How long does Botox last for, and how much does it cost? Is it painful?

Botox or botulinum toxin A has the effect of temporarily erasing wrinkles of expression located on the forehead or wrinkles of the nose and so called crow’s feet. In fact, Botox is a bit like "crippling" a muscle which is weakened and thus relaxed and therefore stopping the development of expression lines.

The botulinum toxin is a substance produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. It is allowed many countries it is marketed under the name Vistabel and is used for a specific and well regulated medical procedure.

Botox or Vistabel is heavily diluted before being injected subcutaneously (under the skin) to erase wrinkles of the forehead and especially crows feet. The botulinum toxin limits muscle contraction and gives a look that appears relaxed and rested. This toxin, given in large quantity can cause food poisoning in the form of botulism. But doses would need to be 1000 times higher than those used in injection form.

The effect is noticeable 3 days after the injection of Botox. It reaches its maximum effect 10 or 15 days later. The effect of treatment is relatively short as it is visible until about 4 months after injection treatment. The intervention does not take more than 15 minutes and two courses of injections annually are normally recommended.

They are not painful, but there are some minor side effects from the injection of Botox. A patient may suffer from headaches, or bruises, or facial pain. In exceptional cases, it may happen that the muscle used to raise the eyelid is affected and the patient will have an eyelid falling shut. Sometimes, very rarely, the eye muscles are affected and disorders of sight can happen.

Although this all sounds unpleasant it is temporary. The use of botulinum acid is forbidden for women who are pregnant or lactating or if neurological diseases (myasthenia) is present. Taking aspirin or anti-inflammatory before and after an injection of Botox is strongly discouraged.

Any injection outside the areas mentioned above is prohibited. When taking antibiotics, talk to your dermatologist because some associations with Botox are discouraged. After an injection of Botox, avoid any sports activity and do not massage the area injected. You should know that this process will cost $400 to $600.