What Is Botox?

It is often said that botox is a poison, and technically that is quite true although there is much more to it than that. The substance is a protein made by a particular bacterium, and it is linked to a form of food poisoning called botulism. However, many substances are toxic above a certain dosage, including a high percentage of all medicines. When injected under the skin in very small amounts, the botox chemical inhibits the release of a substance called acetylcholine from nerves in the local area. That prevents the small muscles around the injection site from moving and creasing the skin into wrinkles.

Botox anti wrinkle injections don’t kill nerves. The effects are not permanent, lasting no more than three or four months. Rather, they prevent nerves from communicating and activating muscles. It doesn’t stop you smiling or frowning, or making any other facial expression.

As an alternative to more radical plastic surgery, anti wrinkle injections like botox are a relatively new development. Botox has only been used for cosmetic purposes since 2002 (although similar treatments have been around for longer than that), but it does have a much longer medical history. It has been used to treat conditions like persistent eye ticks and twitches for almost half a century.

While best known as an anti wrinkle injection, botox can also be used for other cosmetic purposes. For example, injections of botox are often used in the treatment of hyperhidrosis or excessive sweating in the armpits, feet, or palms.