How does Botox remove wrinkles?

It is one of the miraculous methods of the 2000s. While it was applied on the face, especially on the horizontal lines of the forehead, around the eyes (crow’s feet), wrinkles in the middle of the eyebrows, it was later applied to lift the wrinkles under the eyes, the root of the nose, the upper lip, the neck wrinkles and the tip of the nose. With Botulinum Toxin-Botox administered intramuscularly, the contraction of the muscles in that area is prevented and wrinkles are corrected. After the application in a single session, the person can easily continue his daily life. Botulinum toxin not only provides correction of formed wrinkles and lines, but also prevents the appearance of wrinkles that have not yet formed and the deepening of fine lines.

• How are wrinkles formed?

The skin is made up of different layers with specific functions. As the age progresses, the skin undergoes changes and the functions of the skin decrease over time. First, fine lines appear between the nose and mouth, around the eyes, and on the forehead. Continuous facial movements also lead to the appearance of mimic wrinkles. These are smile lines around the mouth, lines of sadness in the lower corners of the lips, forehead lines, wrinkles around the eyes (crow’s feet) or between the two eyebrows.

• What are the methods used in the treatment of these wrinkles?

Surgical and non-surgical methods can be used. Non-surgical applications are very diverse; laser applications, peelings, fillers such as collagen and hyaluronic acid, and purified Neurotoxin (Botulinum Toxin-Botox) applications.

• Is Botox-Botulinum Toxin snake venom?

Approved by the Ministry of Health, Botox-Botulinum Toxin is not snake venom, contrary to what many people know. It is a protein-based substance obtained from a bacterium called Clostridium Botulinum. Botulinum Toxin has been used in the treatment of diseases (strabismus, muscle spasm, etc.) that occur due to excessive contraction of some muscles since the early 1980s. A woman who was treated with Botox due to her neurological disease, which is used in the cosmetic field, told her doctor, “After each injection, my face takes on an extremely calm, rested expression, I become beautiful!” it came to the fore.

• From time to time, there are news in some written and visual communication tools that Botulinum Toxin-Botox application causes deaths. What is the real situation in this regard?

Since its approval, millions of people have had Botulinum Toxin-Botox application for aesthetic purposes. There is no case that resulted in death due to the application of Botulinum Toxin for aesthetic purposes.

Apart from aesthetic application, Botulinum Toxin is generally used in the treatment of some neurological diseases. Some of these diseases are neurological conditions that can cause serious undesirable conditions independently of Botox application, and that carry an increased risk of death due to other underlying diseases and other risk factors. It has been understood that the cases mentioned in the news are such neurological patients and are not directly related to Botulinum Toxin-Botox.

• Is it possible to plump the lips with Botulinum Toxin?

It is not used to plump lips and face. For this purpose, fillers or fat injection are made. Such a misconception occurs because everything that is done to the face is generally thought to be Botulinum Toxin-Botox.

• Do Botox creams remove wrinkles more than other creams?

There is no such thing as Botox cream. BOTOX is a trademark. Botulinum Toxin relaxes the muscles that cause wrinkles, thus preventing the formation of wrinkles. Creams, on the other hand, help to lighten the appearance of existing wrinkles. The mechanism of action of both is different.

• What kind of application is Botulinum Toxin-Botox treatment?