Botox is an extremely popular form of medication and cosmetic manipulation in today’s looks conscious society. Botox is actually the trade name for Botulinum toxin which is a protein that is extremely neurotoxic, which means that it can alter the normal activity of the nervous system and ultimately damage nervous tissue. What this all means and what many people fail to realize is that Botulinum toxin is the most acutely toxic substance known to man and as such, just four kilograms of it is enough to kill the entire human population on Earth. However, Botox has also become extremely popular, ironically, as a temporary cure against signs of aging.
Botulinum toxin is split into seven serotypes and six of those also have subtypes. Type A and B are most commonly used today for the treatment of different conditions. Although there have been no official recorded deaths as a direct result of using Botulinum toxin for cosmetic purposes, there is still a risk with inexperienced application. Listed below are the most common applications in use today.
In 2007, the most popular form of cosmetic surgery was Botulinum toxin injections with a total of 4.6 million operations involving the protein. The reason it is so popular is because it helps to hide the one thing that so many people want to hide, aging. The Botulinum toxin is injected in very small doses in and around areas containing wrinkles and skin creases and it immediately begins restricting the nerve impulses being sent to the muscles in that area. After a few days the skin becomes noticeably smoother and wrinkles are reduced due to the muscles causing them being paralyzed.
The second most common use in the medial industry for Botulinum toxin is for therapeutic treatment. The chemicals ability to restrict nerve signals means that it is widely used to help patients overcome conditions such as crippling migraines. The type of Botulinum toxin used for therapeutic purposes is the same serotype as is used for cosmetic purposes, BTX-A or type A. It was first used in the 1980s to treat uncontrollable blinking and crossed eyes but today it is used as a treatment for a variety of conditions such as muscle spasms and upper motor neuron syndrome. BTX-B was also approved by the FDA in 2000 to treat cervical dystonia.
One more increasingly popular use for type A Botulinum toxin is to help treat hyperhidrosis, commonly known as severe perspiration. Hyperhidrosis affects approximately 2.8% of the total population of the United States of America, commonly between the ages of 25 and 64 years old. Its use for the treatment of this condition was not realized until 1993 when almost by accident, two doctors working in Southend Hospital in the UK came across the phenomena when treating a patient with hemifacial spasms.
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