Myth: BOTOX® injections are toxic to the body.

BOTOX® is a purified protein derived from the botulinum toxin, a serious form of food poisoning. The botulinum toxin lives in poorly preserved foods, including canned meats. This toxin primarily affects the central nervous system. The safety of BOTOX® is ensured by its pinpoint administration into a certain muscle or a group of muscles. Because the concentration of the toxin is very low, a BOTOX® injection is simply incapable of spreading its effects outside the given area.

Myth: BOTOX® is addictive.

The drug does not bring about any physiological or psychological addiction. Furthermore, the effects of a BOTOX® treatment are not permanent, usually lasting three to six months.

A psychological dependence does not come about from BOTOX®.  A patient will undoubtedly look and feel younger and more attractive as the skin becomes smoother and wrinkles are diminished.  Most often, a patient will come to love his or her new and improved look. However, the rejuvenating effects of BOTOX® are temporary.  Once the effects of BOTOX® begins to fade, a patient may simply not want to see those unattractive wrinkles on his or her face again. Should I go in for another injection? Does my desire to look good resemble a psychological "addiction" in disguise? This is a philosophical question. But, a desire to look good is not a medical problem.

Myth: BOTOX® injections induce a stressful experience for the muscles.

In reality, BOTOX® does the exact opposite. People laugh, cry, and make facial expressions and all the while their facial muscles keep working. Often, they are unable to unwind and let their facial muscles relax even while asleep. These factors lead to the  dynamic lines that develop in the face."When a BOTOX® injection is administered, it allows the muscles to relax  for a period of time. When the ability to constantly pleat a muscle is reduced, the line caused by the crease is diminished.

Myth: BOTOX® injections are painful, and have unpleasant sensations.

In my practice, I use a topical anesthetic cream for those that have a few minutes to wait for their injections.  More frequently though, my patients are in and out within 15 minutes.  The moment of injection is slightly painful but is over with very quickly since I am very accurate in targeting the exact muscles to inject.  A quick massage of the muscle and pressure to the area of injection follows and the patient is out the door.  An occasional patient will report a slight headache afterwards but generally most individuals leave the office feeling as they did when they came through the doors!

Myth: You should wait until you are 30-something to get a BOTOX® injection.

Dynamic lines (the lines caused by constantly pleating the same muscles) can even occur in the 20's and 30's.  Most often the areas involved at that age are the forehead and between the eyebrows.  Earlier treatment that decreases the formation of deep, expressive lines probably reduces ultimate aging in those areas.  It makes sense to assume that the less often the muscle pleats, the less dynamic lines are formed ultimately.

Any one who wants to enhance their self esteem and appearance by removing premature signs of aging is a good candidate for Botox treatment and cosmetics.

Myth:  BOTOX® injections are only effective for facial lines.

BOTOX® was originally used by physicians for the treatment of a number of neurological disorders prior to its use in eliminating or reducing the so-called furrows or frown lines. BOTOX® has been used to treat dystonias (movement disorders), including writer's cramp, facial spasms, head and neck tremors and hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating). Recently, a study has been conducted to observe its use in treating chronic neck and back pain. BOTOX® is successfully used to treat blepharospasm (involuntary facial movements), strabismus (crossed eyes), TMJ (Temporo-Mandibular Joint) pain, and even depression.

Myth:  "BOTOX® will poison my body"

As with any other drug, BOTOX® is safe when administered in the proper dosage. For cosmetic use, the typical patient receives an average of 20-50 units of BOTOX® per treatment. Over a period of time, the body naturally eliminates the administered BOTOX®. As with nearly every medication, excessive amounts can be dangerous to one's health. A fatal dose of BOTOX® is 2800 units, 100 times the average dose given for the treatment of lines and wrinkles.

BOTOX® has a great safety record. BOTOX® has been used to treat facial lines since 1987. With over 2.9 million procedures performed annually, no long-term side effects are seen, even with BOTOX® injections among a group of patients who received 30 injection sessions over a nine-year period.

Myth : What about "Better than BOTOX®," the magical cream?

The real myth regarding  creams with this claim is that there is no clinical evidence that they work better than BOTOX®, let alone work at all.  BOTOX® works very well below the skin's surface  on the muscles that  cause the wrinkles and the lines to form.  Simply applying a cream to the surface of the skin does not affect the ability of the muscle to contract, therefore the muscle will continue to pleat and the wrinkle will stay as is.  It may be moisturized though!

Many people hope that the next "Better-Than-BOTOX®" product will really fulfill that promise. Yet, the lack of well-founded studies, the fact that the FDA does not require cosmetic companies to prove their claims, and the pure complexity of skin aging make it impossible for any cosmetic product to eliminate, or prove it can eliminate, wrinkles. As nice as it would be to get BOTOX®-like results without a visit to a qualified physician and an injection, it just isn't possible.