The uses of botox seem to be increasing all the time despite all the hype over its use; despite how often this treatment is used, few people understand the method it uses. In order to appreciate just what this is we need a brief history lesson into its discovery, quite a while ago now. It was first studied back in the early 1960's and derived from the now famous poison Botulinum toxin- which was used originally for disorders of the brain.

In 1989 it was finally approved by the FDA to treat eye muscle disorders; these included blepharospasm (uncontrollable blinking), strabismus (crossed eyes) and even wrinkles. Later in the first year of the millennium after many more years of research, it was granted permission to be used on patients with cervical dystonia; this is where severe neck and shoulder contractions were causing discomfort to a number of people, but other eye conditions were included in this approval.

In all the research that was going on with botox, doctors had found that it was effective at reducing frown lines around the eyebrow area; this discovery won over the FDA who agreed that it could be used in cosmetic procedures from 2002.

You see botox is a neuro toxin, meaning it paralyses the muscles it is injected into and makes them relax; when given sufficient injections given over a period of time, frown lines for example, will reduce in intensity. The lines will to the casual observer, disappear but the same process can now be used on laughter lines around the eyes and forehead lines as well. The injections are a purified and watered down version of the sometimes fatal Botulinum poison; if it were not for the purification process this treatment could make us very sick.

The problem is that when we laugh, cry or frown for example, lines and wrinkles appear caused by the muscles that have helped create the expression; these injections can help eliminate those lines. This treatment is able to take back, for a temporary period, all those years of lines, creases and wrinkles that has formed from the use of our facial muscles; whilst many manufacturers have tried to produce creams that eliminate these wrinkles and creases (unsuccessfully), this treatment can at least for a short period. Because botox paralyzes the facial muscles, normal movement, expressions and gestures are almost impossible to make; many people believe that overuse leaves the recipient with a look similar to that of a mannequin.

While the face can still provide expressions, they are seriously reduced but this give the effect of someone looking much younger than they really are. For some people the obvious downside to this treatment is the cost; this is why it has been coined as something only celebrities have performed because the least expensive injection can still cost upwards of 300 dollars to in excess of 1,000 dollars. It may be a few years yet before we see the result of long term use of botox but that doesn't seem to concern those people who are using it at this moment.

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