Botox has now been used for a number of years for men and women that want to hide signs of aging; with so many rumors about it's use, more facts need to be available about what it is and what it does. To understand exactly what it is and does, we first have to look at just how this amazing miracle of modern science came to be. The substance is derived from Botulinum toxin, discovered nearly five decades ago; originally the purpose of this was to treat neurological disorders.

In 1989 it was finally approved by the FDA to treat eye muscle disorders; some of these included patients with excessive, involuntary blinking and for those suffering with crossed eyes plus, on occasion, wrinkles. Later in the first year of the millennium after many more years of research, it was granted permission to be used on patients with cervical dystonia; it was found to be effective at helping patients with neck and shoulder contractions but other eye disorders were included at the same time. In their research, doctors discovered that Botox softened the frown lines between the eyebrows; this discovery won over the FDA who agreed that it could be used in cosmetic procedures from 2002.

Botox paralyses the muscles that cause wrinkles keeping them in a relaxed state; eventually, over a period of several months, given enough of these injections, the frown lines start to soften. Continued treatments mean in many cases the lines disappear and now the same treatment is used on other areas of the face like the crows' feet, laughter lines and other facial wrinkles. The injections are a purified and watered down version of the sometimes fatal Botulinum poison; if it were not for the purification process this treatment could make us very sick.

Of course we all like to laugh and obviously use our faces for other gestures but the muscles controlling this are the cause of the line we see and obviously, these injections can stop this. After years of making these expressions the wear and tear on your face begins to be noticeable and the lines start to become permanent; many ‘skin age reduction cream' manufacturers have tried to produce creams that reduce facial line but this is the only treatment that works, currently. Because botox paralyzes the facial muscles, normal movement, expressions and gestures are almost impossible to make; many people believe that overuse leaves the recipient with a look similar to that of a mannequin.

Depending on the amount of treatments, a person can look fairly normal but their facial gestures will be restricted so that the creases and lines do not show. For some people the obvious downside to this treatment is the cost; with injections in the low to very high hundreds of dollars each, it looks to remain expensive for some time to come. The side-effects of regular botox use may take some time to appear as it is only a recent addition to the cosmetic surgeon's armory but for now, its use does not seem to be diminishing.

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Copyright 2008 Ron King. This article may be reprinted if the resource box is left intact and the links live.