Botox: How They Work, Benefits, Side Effects, and More

Facial wrinkles are unavoidable as one’s age progresses. So are neck spasms, excess sweat, and the need to visit the restroom due to an overactive bladder. Migraines which are a rare occurrence, become chronic. Botox injections come in handy to solve or reduce such ailments. Such injections prevent particular chemical signals from reaching the nerves. Such prevention makes a person’s muscles contract too. Botox treatment via injections aims to relax your facial muscles.

If such relaxation does not occur, wrinkles tend to appear on the person’s forehead. It also appears in the region around their eyes, and Botox under eyes treatment is also available. Thus, Botox is a drug injected in small doses paralyzing the muscles. In the passage found below, we will explain what Botox is and its uses, the various types of Botox, its benefits, and its side effects.

What is Botox?

A bacterium classified as ‘Clostridium Botulinum’ produces a toxin. The Botulinum toxin creates a life-threatening disease in a person, which is Botulism. The same toxin also helps in creating a drug to cure called Botox. Doctors administer Botox in small doses to cure many health issues, such as: 

• Temporary enhancement of facial appearance by smoothing wrinkles on the face
• Reducing sweating in the armpit region 
• Reduces Neurological disorders such as Cervical Dystonia. Cervical Dystonia leads to neck and shoulder pain due to muscles contracting
• Reduces involuntary blinking of the eyes, known as Blepharospasm 
• Corrects eye alignment in case of misalignment, which is Strabismus 
• Frequent and chronic Migraine 
• An overactive bladder

Botox Procedure helps restore normal condition in the following two ways:

• It blocks specific nerves by weakening them 
• It paralyzes a particular group of muscles. 

The Botox effect lasts for at least three months to twelve. Results may vary depending on the area under treatment. Botox goes a long way by slowing down the formation of wrinkles and new lines. It also improves the person’s looks. It rules out the usage of general anesthesia. During treatment, it does not involve incisions. In other words, it is almost invasive. Patients experience mild discomfort, at the least. It is quick and only consumes up to ten minutes.

What are the three types of Botox?

Botox has indeed become a generic name. Before opting for a type of botox to attain what you desire, it is essential to understand and know more about its types. There are three types of Botox, which are as follows:

1. Botox 
2. Dysport
3. Xeomin

The FDA approves all of the above. We will discuss all the types briefly in the section below.

1. Botox /Vistabel: It is regarded as a non-surgical treatment for cosmetic treatments. It cures wrinkles and fine lines and is considered the most effective. 

2. Dysport/ Azzalure: Dysport too is a Botulinum toxin. It cures the following:

• Blepharospasm
• Hemifacial spasm
• Cervical Dystonia
• Foot deformity 
• Focal spasticity

3. Bocouture / Xeomin: Botulinum Toxin A purifies by removing complex proteins. On the other hand, the toxin contains less protein comparatively for the best results.

Now that you know the types of botox, you have little knowledge about its effects. For further details, you can consult a learned professional before you make a call.

Short Summary:

Anti-aging process is what the Botox procedure is famous for. There are three types of Botulinum toxins that have been discussed above. Each has a purpose, and the FDA approves all. There are more on the way too!

Why is Botox treatment done?

Botox treatment becomes necessary when a person experiences certain conditions. These are not life-threatening but improve certain functions. Botox helps in safeguarding from specific ailments. ‘It is temporary, but repeat procedures can follow the first. Here are those conditions from which Botox can assure you relief. 

• Cervical Dystonia: The head gets twisted into an abnormal position, making the person uncomfortable. The involuntary movement is the result of neck muscles contracting.
• Lazy Eye: Eyes achieve perfect positioning as there is a balance in their muscles. The exact positioning goes wrong when an imbalance in such muscles and ‘ Lazy Eye’ happens.
• Muscle Contractures: Limbs get pulled near the center due to certain neurological conditions. Botox can remedy such contraction.
• Hyperhidrosis: Abnormal sweating with little activity, even with moderate temperature, causes Hyperhidrosis. Botox is the solution.
• Migraine: Migraines occur when a person experiences headaches for over half a month. Botox injections resolve this. 
• Uncontrollable Bladder: An overactive bladder leads to many visits to the restroom. Botox injections keep the bladder in better control.
• Eye Twitches: Eyes twitch, blink, involuntary for a few. Botox controls such movements.

