What is Botox? Botox Cosmetic is a prescription medicine that is injected into muscles and used to improve the look of moderate to severe frown lines between the brows (glabellar lines) in people 18 to 65 for a short period of time.
Botox is an Easy Way to Achieve a Youthful Appearance
Injections of Onabotulinum toxin A, the scientific name of the drug, affect skin by blocking chemical signals from the nerves that cause the underlying muscles to contract. Repeated use of these muscles to laugh or frown over time creates wrinkles, and Botox relaxes the muscles so the skin looks smooth and unwrinkled.
Most commonly, Botox injections target the frown lines between the eyebrows, crow’s feet and “forehead furrows,” or lines that form with raised eyebrows. Botox is an easy way to achieve a more youthful pleasant appearance without surgery or a lengthy recovery.
For minimizing facial wrinkles, Botox injections are wildly popular. The number of Botox treatments topped 6.6 million in 2014, up 6 percent from the previous year, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Since 2000, the number has grown more than eightfold, starting at 787,000 14 years ago, ASPS said in a trend study released this year.
Botox Treats Other Health Problems
Although Botox is most known for its ability to smooth out skin and decrease the appearance of wrinkles, it is used to treat multiple other health problems:
- Severe underarm sweating
- Uncontrollable blinking
- Misaligned eyes
- Chronic migraine
- Overactive bladder
- Repetitive neck and shoulder spasms
People with severe sweating of the palms of their hands also have experienced more comfort and less social anxiety with Botox injections.
Botox is a brand name from the drug. Similar products include Dysport, Myobloc and Xeomin, though they are not interchangeable. Results typically last four to six months, depending on the drug, the dosage and the site of the injection.
So what is Botox? It could be the answer to those tiny lines around the outside of your eyes and the not-so-tiny ones appearing on your forehead.