The effect of Botox on a woman’s body

Sooner or later, wrinkles appear on every woman’s face, which is due to inevitable age-related changes in the skin. However, you should not despair about this, since modern cosmetology offers many techniques of varying complexity, effectiveness and cost for facial rejuvenation. Particularly popular among them are the so-called “beauty injections,” the essence of which is to inject botulinum toxin (Botox) into certain facial muscles, blocking their activity. Before undertaking such a procedure, it is important to find out the contraindications and all possible negative consequences.

Content:

1. The effect of Botox on the body

1. How does Botox work?
2. When to use

The effect of Botox on the body

Botulinum toxin, or botulinum toxin, is produced during the life of the bacteria Clostridium botulinum and is one of the most toxic substances. When it enters the human body, severe toxic damage (botulism) occurs to the nervous system, mainly the spinal cord and medulla oblongata, disruption of muscle innervation, and development of acute respiratory failure. If you do not seek medical help in a timely manner, there is a high probability of death.

How does Botox work?

Botulinum toxin preparations used in cosmetology and medicine (Botox, Dysport, Xeomin) contain highly purified and weakened botulinum toxin type A, the local use of which in strictly controlled therapeutic doses is not dangerous. Despite the fears of many people, they do not cause addiction or muscle atrophy and do not have a systemic effect on the body.

Injecting small doses of botulinum toxin into a muscle causes temporary paralysis or permanent relaxation by blocking the transmission of nerve impulses to muscle fibers. As a result, wrinkles formed due to the work of facial muscles are smoothed out. About six months later, after Botox is removed from the body and muscle functions are completely restored, the woman already gains the ability to control her facial expressions. She loses the habit of actively using the muscles into which the drug was injected (furrowing her eyebrows, squinting her eyes), which serves to prevent the formation of wrinkles.

Interesting: The ability of botulinum toxin to eliminate facial wrinkles was discovered in 1982. During his treatment of people suffering from strabismus and blepharospasm, it was discovered that transverse wrinkles on the forehead in such patients were smoothed out.

When to use

Botox injections are also used for excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis) of the armpits, palms and feet. They block the transmission of nerve impulses to the sweat glands, which significantly reduces or stops sweating while maintaining normal thermoregulation.

Depending on the nature of the problem, places for botulinum toxin injection may be accumulations of facial wrinkles in the areas between the eyebrows and in the forehead (vertical and horizontal folds on the forehead), around the eyes (crow's feet) and mouth (nasolabial folds), as well as the armpits, palms and feet with hyperhidrosis.

In medicine, botulinum toxin preparations are used for diseases accompanied by severe muscle hypertonicity, cramps and pain caused by muscle spasms. These include some types of headaches and migraines, cerebral palsy, strabismus, consequences of stroke, multiple sclerosis, traumatic brain injuries, torticollis, muscle spasms in the back, shoulder girdle, urination disorders and others.

Contraindications to drug administration

Before performing “beauty injections,” even though they are considered safe, it is recommended to consult a cosmetologist. Contraindications for Botox, regardless of the injection site, are:

1. pregnancy and breastfeeding;
2. age less than 18 years;
3. exacerbation of any chronic diseases;
4. acute infectious processes;
5. diseases, inflammation or violation of the integrity of the skin at the sites of drug administration;
6. myasthenia gravis and myasthenic-like syndrome;
7. bleeding disorder (hemophilia);
8. individual intolerance or increased sensitivity of the body to botulinum toxin.

In addition to general contraindications, there are restrictions on performing Botox in certain places. For example, botulinum toxin injections in the facial area are contraindicated if you have had plastic surgery for less than 3 months or if there is severe gravitational ptosis of the tissue. When facial skin sagging, the injection of botulinum toxin can negatively affect the appearance and further aggravate existing problems. It is impossible to correct facial wrinkles with Botox in the area of ​​the eyes and bridge of the nose if there is a high degree of myopia (more than 6 diopters), or hernias in the upper and lower eyelids.

Compatibility of Botox with drugs

Botox cannot be combined with the use of anticoagulants, antiplatelet agents, and certain medications that affect neuromuscular transmission processes and increase intracellular calcium concentration. These include muscle relaxants, antibiotics of the aminoglycoside group, tetracyclines, macrolides, lincosamides and others. Their combined use leads to an increase in the effect of botulinum toxin. There should be a break of at least two weeks between injections and taking these drugs.

