How Does BOTOX Work? You Might Be Surprised!

We’ve all seen certain celebrities, movie stars, pop stars that make you wonder: what happened to their face? The first thought in most of our heads is Botox. But the real answer is that there is too much of it injected, or injected incorrectly. 

When these procedures are done correctly and done within the appropriate amount of time between, it is an amazing medical aesthetic procedure that can change your life. The most common use for this drug is to reduce the appearance of face wrinkles. 

Most of us try to do what we can to stay looking young. You can eat healthy, work out often, drink the recommended daily amount of water, but still, time is against us and there’s no way to completely avoid the appearance of age. 

You can start getting this drug injected early on in a preventative treatment. Or if you already have wrinkles, get the injection to help lessen the appearance of the ones present. This treatment blocks signals from the nerves to the muscles, preventing the injected muscle from contracting. 

Because of the muscle not being able to contract, the wrinkles there will relax and start to soften. It’s quite an interesting concept, and when done by the experts, can have a very positive impact on your life. 

Temporary or Long-Lasting Effects?

It is known that getting this treatment requires follow ups every 3-6 months in order to keep the wrinkles away. 

Generally, this procedure is considered temporary; you get the injection, it peaks around 2 months or so, then the muscle slowly gains control back as the treatment starts waning.

If you get injected one time, you cannot expect the aesthetic benefits from it to last forever. But are there potential long-lasting benefits for people that routinely get this procedure? There has been research done that supports that theory. 

Say you get these injections once every six months for three years, then you stop completely. The treatment will eventually leave that muscle, but you lessened the appearance of aging for those three years by preventing muscle contraction. 

Literally, the muscle you had injected for those three years had a nice long break! Compared to someone that had not had any treatments, the muscle you got injections in did not work nearly as much as someone that had no injections. Once the treatment wears off, the skin will start to wrinkle again but your skin won’t immediately snap back to the way it was before. 

Getting this procedure that paralyzes the muscle injected, slows down the classic signs of aging. Even if it doesn’t erase the wrinkles completely, it relaxes the muscle and therefore softens the wrinkles because you’re not able to move that muscle as much. So if you get this treatment for years, then suddenly stop, you’ve slowed down your aging by however long you got the treatment done for. Still considered temporary, there are longer lasting benefits as well. 

Is This Treatment Only For Reducing Wrinkles?

The number one thing facial injections are used for is to reduce the appearance of facial wrinkles. Although, there are many other people using this same drug for different reasons completely. 

As of 2010, botox injections have been approved for people with chronic migraines. In the same way that this treatment paralyzes your muscle, it stops the flow of neurotransmitters that carry pain signals from your brain. The treatment acts as a barricade and stops the pain signals before they can reach your nerve endings. 

For this treatment you want to make sure you go to someone that provides these services normally, not just someone that does injections for cosmetic purposes. These injections can also be used to help people with abnormal sweating issues. 

Everyone sweats, it is necessary for us to maintain correct body temperature. But some of us sweat to the extreme where it is unnecessary in such abundance and becomes upsetting to deal with. When this drug is injected to where the sweat is coming from, it acts the same way, just for a different outcome. It blocks the nerve signals responsible for causing the excessive sweating. 

Retreatment is still needed down the line, but over time, the person can start going a longer time between each treatment. Whether you’re getting the injections to fight wrinkles, get rid of chronic migraines, or control excessive sweating, you’re in any way using it to better yourself. 

What to Expect for a First Time Treatment

A main concern many first-timers have with getting these injections is, “Is it safe?”. The botulinum toxin is FDA approved, so yes, it is safe! There are actually many facial creams and serums that people use that are not FDA approved, but this injection passed the test. 

It is still crucial that you see a professional for this procedure; it’s a needle injecting a substance into your muscle so you’ll want to be sure you are seeing an expert for this (no friends getting together to have a wrinkle reducing party). There are risks to anything we do in life, but talking with your dermatologist beforehand on what you should or should not do following up to the appointment will prepare you the best. 

Another huge concern people have before getting their first injection is, “Will it hurt?”. This procedure is not designed to hurt. Even though it is injected with a needle, it’s a very tiny needle, significantly smaller than the ones used for blood draws. 

If you’re someone that is very anxious when it comes to needles, let your dermatologist know! They can apply ice before or numbing cream; they’ll do whatever they can to make you feel as comfortable as possible. 

Another important factor for people is when the injections will take effect and show a difference in wrinkle’s appearance. For some people it’s within just a few days, but for others it could take a couple weeks. 

Our bodies all work a little differently and therefore it just depends on the individual. Now, one of the last main concerns people can have when getting injections for the first time is, “Will it change how I look completely?”. 

We’ve all seen people that look like they’ve had way too much work done, so this is a valid fear. The truth is this treatment smooths the skin, it may not even get rid of the wrinkles entirely. But it’s used to relax the muscle, and soften those fine lines. You are still going to look like yourself, but a little more refreshed and younger looking! Who wouldn’t want that?

What Exactly is Inside That Needle?

Botox is a neurotoxin produced from the bacteria Clostridium botulinum. Clostridium botulinum is the same toxin that causes botulism from ingesting improperly processed foods. I know that sounds frightening, but ingesting foods contaminated with botulism, and getting botox injections, are two separate things. 

Receiving this treatment from a trained professional is the critical factor here and can relieve you of many cosmetic or medical issues. 

When to Take this Cosmetic Plunge

Taken into regard cosmetically, if you get these injections and notice less wrinkles and fresher skin, that can be a major confidence boost! Same can be said for those getting these procedures done for medical reasons. 

If you’re someone that has excessive sweating and have had to deal with that most of your life, finding a treatment that significantly reduces that will be life-changing. Deciding to get this treatment done should never be something done out of impulse. You need to do your research, find a professional you can trust, and cover any and all worries you may have about it with them. When done professionally, this procedure can have astounding benefits.