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Botox is the treatment of choice
for lines on the forehead, frown lines between the eyes and "laugh lines" or
"crow's feet" at the sides of the eyes. Botox can be used with great exactness
to reduce the wrinkles and to improve the tone and appearance of certain facial
muscle groups without losing the natural facial expression. Botox, correctly
used by a specialist, will let you look younger and more relaxed. Since only the
very finest, smallest needles are used to inject Botox, the treatment can barely
be felt at all. The complete results of a Botox treatment are seen first after a
period of from three to ten days and last from three to six months.
Among
the special uses for Botox, which are technically difficult and require a high
degree of expertise, are the treatment of the areas around the mouth, the fine
lines under the eyes, the optical enlargement of the eyes as well as reduction
of the wrinkles around the nose and the bridge of the nose. Problems in the neck
area can be specially treated and improved with Botox. We use Botox in hour
practice in conjuction with Mesolift in Mesotherapy, in combination with
vitamins and hyaluronic acid to firm the skin and refine the colouring and
general appearance of the skin. The expert use of Botox in combination with the
Mesolift is called Meso-Botox.
Other uses of Botulinumtoxin (Botox,
Dysport) include the treatment of embarrassing excessive perspiration
(hyperhidrosis) under the arms, in the palms of the hands and on the bottoms of
the feet. Surface injections of Botulinumtoxin-A (Botox, Dysport) result in an
inhibition of the activities of the sweat glands thus preventing excessive
perspiration.
Recently, Botox has been very successfully used to combat
chronic headaches and migraines. It must be stated, however, that this use of
Botox is still in the experimental phase and is not yet recommended for general
use. In addition, surgical forehead lifting, combined with the removal of
certain small muscles in the forehead appears to be producing promising results
in migraine headache patients.
How Botox Works
Botulinumtoxin-A
(Botox, Dysport) is a naturally occurring bacterial poison, which works by
blocking certain nerve impulses. When Botox is injected into a muscle, it blocks
the nerve impulses to that muscle so that it can no longer be contracted. Other
nerve functions, such as the sense of touch, are not influenced by Botox.
Botulinumtoxin-A (Botox, Dysport) has long been an approved medicine for use in
relaxing muscle cramps and in the treatment of crossed eyes (Strabismus). For
more than fifteen years, Botox has been successfully used in cosmetic medicine
to treat wrinkles.
Possible Risks or Complications
Botox can,
in rare cases, cause a temporary paralysis of certain facial muscles resulting
in a temporary unevenness of the eyebrows or top eyelid. Other temporary side
effects are a temporary ektropion (a drooping of the lower eyelid), seeing
double after treatment of "crows feet" or a weakness when chewing or swallowing
hard or dry foods. These are temporary side effects and tend to disappear in
three to ten weeks.
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