If shortly before the procedure a woman took antipyretics based on aspirin or ibuprofen, then the likelihood of hematoma formation at the injection site increases, since these drugs thin the blood.

Advice: If it is necessary to correct wrinkles in several areas of the face, it is not recommended to inject botulinum toxin into all places at once, as this risks making it look like a wax mask.

Video: What is the danger of “beauty injections”

The use of Botox during pregnancy and lactation

Botox is contraindicated for pregnant women due to the lack of clinical trials confirming its safety both for the expectant mother and for the normal development of the fetus. The same applies to nursing mothers.

During the period of pregnancy and birth of a child, a woman’s head is occupied with completely different problems and rarely does anyone think about fighting wrinkles. Very often, a woman’s appearance during this period changes slightly under the influence of hormonal changes, so it is better to take care of yourself after it has stabilized and returned to its original state, that is, after lactation has completed.

Possible complications

Sometimes after Botox, women experience discomfort in the injection area, dizziness and headaches for several days. The following local complications are possible:

1. drooping eyebrows;
2. pinpoint hemorrhages;
3. soreness and numbness;
4. hematomas;
5. facial asymmetry;
6. spasm of the eyelids;
7. impaired mobility of the upper lip and corners of the lips;
8. inflammation due to infection;
9. swelling.

For women with active and expressive facial expressions, Botox injections can lead to the formation of new wrinkles in other places. After the loss of mobility of some muscle groups, their functions are taken over by others. When injections are given to reduce sweating, there is sometimes a slight increase in sweating in other areas of the body.

These undesirable consequences can be reduced by using massage and physiotherapeutic methods. This correction usually takes 1–2 months.

Important: There is no danger of intoxication and the development of botulism when Botox is administered for cosmetic or medical purposes, since toxic doses are thousands of times higher than therapeutic ones.

Considering that over time, Botox is gradually completely eliminated from the body, then all the unpleasant consequences caused by it are reversible. Complications, as a rule, arise due to incorrect selection of the dose and injection sites, poor-quality botulinum toxin preparation, or the woman’s failure to comply with the cosmetologist’s recommendations after the procedure.

Prevention of complications

Correct behavior after the procedure and compliance with certain restrictions will help reduce the likelihood of Botox complications.

Several hours after the procedure, the drug is distributed in the tissues, therefore, in order for it to be correct, for 4 hours you should not take a horizontal position of the body and tilt your head forward or backward. During this period, you need to actively move the muscles into which botulinum toxin was injected.

Within 5-7 days after Botox, any thermal effects on the facial area are contraindicated. It is forbidden:

1. visit a sauna or steam bath;
2. be in direct sunlight;
3. sunbathe in the sun or in a solarium;
4. take hot baths;
5. dry hair with a hairdryer with a hot stream of air;
6. rub and massage the injection sites.

Intense physical activity that stimulates blood flow to the head is also undesirable.

For several days after the procedure, it is not recommended to sleep on your stomach with your face buried in a pillow, perform peeling or apply warming masks. It is not advisable to drink alcoholic beverages. Alcohol dilates blood vessels and increases blood circulation, which can increase the risk of bruising, increase swelling at injection sites, and also allow the drug to penetrate beyond the injection area into other areas of the face.

Video: Cosmetologist about Botox injections

Performing Botox at home

Today, many expensive salon procedures can be performed independently at home. However, Botox is not on their list.

Correcting wrinkles in this way can achieve good results only if it is performed by a qualified cosmetologist who has undergone appropriate training, received a license and has sufficient experience in this field. To give an injection of botulinum toxin, it is not enough just to be able to perform subcutaneous injections; it is important to know the anatomy of the facial muscles and understand what consequences can result from an incorrect choice of injection site or an inaccurately calculated dose.

Before performing the procedure, the specialist takes into account the individual characteristics of the patient’s facial expressions and calculates where and how many units of botulinum toxin to inject so that the face retains its natural appearance at the end of the procedure.

When performing injections on your own, there is a very high chance of ending up with an asymmetrical or “doll-shaped” face that is unable to express any emotions.

