What is Botox Anyway?

Are you stressed about the wrinkles on your forehead or embarrassed about excessive sweating? Botox can be a solution for such problems, but have you ever wondered what Botox is and how it works? If you are curious to know the answer, keep reading this blog to know all the basics about Botox.

What is Botox?

Botox is a neuromodulator that has been used as a popular anti-aging injectable for decades. It contains Botulinum toxin type A, a protein derived from a bacterium. This protein temporarily hinders nerve signals to the muscles where it is injected making them relaxed. Neuromodulators help in getting rid of wrinkles caused by repeated muscle movements like smiling, frowning, squinting, pursing your lips, or even chewing. By preventing muscle movement, Botox relaxes wrinkles and smoothens them over time.

What can you expect?

Depending on the indication and area being treated, your doctor will decide the dose to be injected. Gender also makes a difference in dosage.

Doses for facial muscles would be less than for excessive underarm sweating.

Usually a numbing cream will be applied prior to the procedure. After which the doctor will assess and mark the areas to be treated.

During the injection there may be mild pain or discomfort but it lasts for mere seconds. Other adverse effects like redness, swelling and bruising are also temporary.

The doctor will ask for a follow up consultation after 2 weeks to assess for any asymmetry and ,if needed, will added a few more units for better results

It usually takes about seven days to see results from Botox and the results typically last three to six months, but each person metabolizes neuromodulators at different rates and the final outcome may be different from person to person.

It may take several sessions of Botox to get the desired wrinkle smoothening or reduction of excessive sweating depending on the location of injection site. Always remember that it took several years for the wrinkles to develop, so it may take a few months for them to smoothen out.