What's Up With Botox?

BOTOX is part of a family of drugs called "botulinum toxins". Specifically, it is the Registered Trademark and brand name for "botulinum toxin type A" which is manufactured by a company called "Allergan". Nothing else that is made by any other company is allowed to be called BOTOX.

Botox is actually a first cousin to the dreaded botulism food poisoning that is caused by the evil bacterium Clostridium botulinum.

Yikes! That sounds scary enough to make you stop reading right now -- but don't run away quite yet. Just as atomic energy can be used for good and bad, there's room in your life for Botox if used and administered properly.

Botox Goes Back To The Sixties

Although you may have only heard of it recently, Botox has been around since the early 1960's when it was first approved for use as a treatment for Strabismus (crossed eyes). It later received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a treatment for three specific medical conditions known as blepharospasm, strabismus, and cervical dystonia. Essentially, each of these conditions involve the appearance of involuntary muscle contractions.

In order for a muscle to move, it must receive a signal from your brain. That signal is carried to the muscle by a chemical called acetylcholin. If your body produces too much acetylcholine then the affected muscles will go into "spasm" or begin twitching. BOTOX blocks the release of acetylcholine to the affected muscle which stops or reduces the spasm. Since Botox is injected only into the affected muscle the rest of the body is not affected.

Botox Or Botox Cosmetic?

Unless you have one of the diseases that regular Botox is designed to treat, the chances are your real interest is in a derivative called "BOTOX Cosmetic". Although most people simply refer to this derivative as Botox, there is a marked difference. BOTOX Cosmetic is a protein which is produced by the Clostridium botulinum bacterium. It is FDA approved for reducing the activity of the muscles that cause "frown lines".

According to the manufacturer, "Treatment with BOTOX Cosmetic can visibly smooth and soften moderate to severe frown lines between your brows. An improvement can be seen within days and may last up to 4 months, although results may vary. In clinical trials, nearly 90% of men and women surveyed rated the improvement in the appearance of frown lines between their brows as moderate to better 1 month after treatment."

The 90% Chance

This means that while BOTOX Cosmetic doesn't work for everyone, there is a 90% chance that it will work for you. BOTOX Cosmetic is administered by injection directly into the muscles that are causing your frown lines. The process takes 10 minutes or less and there is no "recovery period". That makes it perfect to get done during your lunch break or anytime that you have a free 10 minutes.

A "normal" treatment can last for up to 4 months although this time period varies widely among different people. Regardless, the manufacturer recommends that you get treatments no more frequently than every 4 months.

Here are some guidelines for you to consider:

• BOTOX Cosmetic may not be for you if you have any diseases that affect your nerves or muscles or if you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant soon, or are nursing.
• Be sure to give your doctor a COMPLETE listing of all medications that you are taking prior to receiving a BOTOX Cosmetic treatment.
• Once you stop treatment your frown lines will gradually reappear until they look the same as before you began the BOTOX Cosmetic program.
• It is not a permanent cure for your wrinkles!

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Beauty Skin Care Products 101

By spending a few minutes every day you can have the beautiful skin you have always wanted; providing you are willing to put in the time for your skin care on a regular basis you should see some beneficial results. Whilst plastic surgery, liposuction and other invasive techniques have been incredibly popular in the past, mainly because they provide near instant results, that is no longer the case with modern beauty care. But more natural beauty care products are the order of the day now and whilst they may take a little longer to produce results, they are longer lasting and have other health benefits.

In the past these beauty care products might have had a poor image being confined to anti-aging lotions and cold creams. Today some of these products are among the most important available to help make the skin look young and healthy. The importance of our skin cannot be stressed enough and like other areas of our body, requires a little care and attention.

Before any other type of skin care is carried out, it is necessary to clean the skin first; this will ensure that any toxins, environmental pollution and bacteria are removed. This is done by a gentle massage routine using the cleanser on a cotton pad, finally rinsed off with warm water.

The cleanser can affect the PH balance of your skin so the nest step is to use a toner which will restore this balance. To reduce the number of wrinkles and help make your skin soft and supple, use moisturizing creams or lotions once you have finished with the skin toner. This beauty care product step helps to seal in your treatment and to lock in the natural moisture in your skin.

Each week, at least once, and as part of your skin care regime you should exfoliate the skin to remove dead cells which will help provide a deeper cleanse. Once you have exfoliated; a normal cleanse and then tone will be necessary as part of the process.

Beauty care product eye creams can now be used to help the very delicate skin around this area by reducing and swelling and signs of aging like lines but improving the elasticity of the skin in this region. Water is another undervalued commodity that helps detoxify and improve the skin tone along with regular exercise and a good diet. The health of your skin should not be underestimated, not just for vanity reasons but for our overall health as it is a barrier against the elements, pollution and disease.

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