Botox ®

Botulinum (Botox™)

Botox™ is a simple and quick outpatient treatment to reduce wrinkles on the upper part of the face. These wrinkles are caused by the continual contraction of the muscles responsible for facial expressions (frowning or eye-brow raising, squinting, wrinkling up of the nose, etc.). With year after year of continual use of facial muscles, resulting from our facial expressions, creases or wrinkles form on our skin. These are the first visible signs of an ageing skin.

What is Botulinum?

Botulinum is a substance produced by the bacteria Clostridium Botulinum. The FDA, the American Food and Drug Agency, approved its use for medical purposes in 1989. Since then it has been widely used in ophthalmology to treat strabismus, in physiotherapy to treat spastic syndromes and in plastic surgery for hyperhidrosis therapy (excessive perspiration) of the underarms, hands and feet. From 2002, it has been authorized for cosmetic uses.

Over the last years, in cosmetic medicine, treatment with botulinum (Vistabex™ in Italy, Botox™ in the rest of the world), which is the purified Type A Botulinum Toxin, has increasingly grown in demand.

Botulinum is injected into the muscles and results in a blocking of acetylcholine which is the substance that is released by our nerves to transmit the stimulus to contract to our muscles. The injection of botulinum causes the reduction of muscular motility. Consequently, there is less stress for the skin and facial wrinkles reduce substantially, resulting in a younger and more relaxed look.
Botox™ is experiencing an enormous success worldwide thanks to its effectiveness, and also due to it being a rapid treatment, practically painless and without any immediate signs. It is the most widespread cosmetic procedure in the United States with 4.6 million treatments recorded in 2007 (official figures from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons™).

The effect is temporary and last 4-6 months and you can repeat it as many times as you wish. 

What is botulinum used for?

Botox is not a filler! It is not used to increase lip volume, nor for cheekbones or to correct wrinkles around the mouth.

The main therapeutic indications for botulinum injections in cosmetic medicine are:

• horizontal brow wrinkles

• wrinkles between the eyebrows (glabellar wrinkles)

•  wrinkles around the eyes or "crow's feet"

• drooping eyebrows

• hyperhidrosis, or excessive perspiring of hands, underarms, feet.

Prior to treatment

Before the treatment, the doctor must evaluate if a valid therapeutic indication exists to use botulinum, and must check that there is no incompatibility or risks of side effects for the patient in using the product.

The treatment.

The treatment is carried out in a doctor's surgery and involves injections, using a very fine syringe needle, and lasts 15-20 minutes without having to use a local anesthetic. The patient can immediately take up all their normal daily activities, obviously following some advice provided by their doctor.

Effects and results of botulinum.

The effects of the treatment begin to appear after 2-4 days and reach their full effectiveness after 14 days. It lasts for about 4-6 months and the treatment can be repeated.

Side effects and contraindications.

If the treatment is carried out by an experienced  and qualified Plastic Surgeon, complications are very rare and usually of a minor nature. Occasionally, swelling and minor bruising where the injection occurred can appear, which, however, usually disappear after a few days. Sometimes, an asymmetry of the eyebrow positioning can appear which can be corrected by retouch-up using the same drug.

Occasionally, there can result a slight pain in the area involved or a headache.

The use of botulinum is advised against in the case of neuro-muscular problems.