Dispelling the myths of Botox®

I thought it was about time to address some of the common concerns my clients have when considering Botox®.

1. ‘it’s a poison Doc’-Botox® gets it’s name from Botulinum Toxin. It’s true that when taken orally (from poorly canned foods) this can give you a nasty case of food poisoning. It’s not true that when injecting the purified form that is Botox® into selected muscles of the face that there is any evidence of poisoning. Nor is there any ill effect been found when injecting much larger doses to children with Cerebral Palsy.
2. ‘it’s all well and good having Botox® now, but when I stop I’ll look worse than if I hadn’t had it.’Untrue. We know from studies comparing identical twins, one who’s had treatment for years and one who hasn’t, that over the period of time you have Botox® it prevents wrinkles from forming. This mean when you stop having treatments, your skin will be better off than had you had no Botox® at all! Also, there is no truth in the rumour that you will get addicted to Botox. You may like the effect and want further treatments because of that, but you will not become physically addicted to Botox®.
3. ‘Botox® gives you a frozen face’-This is both true and false. It’s true that when given in too high doses, or not thoughtfully placed that Botox® can give you a frozen looking face, particularly a smooth plastic forehead or ‘startled’ eyebrows or a cold, unmoving area around the eyes when you smile. However, if your doctor has a good aesthetic eye, Botox® can be very flattering, reducing lines, elevating eyebrows, improving contours WITHOUT giving you a frozen or startled look.

So there you have it, Botox® really is as good as people say it is!

Botox® and Dysport are Prescription Medicines containing 100 units of clostridium botulinum Type A toxin complex for injection. It is used for the treatment of severe frown lines of the face. It should be administered only by trained medical professionals. Arrange a consultation to discuss the benefits/risks of this procedure in appearance medicine. Cautions: people with defective neuromuscular transmission disorders, presence of infection at site of injection, glaucoma, pregnancy and lactation. Possible side effects include headaches, pain, burning or redness at injection site, local muscle weakness including drooping eyelids, lack of feeling and nausea. If you have side effects or concerns speak to a doctor. A charge applies. Note: Botox® and Dysport treatment lasts about 4 months and after this time further courses of treatment could be necessary. Arrange a consultation to discuss your own situation.

¹ Benedetto A. The Cosmetic Uses of Botulinum toxin type A. Int J Dermatol 1999, 38:6641.655