Botox (Botulinum Toxin)
What is Botulinum Toxin?
Botulinum toxin can be injected into humans in extremely small concentrations and works by preventing signals from the nerve cells reaching muscles, therefore paralyzing them.
In order for muscles to contract, nerves release a chemical messenger, acetylcholine (a neurotransmitter), at the junction where the nerve endings meet muscle cells. Acetylcholine attaches to receptors on the muscle cells and causes the muscle cells to contract or shorten.
Injected botulinum toxin prevents the release of acetylcholine, preventing contraction of the muscle cells. Botulinum toxin causes a reduction in abnormal muscle contraction, allowing the muscles to become less stiff.
What are the uses of Botulinum Toxin?
Botulinum toxin is predominantly used as a treatment to reduce the appearance of facial wrinkles and fine lines.
Beyond aesthetic applications, Botox is used to treat a variety of medical conditions, including eye squints, migraines, excess sweating, and leaky bladders.
Botulinum toxin is currently used to treat over 20 different medical conditions, with more applications under investigation.
What are risks and side effect?
Injections with botulinum toxin are generally well tolerated and there are few side effects. In rare cases, an individual may have a genetic predisposition that results in a mild, transient unusual response to the drug.
Around 1 percent of patients receiving injections of botulinum toxin type A develop antibodies to the toxin that make subsequent treatments ineffective.
How long does it take to see the result?
Botulinum toxin is administered by diluting the powder in saline and injecting it directly into neuromuscular tissue. It takes 24-72 hours for botulinum toxin to take effect. In very rare circumstances, it may take as long as 14 days for the full effect of botulinum toxin to be observed.
Botulinum toxin should not be used in pregnant or lactating women, or by people who have had a previous allergic reaction to the drug or any of its ingredients.
Credit Dr.Manavee Prommas (dr.kony)