In addition, only cosmetologists who are constantly involved in this procedure have the opportunity to purchase a high-quality drug of a well-known brand directly from the manufacturer. If you try to buy Botox on your own, there is a possibility of getting a fake.

Do you want to experience the effects of Botox injections, but are you afraid of the consequences and complications? Have you heard a lot of scary information about the terrible side effects of this procedure? Do you want to know all the details that clinic specialists keep silent for advertising purposes? We will tell you the most interesting information on this hot topic.

What information will you find out:

What is Botox

Botox injections are prescribed only after a thorough examination of the body.

A drug called Botox consists of botulinum toxin A, obtained from the anaerobic bacteria Clostridium botulinum. It is a nerve poison that causes paralysis of muscle tissue when it penetrates into its structure, but due to low concentrations it is not capable of causing harm to health. As a result of such actions, the muscle and the surrounding surface of the skin completely relax, which leads to the effect of smoothing and disappearing wrinkles.

Over the course of several months, this toxin is completely eliminated from the patient’s body naturally, and neuromuscular connections are restored.

Botox injections are prescribed only after a thorough examination of the body in order to identify all the patient’s contraindications. In addition, a competent specialist must correctly assess the initial state of the facial muscles in order to exclude the possibility of immobility in certain areas of the face.

The skin surface requiring correction must be pre-treated with an antiseptic solution, as well as local anesthetics (if necessary). After the procedure is completed, the patient can return to his work duties and lead a normal lifestyle.

What are the contraindications for use?

If such a procedure is performed by a qualified specialist who has the necessary knowledge and solid experience, there are usually no side effects.

However, there are cases of serious complications caused by many factors.

The doctor is obliged to warn his patient about the list of contraindications to the use of Botox in order to avoid dangerous consequences and significant side effects. This list includes a ban on the procedure in the following cases:

1. pregnancy and breastfeeding;
2. glaucoma diseases;
3. the presence of infectious diseases in the body;
4. the presence of immunological disorders;
5. individual intolerance to botulinum toxin and tendency to allergic reactions;
6. the presence of dermatitis and other diseases of the epidermis;
7. increased body temperature;
8. presence of diseases of the hematopoietic system;
9. taking antibiotics and anticoagulants;
10. the presence of oncological processes in the body;
11. epilepsy diseases;
12. the presence of foci of inflammation in the area of ​​manipulation;
13. atony of the facial muscles (age-related weakening of muscle tissue);
14. weakened immune system of the body.

At the age of 45 - 50 years, many women experience atony of the facial muscles, associated with age-related loss of muscle strength, so additional administration of Botox in this case will lead to even greater weakening, as well as sagging due to paralysis.

The drug Botox has been in the service of medicine for many years, during which it has repeatedly undergone thorough testing and clinical studies for the possible occurrence of complications. During these experiments, the following facts were established:

1. Botulinum toxin used for injections is used in very small dosages, and therefore is not capable of causing botulism;
2. in the case of an individual allergic reaction - intolerance to the drug, a rejection reaction may occur, requiring therapeutic manipulation;
3. In a large number of cases, after using Botox, the following were observed: skin redness, swelling, and inflammatory reactions.

What reasons can cause side effects?

The most common causes of complications after the Botox procedure are considered to be medical errors.

The consequences of using Botox are conditionally divided into 3 groups, depending on the root cause of their occurrence:

1. Unqualified actions of a specialist/doctor.
2. Ignoring compliance with special rules by the patient himself.
3. Individual reaction of the body to botulinum toxin.

What mistakes can a doctor make?

The most common causes of complications after the Botox procedure are considered to be medical errors. They are:

1. injection of the drug into inappropriate areas of the face that respond inadequately to the process of complete relaxation, resulting in asymmetry of the oval and contours;
2. deviations in the choice of the correct dosage, that is, with a smaller amount of botulinum toxin administered, there will be no visible effects from the manipulation, while a slight excess of the dose can turn the face into a motionless mask;
3. ignorance or ignoring the rules for subcutaneous/muscular diffusion, which can provoke migration of the drug to neighboring facial tissues, leading to their ptosis (drooping). There are known cases of local accumulation of the active substance under the skin in the eye area, which leads to swelling and local overdose;
4. incompetence of the specialist who performed the procedure with gross violations, which may result in: drooping of the upper eyelid, distortion of facial expressions and facial expressions, drying of the mucous membrane of the eyes due to impaired blinking, bags in the eye area, swelling of the face, asymmetric changes in proportions, paralysis of the circular muscles of the oral area leading to difficulties while eating;
5. failure to comply with the temperature conditions of storage of the drug, leading to the loss of its basic properties.

