beauty
March 31, 2024
Minutes To Read: 1

How does botox work?

Known and widely publicized, botulinum toxin (Botox®) is still the subject of doubt and controversy. It is still common to confuse its action with filling or bioplasty, thinking that it "leaves the face swollen and artificial".

Let's clarify how botox works, so it will be very easy to understand its indication and action.

THE botulinum toxin It is nothing more than a potent muscle paralyzer. The electrical stimulation for contraction of a muscle, part of the brain, runs through the spinal cord, runs through the nerves to its thinnest branch. Information is passed between the nerve and muscle with the release of a substance called acetylcholine released by the nerve.

O botox blocks the release of this substance by nerve termination. If the muscle does not receive acetylcholine, it does not contract. Thus, the botulinum toxin paralyzes the muscles, blocking information from the electrical stimulus reaching the muscle.

So all botox action is related to muscle contraction. That is, it is used to paralyze muscles. Therefore, it is indicated for the attenuation of dynamic wrinkles, also known as expression wrinkles: they appear when we contract some muscles (forehead, between the eyebrows, crow's feet). It can also paralyze any skeletal muscle, but the dose would have to be higher and, as a toxin, care must be taken not to reach the toxic dose (much higher than that used in aesthetics).

This block is transient and usually lasts around 6 months, gradually returning the muscle action and with it the wrinkles. However, like every muscle that is not used atrophy, the sequential use of botulinum toxin It can atrophy the muscles responsible for expression wrinkles, weakening them and protecting the skin from its action.

Well applied and indicated, the botox Provides a natural result, with softening of expression wrinkles, saving the skin providing a less tired and more youthful appearance to the patient.

O botox not applied to cheekbones or Chinese mustache (filler or bioplasty sites). Therefore, it is not responsible for the dreaded results of the injection of these substances, which lead to the appearance of "swollen and artificial face", reported at the beginning of the article.