There have been hundreds of articles written about Botox and other facial treatments, however, many of them make claims that they simply cannot back up. So, what are the facts about Botox in the UK.
Botox can be used under prescription for smoothing away the frown lines that both men and women's get in middle age between the eyebrows and can also be used for other facial wrinkles.
Research Mintel, who are retail analysts suggests that up to 19 million people - and these include men - would pay to have their face cosmetically improved if they could come up with the money.
Botox treatments and other facial enhancements that are non invasive are growing at an exponential rate and the total market is said to be worth £18 Million per annum.
What Is Botox Cosmetic?
Botox, or onabotulinumtoxinA, is a treatment that can be prescribed for the following reasons: controlling muscle spasms, acute underarm sweating and minor facial improvement. However most people use it for the last of these.
Botox is most often used in order to smooth out the glabellar lines, Most people have this type of cosmetic improvement because they feel the lines on their forehead make them look tired or even angry and this can cause a great deal of anxiety. However, it is often used off-label, or non prescribed to sort out all manner of issues.
Are you the type of person who needs Botox
If you are over 18 and you know a friendly Botox specialist then you are eligible, but you shouldn't use it if you also have the following:
- An allergy to any of the ingredients of Botox
- An infection in skin surrounding the area being injected.
- Any diseases that affect the nerves or the muscles
- Issues that effect your breathing such as asthma.
- Problems swallowing.
- Problems associated with the thinning of the blood.
It is also recommended not to have Botox if you are planning to have other major cosmetic surgery or indeed if you had any surgery recently. And lastly, do not have use Botox if you have a weakness in any areas that you are looking to treat, especially around the eyes.
Although there is no evidence that Botox treatments affect unborn babies, it is not recommended that women should have Botox while they are pregnant.
So does Botox work and of so, how?
Wrinkles in the skin are usually formed right next to a muscle that will be close to it, normally beneath it. As with the forehead where the muscle is vertical across the head and caused horizontal wrinkles when contracted
When Botox is injected into those muscles then it restricts impulses made by the nerves getting to the tissue that is causing the wrinkle. Therefore frown lines and other wrinkles are reduced, giving the person a more youthful look.
Botox treatments normally take approximately 10 minutes and you should be able to resume whatever you were doing almost immediately.
The treatments starts to produce results in about 3 days when you will start to see reductions in the wrinkles around the area injected. For maximum results to be obtained you need to wait for about a fortnight but after that time the effect will start to reduce.
Does Botox Hurt?
In the same way that receiving any injection causes mild discomfort, a Botox treatment is no different. However this discomfort can be reduced with a mild anaesthetic or even by freezing the area slightly before treatment.
How many injections do I need?
Like everything else Botox costs money and so, just like an all over Tan its important to know how long the effects will last. Well, usually Botox treatments can generate results that last up to four months but there are several reasons why your results may not last so long.
- Long lasting results are usually obtained in younger people, the older you are the more you will need to go.
- How much you use your facial muscles.
- Your nicotine intake
- What you eat.
- If you use other facial creams then this could elongate the results
- Whether you spend a lot of time in the sun.
- How often you have had Botox in the past, However, this can work both ways.
Your local GP will have his own ideas on whether you should have Botox and whether it will make a difference, so it's a good idea to ask. However, one thing is for sure, you should not have a Botox treatment in a similar place with three months of the original injection.
Like most medications that cause the body to do something its not pre-wired to do, Botox has a tendency in some people to facilitate the creation of antibodies that fight the injection and in some cases can even create allergies. This is more often the case in people that have multiple injection over a long period of time.
If you are considering having Botox it's a good idea to speak to your local professional before going ahead, as any possible side affect can be identified early and put you mind at rest.
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