Botox is an excellent way to help improve the overall look of your facial features. In general, it works by paralyzing specific muscles in order to achieve a certain permanent type of look or facial feature. By learning more about this procedure, it should be possible to decide if it might be right for your personal cosmetic needs.
Different Facial Cosmetic Uses for Botox
There are a variety of ways that Botox injections can be utilized in order to produce a specific type of cosmetic facial appearance. According to the Mayo Clinic, "Botulinum injections block certain chemical signals from nerves, mostly signals that cause muscles to contract. The most common use of these injections is to temporarily relax the facial muscles that underlie and cause wrinkles, such as:
- Frown lines between the eyebrows.
- Crow's-feet, the lines that fan out from the corners of the eyes.
- Forehead furrows, the horizontal lines that form when you raise your eyebrows."
Receptors Involved
Typically neurotransmitters will control the muscles in your face, which often is a reflection of your current mood. Botox injections work by preventing the operation of a SNARE protein by the name of SNAP-25. Typically these proteins operate by sending and receiving neurotransmitters. Since this can no longer occur after injecting with Botox, the muscles are put into a temporary state of paralysis.
Care After the Operation
After the injection it is typically expected for the effects to last between three to twelve months. Rubbing the areas treated is advised against, as this may spread the Botox active to other tissues, distorting the intended effect. A few days is often necessary for the effect to begin. It may be necessary to have follow up injections performed in order to retain the desired cosmetic changes.