Certain neurological conditions and uncontrollable muscle movements lead to a lot of embarrassment. Such embarrassment is more when they occur on the face. One can say the same for an overactive bladder and eye twitching. Migraines are a concern for many as their daily activities go haywire. Botox for Migraines helps reduce the frequency of such migraines and excess sweat in the armpit region. Botox offers relief from this, and they can also repeat the procedure.

Short Summary:

Overall, botox is helpful in various conditions, and one can benefit significantly from the procedure. All that you need to focus on is getting the treatment from the right professional.

What areas of the body can be using Botox treatment?

Although Botox injections work well in many parts of the body, it is the facial areas that do their work best. Below are the body’s areas that are conducive to Botox treatment. 

1. Forehead Wrinkles: Wrinkles are horizontal creases mainly found across the top of your face. A person with wrinkles is automatically considered aged. The wrinkles move along with whatever your facial expression is. Botox targets these wrinkles and reduces them. 
2. Crow’s Feet: These small lines become noticeable when a person smiles or laughs. It’s indeed a sign of aging, and Botox aims to remove them. 
3. Frown Lines: Frown Lines appear on your face between your eyebrows. It happens when one ‘frowns’ or furrows their eyebrows to express their tiredness or anger. Botox smoothes these frown lines to a large extent. 
4. Bunny Lines: You can find these lines on either side of your nose. They become more evident when one ‘crinkles.’ The Bunny lines become evident, starting with the nose’s bridge and ending at the lower eyelid. Botox treatment is available for this even though it is off-label.
5. Smoker’s Lines: The name may be misleading. People need not be smokers to have these lines evident when they purse their lips. Only an experienced Doctor can treat this using Botox.
6. Marionette Lines & Mouth Corners: These lines start at the corners of one’s mouth and extend towards the jaw. The result is that the mouth seems to droop. Thus, two muscles combine to create this issue. Check on the previous success of the Doctor for having treated this. Before & after Botox photos would help you appoint the right specialist. 
7. Neck Bands or Cords: Such lines creep up in and around your neck region. The Platysma muscles that generally support the neck muscles start sagging. Neck Bands are the result. Botox does solve the problem to a large extent. In case the loose skin is more, Botox would fail.
8. Sagging Eyebrows: Botox for sagging eyebrows is known as “Botox brow lifts.” Surgery is not the only option, as Botox does resolve the issue. A good Ophthalmologist can perform this, and they can lift your brows.

If you carefully notice, botox works to cure multiple problems in the human body. It helps to overall uplift the spirit of an individual.

Short Summary:

As seen above, Botox injections solve problems encountered in the facial region. They need to be carefully treated by experts. The Doctor can cure Neck Bands provided there is not much loose skin. On the other hand, surgery can be replaced by Botox injections.

What is the procedure for Botox treatment?

Botox treatment involves specific procedures. These steps are as follows:

1. Choose your Doctor carefully: Botox may involve injections only, but that should not misguide a person to take it as a simple procedure. Only a qualified and experienced Doctor should perform Botox. Following an incorrect process may result in undesirable side effects. The Botox injection requires careful administration. So, choose your Doctor after making many inquiries.

What do you need to admit to your Doctor? 

• Inform your doctor whether you have had Botox treatment over the past four months.
• Inform the Doctor of all the medicines you consume, especially blood thinners.
• The Doctor will decide which medication you need to stop for at least ten days, especially blood thinners. 

1. Pre-Procedure: Botox treatment does not warrant anesthesia as the discomfort is mild. If you are under treatment for excessive sweating, it’s better to opt for numbness in the palm and soles region. The Doctor would decide on which type of anesthesia to use. 
2. What happens during the procedure? It’s a thin needle that the Doctor would use to inject Botulinum toxins. The quantity injected may only be small, but the Doctor has to do it in a clinic or office. The number of injections would vary as per the area under treatment.