In the process of metabolic removal of botulinum toxin molecules, most side effects are eliminated, but there are known cases of long-term accumulation of the drug, which can bring a lot of trouble and disappointment.

What can patients do wrong?

A large proportion of problems and complications are associated with patients ignoring the conditions of the rehabilitation regime and the strict regulations of actions that must be observed. They are:

1. the need to hold the head level and refuse a horizontal position during the first hours after the manipulation;
2. prohibition on prolonged bending of the body associated with lowering the head down;
3. excluding any procedures associated with an increase in skin temperature (baths, saunas, massages, sports events);
4. prohibition of drinking any alcoholic beverages;
5. avoiding rubbing the face, especially in the eye area and injection sites;
6. taboo on taking special medications (for example, strong antibiotics).

What may be the individual reaction of the body?

Botulinum toxin is capable of causing rejection/intolerance reactions associated with the individual susceptibility of the body. They are divided into 2 main groups. The first is associated with the occurrence of complex inflammatory reactions that form at the sites of drug administration, and the second includes hypersensitivity reactions to the toxin, expressed in severe swelling and the development of anaphylactic shock.

In order to prevent such complications, it is necessary to first test for the body’s sensitivity to the Botox toxin, and also categorically not to carry out manipulation during the course of acute infectious diseases and a weakened immune system.

Possible long-term consequences of the procedure

For a long period of time, it was believed that Botox drugs did not have long-term side effects, but through careful research it turned out that this was not the case.

It is known that in some cases, complications may appear in the patient after a long period of time has passed since the procedure, without any pain. These consequences may include:

1. total change and disruption of facial expressions caused by redistribution of muscle load and motor activity of individual zones;
2. atony, general weakness of the entire muscular system of the face;
3. loss of elasticity and the appearance of excessive dryness of the epidermis as a result of trophic changes occurring in the tissues.

In most cases, the above complications are rarely eliminated and are practically impossible to correct.

In addition, complications from the use of Botox may occur in the form of:

1. spasm of the eyelids;
2. drooping eyebrow arches;
3. subcutaneous hemorrhages;
4. impaired lip mobility (when it is inserted deep under the skin);
5. headaches;
6. severe swelling of the places where the drug was administered.

Unpleasant sensations and side effects are possible in cases of rapid injection of botulinum toxin under the skin, as well as repeating the procedure more than once a year.

What are the disadvantages of Botox?

This drug requires professional training of the specialist who administers it and does not tolerate amateurs who are engaged in such a business solely to increase personal profits and do not care about the consequences for each patient.

The identified disadvantages of the drug include:

1. inability to eliminate deep-seated wrinkles;
2. low effectiveness in relation to folds located in the chin and cheeks, associated with their non-facial nature;
3. limited validity period of the procedure, lasting in each case individually - from 3 to 6 months from the date of execution.

Video: The first Botox - author's review! Shock!

Only after carefully assessing all the pros and cons can you resort to Botox injections. We wish you success!

“Beauty injections” have long become a common practice for many women, but are the consequences of Botox as cloudless as its manufacturers and cosmetologists claim? It is believed that the drug has been studied from all possible angles, and there is more than enough experience in using it in people.

After the work is done correctly by a specialist, there should be no side effects, and finding such a doctor with the developed Internet is very easy.

Why, then, do people so often refuse Botox injections? Is it following fashion or the desire to preserve beauty without risking your health? What does the latest research say about Botox, and is it being carried out? But first things first.

The glorious history of botulinum toxin

Botox came into its own at the end of the 20th century, but botulinum toxin has been around for much longer. Initially, it found its use in medicine. And I must say that it was very successful.

It was thanks to research into a drug for strabismus that Botox was born in the form in which we now know it. This happened after doctors began to note that in patients participating in testing the product, wrinkles in the area of ​​the bridge of the nose began to disappear. This side effect could not help but interest doctors, because eliminating wrinkles is the dream of millions of women and men, although the latter are trying to hide this fact. Accordingly, a drug capable of fulfilling such a strong desire is a goldmine for anyone who manages to develop it. Naturally, this did not take much time. The enormous power of American cosmetology was aimed at developing Botox. And soon he appeared to the world in all his splendor.

