after consuming liquor.
Fortunately, when administered properly, Botox is not known
to produce any major side effects. At the most, there have
been cases where patients have reported upper respiratory-
tract infection, headache, neck pain, soreness at injection
site and nausea. Even these get minimized when Botox is
taken under proper medical supervision.
Researchers would like to use Botox to treat more serious
problems, like muscular spasms. In fact, the tests for
Botox were initially meant to develop drugs for spasms.
But they ended up in a cosmetic product.
However, the researchers have not given up. Work is
continuing to develop a drug that can cure problems that
affect the larynx muscles or which can cure problems
related to facial spasms, head and neck tremors and
excessive sweating.