Short Summary:

The procedure may look simple, but that does not warrant a casual approach. The primary step involves choosing the right Doctor. After this, it is up to the person to admit the truth about all the medications they are under. Such admittance would help the Doctor and the Botox patient to complete a successful procedure.

What is the Recovery Timeline for Botox Injection?

It is essential to avoid lying down to rest immediately after the Botox procedure. Avoid doing so for the first four hours. Although taking a day away post-Botox treatment is best, there is no specific downtime. Your everyday life can resume almost immediately, and you can drive or return to the office after the procedure. Take care not to rub the areas treated. It’s best to avoid smoking or exercising. It would help if you avoided NSAIDs like Aspirin.

Short Summary:

For any medical procedure to be successful, the patient should be well aware of the recovery timeline. There might be swellings or itching following the Botox, but he should not rub or massage those areas. Your Doctor should give you the information on what to expect day after day following the Botox procedure.

What is the type of Results expected after Botox treatment?

Botox injections do give fast results but not instant ones as one may expect. Here are the changes you can expect to see. It takes only three to four days for the first result to emerge. The appearance does start changing from this point. It would take a further ten days (a total of 14 days) to see the full effect. From this point, the fine lines start reducing, and so do the shallow wrinkles. 

The same would take a more extended period in case both are harsher. After the second week, the areas under treatment start appearing smoother. The youthful look emerges as the wrinkles, along with the fine lines, disappear steadily. One should remember that the results would differ between first-time and regular Botox users. The fresher would take more time to see results than the second user.

Botox Treatment Before and After Result

Short Summary:

It is clear from the above that the changes start from the fourth day. Full results emerge by the end of the second week. Certain areas take more time than other areas to reflect the full effect of Botox treatment.

Aftercare Botox Treatment

Botox aftercare is as important as the procedure itself. Here are a set of instructions to help you in your aftercare post-Botox. 

1. Use Ice to numb swellings around the treatment area. Ice also minimizes discomfort.
2. You can start exercising your face one-hour post Botox treatment. Exercising involves frowning, smiles, and eyebrow-raising. 
3. Avoid a visit to the gym and strenuous exercises for at least two days.
4. It is best to avoid facial makeup as they scatter the Botox to other parts of the face.
5. Avoid lying down for at least four hours post-Botox. It’s also advisable to sit upright.
6. Try and sleep on your back instead of face down on the bed.
7. Avoid alcohol of any form as it accelerates blood pressure.
8. Avoid other treatments, especially skin treatments, for two days post-Botox.
9. Avoid sunlight exposure and stay in the shade. 10. Follow the medication prescribed. 

To get the best results, you must follow the instructions mentioned above, along with any other specific instructions provided by your physician.

Short Summary:

It is a golden rule to take care of oneself post any medical procedure. Botox is not an exception to the rule, even though it’s a simple procedure comparatively. Follow these ten golden rules specifically for the best results.

Pros and Cons of Botox

All are not ideal candidates for Botox treatment. Even though it’s a simple procedure, the pros, and cons exist. Here are the pros and cons.

Pros:

1. FDA approved: it’s FDA approved, and many have experienced the results promised. Thus Botox does work and is a workable solution. 
2. Painless and Quick: Botox injections are administered quickly in small dosages and ten minutes. The preparation based on initial consultation with the ideal Doctor assures success. It involves tiny needles. Thus it avoids penetrating the nerves, thus making it painless.
3. Less Downtime: You may have to observe a few rules post-treatment. Above that, you can go on with your regular life immediately.
4. Not instant, but fast results: It would take three days to see results but only two weeks to experience the promised result.
5. Risks Low: Botox injections are low-risk treatments. One can have the next one when the earlier treatment effects wear off. Risks are more for people who suffer from chronic diseases.
6. Botox is not confined to improving facial features. It also aims to relieve underarm sweating, muscle pain, and relief from migraines.

