Botulinum Toxin Has More Uses Than You Think
Botulinum toxin is a neurotoxin derived from the bacterium clostridium botulinum. It is, pound-for-pound, one of the most toxic substances known to man, however in the minuscule doses we use it is very safe. It works by causing paralysis of muscles.
Why do we use this in medical practice? Sometimes, it can be very useful to paralyse a muscle. Repeated frowning, or squinting in the sun, causes temporary wrinkling of the skin. As you age, and your skin loses its elasticity, these furrows in the skin wrinkles appear even when the underlaying muscle is not contracting.
So how does paralysing the muscle help?
Think of the muscle as a table, and the skin as a table cloth. When a muscle is contracted, it shortens, pulling the table cloth into itself, causing wrinkles. By paralyzing a muscle, it is stuck in its fully relaxed state, in its longest form. This pulls the table cloth tight, elimination shallow wrinkles.
Beyond Wrinkles: Functional Benefits
Botox also has other benefits, above just removing wrinkles. Botulinum toxin can stop sweat, and oil glands from secreting. This is very useful for conditions such as hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating) or oily, acne prone skin.
The other functional uses for botox include injecting into the masseter jaw muscle to stop bruxism, or teeth grinding at night. In women, this has the added benefit of slimming the face.
Botulinum toxin is also useful to treat tension type headaches. By injecting into trigger points on the upper neck, and temple, one can get quite dramatic results.
Articles Info:
