Botox (Also called: Botulinum toxin type A) is a drug made from a toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. It's the same toxin that causes a life-threatening type of food poisoning called botulism.

Doctors use it in small doses to treat health problems, including

• Temporary removal of facial wrinkles
• Severe underarm sweating
• Cervical dystonia - a neurological disorder that causes severe neck and shoulder muscle contractions
• Blepharospasm - uncontrollable blinking
• Strabismus - misaligned eyes

Botox injections work by weakening or paralyzing certain muscles or by blocking certain nerves. The effects last about three to four months. Side effects can include pain at the injection site, flu-like symptoms, headache and upset stomach. Injections in the face may also cause temporary drooping eyelids. You should not use Botox if you are pregnant or breast feeding.

Botox addicted to Botox (Youtube Video):

Botox™
FDA Office of Women’s Health

Botox™ is used to make lines or wrinkles between the eyebrows look better. It only lasts for a short time.

What is Botox™?

Botox™ comes from a kind of bacteria. The bacteria can make you very sick. But doctors have found that a chemical in Botox™ can also help treat some health problems. They have been using it safely for many years.

How was this found?

FDA approved Botox™ over 10 years ago to treat certain problems with the eye muscle. Doctors noticed that some wrinkles around the eyes looked better, too. The company that makes Botox™ tested it. They showed the FDA that Botox™ worked and was safe for treating some kinds of wrinkles.

How does Botox™ work?

Wrinkles may be caused when a muscle tightens. Botox™ is injected through the skin into the muscle. The Botox™ keeps the muscle from tightening. When the muscle can’t tighten, the wrinkle doesn’t show as much.

You mean you can’t move your muscles?

A doctor trained in the use of Botox™ will inject small amounts of Botox™ into the muscle. Only the treated muscle can’t move.

What happens over time?

Botox™ works for about four months. As the muscle returns to
normal, you will see the wrinkle
again.

Are there any side effects?

Side effects may include:

• Droopy eyelids, which can last for a few weeks
• Feeling like you have the flu
• Headache and upset stomach
• Risk of botulism (a life or death illness that makes it hard for a person to move the arms and legs or to breathe) is low with Botox™, if used the right way

REMEMBER- Botox™ is a drug, not a cosmetic.

What should I do if I want to try Botox™?

Ask about how Botox™ could help or hurt you.

• Make sure your doctor is trained in the use of Botox™.
• Make sure you get treatment in a doctor’s office or clinic.
• Botox™ parties are not safe. Never share a tube of Botox™.
• Emergency equipment should be on hand in case of a problem.
• Do not use if you are pregnant or think you might be pregnant.
• Do not use if you are breast feeding.
• Tell your doctor if you are taking antibiotics.
• Tell your doctor if you have any problems with nerves or muscles.

What else should I know about Botox™?

• Botox™ is only approved to treat wrinkles between the eyebrows.
• Botox™ is only approved for people 18-65 years old. It has not been tested in other age groups.

Download Botox Brochure

PDF format, 113KB, 2Pages.

Botox Therapy Beverly Hills Makeover:

Quick Facts About Botox:

Are "Botox parties" safe?
No. You should only get Botox in a clinic or doctor's office. You should never share a tube of Botox.

Can I use Botox on other wrinkles?
Botox is only approved to treat wrinkles between the eyebrows.

Can I get Botox at any age?
Botox is only approved for people 18-65 years old. It has not been tested on people under 18 or over 65. 

Youtube Video: Kelly Ripa - To Botox or To Not Botox?

FDA Talk Paper: FDA Approves Botox to Treat Severe Underarm Sweating
July 20, 2004

FDA has approved Botulinum Toxin Type A (Botox) to treat severe underarm sweating known as “primary axillary hyperhidrosis” that cannot be managed by topical agents such as prescription antiperspirants. Botox has already been approved for several other purposes. Today’s approval allows the product’s manufacturer, Allergan, Inc., Irvine, Calif., to market Botulinum Toxin Type A for this new indication.

Botulinum Toxin Type A is a protein produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. When used to treat primary axillary hyperhidrosis, small doses of an injectable form of the sterile purified botulinum toxin stop release of the chemical messenger acetylcholine, temporarily blocking the nerves in the underarm that stimulate sweating.

Botox was first approved in December 1989 to treat two eye muscle disorders (blepharospasm and strabismus). Since then it has been approved to treat cervical dystonia, a neurological movement disorder causing severe neck and shoulder muscle contractions. Most recently, in 2002, it was approved as Botox Cosmetic to temporarily improve the appearance of moderate to severe frown lines between the eyebrows.

In two placebo-controlled, multicenter, randomized, double-blind clinical trials involving over 600 adults, those who received Botox had significantly reduced underarm sweating as compared to the placebo group. In one study, four weeks after being injected, the percentage of people showing a 50% reduction in sweating was 91% in the group receiving Botox compared to 36% in the placebo group. In another study, the average duration of response following the first treatment was 170 days.

The most common adverse events following treatment (occurring in three to 10% of patients) included injection site pain and hemorrhage, sweating in other parts of the body, flu-like symptoms, headache, fever, itching, and anxiety.

Before being treated for primary axillary hyperhidrosis, patients should be evaluated for other potential causes of the problem, such as hyperthyroidism, to avoid symptomatic treatment of hyperhidrosis with Botox without addressing a potentially serious underlying disease that requires other forms of treatment.

The safety and effectiveness of Botox for hyperhidrosis in body areas other than the axillae (armpits) has not been established.

Because Botox is a prescription drug, it must be used carefully under medical supervision for all the product’s approved indications.

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