The stars were the first to try Botox injections. This was very logical, because initially the cost of the drug did not allow mere mortals to use it. However, people clearly saw how their favorites were getting younger before their eyes, and they wanted the same. Very soon the abundance of clients led to a reduction in the cost of the procedure. Now it is available to almost everyone. Few people think about the negative consequences of Botox, because everyone wants to be beautiful and is sure that nothing bad can happen to them.

How it works?

Despite the fact that Botox rarely causes side effects, it will not hurt to know that the active ingredient of the drug is a strong poison. In principle, this is logical. After all, the procedure is based on blocking the muscles from receiving nerve impulses. The fibers stop responding to the commands that the brain gives them, relax, and wrinkles are smoothed out.

That is, when repeated administration is required, the original dose will have already left the human body. From this point of view, the negative consequences of Botox injections are theoretically impossible.

Procedure

It is believed that in order to reduce the side effects of Botox to zero, it is enough to fall into the hands of a skilled doctor. In principle, everything is so. The procedure for administering the drug itself takes very little time, about half an hour. A little more if the scope of work is wide. However, the preparation can be much longer.

The doctor needs to carefully examine his patient's face. At the same time, he is usually asked to frown, smile, and grimace in different ways so that all the folds are clearly visible. The specialist immediately marks the places where he plans to inject. Then he needs to calculate the amount of the drug and take into account all the details of its administration: depth, speed, etc.

Botox is absolutely useless for skin health; it has no effect on its appearance or quality. The effect is achieved solely through the effect on the muscles. Botox also does not have consequences in the form of changes in the contours and volumes of the face, since it is not a filler, that is, fillers.

When going to the doctor, it is important to remember that there are contraindications for the procedure. They can be many chronic diseases, infectious and inflammatory, some problems with blood clotting. Injections should also be avoided during pregnancy. It is difficult to say how dangerous Botox is for a child, but doctors require that safety principles be followed just in case, since botulinum toxin is, after all, a poison. Is Botox harmful while breastfeeding? Here history repeats itself - it’s better to infringe on yourself a little for the sake of the baby’s interests.

Side effects

Despite the fact that compliance with all the rules for administering the drug supposedly guarantees safety, you can often find negative reviews from patients on the Internet. They describe various consequences after Botox, which are unlikely to please anyone. These include facial asymmetry, swelling, pain at injection sites, poor health, and much more.

In fact, it is very easy to miscalculate, and anyone can make a mistake, including a professional. In practice, a small deviation in the amount of the drug or the place of its administration is enough to get a distorted face.

Botox can also cause complications in the mouth area, when a person is unable to use it normally or speak.

Due to paralysis of the muscles around the eyes, vision problems often occur.

One of the most famous and often ridiculed side effects of “beauty injections” is a mask-like face that cannot express emotions and resembles something like a doll. There are no wrinkles, but there’s no need to talk about beauty either. Of course, this harm from Botox goes away over time. But it’s unlikely that anyone wants to pay a lot of money to look stupid and amuse others with their appearance. And often horrifying, depending on your luck.

A little about the latest research

The possible harm of Botox haunts many scientists who continue to try to study it. And although this is not widely publicized, they still have some results. And it must be said that the picture that emerges is not at all as cloudless as it seemed previously.

Thus, it is believed that the toxin is eliminated from the body, its effect on the muscles is gradually weakened, after which they return to their natural state. Experts believe that Botox actually gradually causes muscle atrophy. They decrease in size and cease to respond adequately to stimuli. Of course, this does not happen after the first injection; long-term exposure is required, but the very fact of such an outcome is alarming. Presumably, the disappearing muscle is replaced by fat cells. It will be extremely difficult to improve the condition of the face after such metamorphoses.

Another study regarding Botox is devoted to the issue of its local, almost targeted, effect. The results suggest that not everything is rosy. In practice, negligible doses of the toxin can still travel through nerve cells. And their path ends in the brain. It is difficult to say how Botox will behave further, but the likelihood of its negative effect on the nervous system is very high.