The History of Botox!

Botox is a very well-known name, however many are unfamiliar with what it is able to do and how you can benefit from its use. So let’s dive in and learn!

Botox is the most commonly performed cosmetic procedure in the United States. Botox is actually the brand name for botulinum toxin. In 1897, scientists discovered the bacteria causing botulism and named it Clostridium botulinum. After purification and crystallization of the toxin they were able to discover its action and how it could be utilized for treatments. Did you know that botulinum toxin was originally used to correct strabismus (irregular eye position) and blepharospasm (uncontrollable eye twitching)? Interestingly, as they were treating these patients in the 1980’s, they noticed these patients also had significant reductions of glabellar furrows (AKA the “11’s” or our scowl lines between our eyebrows). This helped create the bases for modern cosmetic Botox use. Botulinum toxin was then approved by the FDA for treatment of glabellar lines in 2002.

How does botulinum toxin work?

In order to make our muscles contract our brain sends a signal through our nervous system that travels through nerve cells. These nerve cells ultimately meet the muscle cell. The nerve cell then releases a message to the muscle cell telling it to move. This messenger is also known as acetylcholine.

After botulinum toxin injection, our brain still sends a signal that travels through the nerve cells to the muscle cell, but the toxin inhibits the release of acetylcholine from the nerve cell. This prevents the message from getting to the muscle and thus prevents muscle contraction.

The action of botulinum toxin is not permanent. The nerves recover their normal function around the 3 month mark. However, before the original nerves recover, immature nerves sprout in response to growth factor signals from the silent muscle. These immature nerves are said to be responsible for the early phase of recovered function after botulinum toxin injection. Later the original nerves regain their full activity allowing the muscle to move and function once again.

If you are bothered by fine lines and wrinkles then botulinum toxin is for you! Preventing the movement of the muscle allows those wrinkles to soften and in some cases even fade away! The average treatment lasts 3-4 months. The procedure itself is simple and nearly painless. There is mild swelling and redness for about 15 minutes and then the treatment area returns to normal. Effects of botulinum toxin can take anywhere from 3-14 days to set in.

Call 509-324-3980 to schedule your consultation!