You have probably heard of Botox as a drug that is injected into parts of the face to temporarily remove facial wrinkles. It works by paralyzing the muscles that cause wrinkles, and its effects usually last for 3 to 4 months.

Botox is made from a toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. This is the same toxin that causes botulism, a life-threatening kind of food poisoning that leads to paralysis. Botox is a purified form of this toxin that triggers paralysis in a limited area of the body without causing the disease.

Botox is most useful for lines that form between the eyebrows, across the forehead, and around the eyes (crow’s-feet). It is less effective for smile lines around the mouth. This is partially because paralyzing those muscles may interfere with a person’s ability to eat and talk.

The process of having a Botox treatment is quick and easy. Usually a dermatologist injects the affected areas during an office visit. Sometimes Botox is used in combination with other cosmetic skin procedures, such as chemical peels, laser resurfacing, and dermal fillers. These combination therapies can prevent the formation of new wrinkles.

Doctors also use Botox to remedy severe underarm sweating, uncontrollable blinking, misaligned eyes, and cervical dystonia, a neurological problem that causes severe neck and shoulder muscle contractions. Possible side effects include pain at the site of the injection, flulike symptoms, headache, and upset stomach. Injections in the face may temporarily cause drooping eyelids. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should not use Botox.

ADDITIONAL FACTS

  1. In the United States, no form of botulinum toxin can be used on humans unless it has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). At this time, the only kind of botulinum toxin approved by the FDA to temporarily reduce frown lines between the eyebrows is Botox Cosmetic, made by Allergan.
  2. As of July 2008, the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations has arrested 68 and convicted 29 people of purposely injecting unapproved botulinum toxin into almost 1,000 patients.