Botox & All The Fears Mongering Around It
The popularity and effectiveness of Botulinum toxin, known as ‘Botox‘, in restoring one’s youthful appearance, has made it to one of the go-to anti-aging treatments for years now.
There is however a myriad of fears associated with this coveted aesthetic magical wand treatment.
So What Are These Fears?
Let’s find out!
Will botox make me look unnatural?
This is the most prevalent fear among people who are interested in getting the treatment.
Every now and then, one comes across the news of celebrities or popular social media figures getting botox injections. Seeing the results not working for them adds to their apprehensions.
These worries, though understandable, are not always true.
However, what needs to be realized is that in cases where the results do not pan out as intended, it’s not the fault of botox per se. It could be the doses of the botox are too much or too little for you. Everyone’s muscle activity is different and hence the dosage differs. Thus, one’s best bet is to consult a certified and experienced practitioner.
What are the side effects of botox?
Even if an interested individual mutters the courage to go for the botox enhancement, despite all prevalent myths, there is always an impending fear of the side effects.
So, how does one tackle that?
You don’t have to be a genius to know that any drug or prescription you take has side effects.
In the case of botox, generally, there are no long term side effects, but in some cases, redness, swelling and bruising etc. have been noticed. These symptoms normally go away in a few days. Rare cases of headache after the botox can easily be aborted with simple analgesia such as paracetamol.
Will botox make me look stiff & plastic looking?
Let’s understand how botox works.
It is a neuro-modulator that blocks nerve signals. This prevents the muscles from contracting.
When the muscles don’t contract, the skin does not pull or tug in any way. Hence, there are no folds and no wrinkly skin! During the procedure, the results largely depends on the expertise and experience of the doctor performing it.
With just the right amount of botox administered at the desired spot by a professional, you can’t go wrong with that. The ‘stiff’ or the ‘plastic’ look happens only when the dose delivered is more than what is required.
Will botox lead to an untimely demise?
Imagine going for a facelift for enhancing your appearance. Now imagine dying because of it! Brutal isn’t it?
Let’s discuss the possibility in detail.
Botulinum toxin is derived from the bacteria Clostridium botulinum. This is the same toxin that causes a condition termed as botulism. However, out of its 8 existing types, the Botulinum toxin type A is widely used in cosmetic practices. Common brands of botox includes Dysport, Botox and Xeomin.
The concentration is diluted to make it effective and safe when administered in the right dosage and frequency, after critically analyzing all the ancillary aspects.
The lethal dose (amount of medicine needed to cause death) of botox is far from the therapeutic dose (amount of medicine needed for treatment). For example, one session of face Dysport treatment generally require around 100-120 dysport unit. The lethal dose of Dysport unit is 5000 at any single time (50x more than the usual dose). So you can imagine, there is no way anyone will receive such a high dosel
The champion of the medical revolution Paracelsus rightly stated,
“All things are poisons and there is nothing that is harmless, the dose alone decides that something is no poison.”
The above statement is a perfect fit in this regard.
If one must go for the enhancement via Botulinum toxin, all the aspects need to be thoroughly assessed by the individual. Choosing an experienced and duly qualified aesthetic doctor is mandatory.
A responsible doctor will explain the longs and shorts of the entire procedure, for you to make an informed decision.
Do I have to keep continuing with the botox injections?
With botox comes botox maintenance!
Once performed, the treatment lasts for typically four to six months. A session once every four to six months is sufficient to keep the results intact. In some cases, where the facial muscles start contracting less, the treatment gets extended.
The process is individual-specific and so are the results. This makes it very crucial to have a customized treatment plan made with your doctor.,
Will it get worse if I stop doing botox?
While botox can make your skin look absolutely flawless and wrinkle-free, one has to undergo regular treatments to make it look like that. If you choose to skip, the condition of your skin will return back to its normal state. This means the situation will not become worse. In fact, those with botox treatment even without consistency, will have a younger look in the long run because during the ‘botox-effective’ period, your skin gets to rest and recover from folding and wrinkling.
The list of things about botox that scares people is an endless one. To be judged as vain, looking all plastic and weird, also having to do it repeatedly etc. are the things that normally keep people at bay when it comes to botox. A lot of this fear-mongering has to do with untrue assumptions and the misinforming sources that add further fuel to the fire.
Summary
If one decides in the favour of getting injected, proper research has to be done to find out the clinic and doctor that offers the service.
Every step has to be taken very mindfully. You must not hesitate to ask questions and get your queries addressed, before taking the plunge.
