We keep hearing a lot on Botox Treatments and how effective they are in treating wrinkles. There is more to botox than just beauty treatment.

Botox is actually one form of botulinum toxin type A, a toxin produced by a kind of bacteria called Clostridium botulinum. This toxin causes botulism, an infection that can lead to muscle paralysis and even be fatal.

Botox treatments have been in vogue in the medical field. The use of botox in treating facial muscle spasms lead to its use in treating facial wrinkles. When injected in small quantities onto specific sites, botox is considered safe.

When botox is injected into the body, it blocks the release of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter, from the nerve cells. Acetylcholine helps contraction of the muscle cells. With this blocked, the nerves cannot transmit signals, resulting in paralysis of the muscles. The area injected with botox remains paralyzed for a short period of time, till the nerves regenerate.

Botox treatments are used for a number of medical conditions like eyelid twitching or spasms, muscle spasms in the neck, strabismus, muscle spasticity caused due to cerebral palsy and other localized muscle spasms. Excessive sweating can also be controlled through botox treatments. Research is going for using botox in treating migraine.

Botox was approved for medical use in 1999, by the Australia’s drug regulation agency, the Therapeutic Goods Administration. It got approval for cosmetic use in 2002. Dysport, a type of botulinum toxin type A has been approved for severe vertical frown lines.

After the affected area is treated with botox, it takes anywhere between 2 days to a week for the skin to smoothen out. The effect lasts for three to six months and injections are required to be repeated for maintaining the effect. A small percentage of people develop antibodies after repeated use of botox. In these cases, botox treatments loose efficacy.

In some instances, side effects like tenderness, bruising or pain may occur but this is only temporary and mild. Headache and nausea have also been reported. Sometimes, it may also cause drooping eyelids. Women who are pregnant or lactating should under botox treatments.

It is best to recognize that there are risks as well as benefits with using botox. Do discuss the treatment with your doctor before you go in for these injections. It’s important to remember that that all medical procedures carry risks as well as benefits, and you need to discuss these with your doctor. You need a prescription from your doctor for getting botox injections. Remember to get a clearance from your doctor and get the treatment done only for trained professionals.