Cons:

1. It’s Temporary! Results post Botox treatment is not permanent. The results are evident for at least three to six months. The good news is that you can have it done again.
2. Allergic reactions a possibility: It is up to the Doctor to test whether the candidate is good enough for Botox. In case of a wrong diagnosis, the patient may develop new allergies.
3. Loss of certain facial expressions: Botox paralyzes muscles and helps cure lines and wrinkles. In turn, it may promote squinting or frowning, which is unwelcome.
4. It is expensive! Botox treatment is for the people who can afford them. Even though Botox’s cost per unit is only $12, the entire procedure could cost between $ 250 and $1500!
5. Results may not happen: The chances of effective Botox results exist after the first Botox. Unfortunately, some ideal candidates may not see results after treatment. Therefore, they have to repeat the procedure.
6. Possibility of Side effects: One cannot rule out side effects. The side effects may be mild, but one can experience neck pain to respiratory issues. People can even become speechless for some time and experience nausea. Proper medication post-Botox should bring down such side effects.

Understanding the pros and cons of the botox treatment is very important to eliminate any misconceptions.

Short Summary:

Every medical procedure involves side effects. The side effects depend on the person’s body constitution. In other words, the pros and cons would differ from person to person. It is best for the candidate to be aware of all these and take suitable measures should they happen.

Are there any side effects or risks of Botox treatment?

Botox treatment may have side effects. Such Botox side effects take place around the area of injection. These side effects are as follows:

• Redness
• Bruises
• Infection 
• Pain 
• Swallowing issues 
• Dizziness 
• Headache
• Nausea
• Weak muscles
• Double vision
• Sensitivity to bright light 
• Drooping eyelid
• Eye irritation
• Dry eyes 

These are all the side effects one may experience after a Botox injection. Such effects would also disappear quickly. If they last longer than expected, it’s best to consult your Doctor. Even your pharmacist can help. The other factor is that side effects may occur while trying to cure one. The side effects would vary depending upon the area of cure. If Botox cures underarm sweating, colds, headaches, and flu may be the side effects. For example, migraine medication would cause eye drooping. Allergic reactions to drugs prescribed by the Doctor are minimal. Side effects may also arise in the long-term use of Botox, especially for the muscles. They are as follows: 

• • Inhibited Nerves that block the free release of acetylcholine. Such a kind of blockage leads to muscle weakening. 
• • Dynamic Wrinkles are the result of muscle overuse. Botox weakens such muscles till they lose their ability to contract. 
• • Muscles lose their original property of contracting. Such weakening would affect your arm muscles, too, in the long run.

Short Summary:

It is impossible to rule out side effects for any medical procedure. Botox involves temporary side effects. The cure exists for all these occurrences with simple medication. As of now, side effects of a permanent nature are yet to occur. It’s more important to stop new allergies from developing. Anyhow, continuous use of Botox is not advisable.

How much is the cost of Botox Treatment in India?

Botox treatments do not cost the same everywhere in India as it depends upon certain factors. The most important factors are the clinic’s reputation and the Doctor’s credibility. If both enjoy a high rating, the botox cost will increase. The cost would also vary depending on which area the patient wants the Botox done. In Delhi, treatment costs are 40K and above.

Conclusion

Botox treatments are on the rise, becoming safer by the day. Many specialists have entered the field, which includes Dermatologists and even nurses. All these specialists are trained specifically in Botox treatment and thus become responsible for its widespread popularity. One of these names comes from our clinic which is one of the best clinics for Botox treatment in Delhi with minimal side effects and risks, Botox injections are considered safe. Moreover, there is no downtime with a few instructions to follow post-treatment for success. Many clinics specialize in Botox haircare, Chin Botox, lip flips, and Botox eyes.

Reference

1. 2016 cosmetic surgery national data bank statistics (n.d). (Link)
2. BOTOX Cosmetic (botulinum toxin type A) (2002). (Link)
3. Dutta S. R., et al. (2016). Botulinum toxin the poison that heals: A brief review. (Link)
4. Mayo Clinic Staff. (2016). Botox injections. (Link)