Inbloom Health + Medispa Blog
Walk through a store or scroll through social media, and you’ll quickly become overwhelmed by how many wrinkle-reducing treatments are available. You can choose from a lineup of products and services from serums and creams to chemical peels. Some influencers even encourage you to address your facial flaws by slathering your face with things you can find in your pantry.
While it’s great to have options in your skincare routine, we like to stick with what we know works best.
Dr. Tanya Lawson and our team at Inbloom Health + Medispa have seen time and again how effective Botox® is for our patients who struggle with wrinkles. Here’s a closer look at why we continue to recommend this classic cosmetic injectable.
A brief history of Botox
Botox injections are the most common cosmetic procedures performed in the United States today, but their journey to cosmetic stardom began in an unexpected way.
In 1895, a Belgian scientist named Emile Pierre van Ermengam first discovered the bacterium Clostridium botulinum after an outbreak of botulism (food poisoning). Botulism is a rare but serious paralytic illness that comes from the toxin botulinum — the active ingredient in Botox injections.
Scientists were originally interested in using the toxin as a therapeutic, and during the 1920s, a group of scientists at the University of California in San Francisco began the process of isolating the botulinum toxin. It wasn’t until 20 years later that Dr. Edward Schantz successfully isolated it in crystalline form.
The botulinum toxin proved effective in addressing a variety of medical issues, including crossed eyes, excessive sweating, and urinary incontinence. Researchers also noticed during their trials that the toxin significantly reduced wrinkles in the glabella — the area between the eyebrows — when testing it on monkeys.
The FDA first approved the toxin for therapeutic use in 1989, and then gave its seal of approval for cosmetic use in 2002. Since then, Botox has solidified itself as the premier wrinkle-reducing treatment, with millions of men and women of all ages getting injections every year.
How Botox injections work
Botox is the brand name for botulinum toxin. There are several strains of this toxin; type A, or onabotulinumtoxinA, is the one found in Botox injections. In the correct doses, and when administered by a licensed aesthetician like Dr. Lawson, the toxin is safe to use for cosmetic or medical purposes.
In fact, it’s the toxin’s paralytic effect that makes the injections so potent in reducing the appearance of wrinkles.
When you smile, frown, grimace, or make virtually any other facial movement, your muscles contract. Over time, those repetitive facial movements and muscle contractions cause fine lines and wrinkles to appear around your eyes, nose, lips, and on your forehead. These types of wrinkles are known as dynamic wrinkles.
Botox injections deliver a small dosage of botulinum toxin into your face, which blocks nerve signals to your facial muscles, temporarily paralyzing them and preventing muscle contractions and repetitive, wrinkle-forming facial movements. When your muscles can’t contract, wrinkles are much less noticeable.
Why Botox is still the best
Botox has been around for decades, and despite the onslaught of new technologies and wrinkle remedies, it’s still the best way to reduce the appearance of dynamic wrinkles.
Botox goes where many other treatments don’t and addresses your wrinkles by neutralizing muscle movements below your skin. In some cases, Botox can also help your body produce more of the proteins collagen and elastin, which are crucial to the structure and elasticity of your skin.
Bonus: these injections are fast-acting and long-lasting. Many of our patients notice results within the first day or two of their treatments and enjoy younger-looking skin for upwards of four months.
Furthermore, Botox works well with other aesthetic treatments, including our menu of dermal fillers, which restore lost volume in your facial features.
If you’d like more information, or are curious if Botox is right for you, don’t hesitate to call our Londonderry, New Hampshire office at 605-818-8777, or request an appointment online today.
Schedule Your Inbloom Health + Medispa Consultation Today