"Botox Injections As An Anti Aging Treatment Might Be Beneficial For ONLY Anti Aging Doctors"

Botox injections (or simply referred to as Botox), is the popular name of an anti aging medicine called Botulinum Toxin type A.

They're also used for medical reasons like asthma, muscle spasms in the neck, face or eyelids, migraines or migraine headaches, and excessive underarm sweating (hyperhidrosis, also called axillary hyperhidrosis), and a bunch of other medical conditions (which we'll cover briefly).

Botox smoothes away and reduces or eliminates wrinkles; many times even deep wrinkles are reduced and eliminated by Botulinum Toxin Type A. It has also been used to get rid of or eliminate nasolabial folds.

A company called Allergan currently owns the rights to Botox (onabotulinumtoxinA). It was Dr Jean Carruthers who accidentally discovered that Botox injections successfully got rid of facial wrinkles. She made this discovery over 20 years ago.

Many people consider Botox to be one of the best discoveries of the 20th Century. But are Botox injections really all that great? Is it a wonder drug or a wonderful anti aging medicine? Or is it just one of the more popular anti aging drugs that's being anxiously administered by anti aging doctors for the sake of a pretty profit?

Before we can answer that, we must step back and take a close look at the benefits and ill effects of Botox injections in an unbiased manner.....

Is Botox A Good Anti Aging Treatment Option?

For the most part, the answer is yes! Botox injections are used to get rid of forehead wrinkles, crows feet, sometimes even replace face lift surgery, eliminate frown lines (temporarily), nasolabial folds, and other facial wrinkles.

Anti aging doctors are quick to recommend Botox for crows feet and facial wrinkles because it's a cosmetic procedure that guarantees them a profit. Therefore, it's safe to say that the well being or benefit of the patient is overlooked for the promise of a guaranteed payment, in many cases. Unfortunately, this world revolves around money and what's best for the patient has taken a back seat to profits.

Botox injections come with scary and horrible side effects (more on this below). However, the long term side effects of this toxin is not known. Please keep in mind that Botox is a toxin that paralyzes the nerves and also plumps out the skin (similar to what Juvederm does) in order to reduce/eliminate wrinkles and treat many other medical conditions. Actually, Botox injections don't plump out the wrinkles the way wrinkle fillers like juvederm, restylane, and perlane do; the ability of Botox to block nerve function and contractions as well as glandular nerve functions in order to "freeze" imperfections like crows feet, forehead wrinkles, aging hands, neck wrinkles, lip wrinkles (i.e.- Paris Hilton in 1999) , etc.

But the product paralyzes the facial muscles by blocking the nerves' impulses and functions and that, to me, is quite scary. Since we do not know the long term side effects of Botox, is it worth undergoing the anti aging treatment just to look a little younger?

That was a rhetorical question. Read on for more info about this denerving agent so that you can re-visit that question a little later.....

Juvederm is another wrinkle treatment that's similar to Botox in many ways.....click here to learn more about the popular wrinkle filler called Juvederm and how it compares to Botox.

 As of this writing (July 2011), Megan Fox has been linked to Botox. She's done everything to deny it because she's probably of the belief that it will taint her image. Besides, she's only 25 years old. Why would someone so young, beautiful, and famous want to turn to Botox injections? It's just my opinion but I doubt that she's had any treatment done. I base this on the belief that she didn't need it and that I have not seen her appearance change in the last few years.

Then, we have celebrities like Courtney Cox who openly admits that she undergoes Botox injections and treatments every so often. We also have stories of other celebrities like Paris Hilton and Rachel Zoe who have supposedly undergone Botox treatments (supposedly Paris Hilton had it done on her lips in 1999).

Kim Kardashian had Botox injections in Sept 2010 for the world to see. She obviously did it proudly. Vanessa Williams had the toxin injected in her before her 40th birthday to maintain her already youthful appearance (or so she says). Other celebrities who have turned to Botox are American Idol's and The X Factor's very own, Simon Cowell. I think the man looks great for his age but he probably did it for the same reason as Vanessa Williams. And the beloved Patrick Dempsey and Donnie Osmond have also undergone the treatment. Feel free to look this info up in USA Today, Google, Yahoo, Bing, Facebook, Good Morning America, Psychology Today, current health news, or ABC News Online. Botox news is quite rampant!!

As a side note, Jessica Simpson actually turned to a popular wrinkle filler called Restylane to plump out her lips and get rid of any lip wrinkles. Of course, actress Lisa Rinna had plenty of injectible fillers pumped into her lips. She had lip reduction surgery in 2010 because she wanted to reverse the effects of the scar tissue forming around her lips. Technically, I believe she had silicone injected into her lips when she was 25 years old (yes, the same chemical used on breast implants, also called a boob job). Other popular wrinkle fillers and anti aging treatments being used are Restylane, Juvederm, Sculptra, and Matrixyl or Matrixyl 3000, and Perlane.

I, personally, don't care whether or not they've had any anti aging treatments done. It doesn't affect my life in any way so why should I worry. In the defense of celebrities, Botox injections aren't just an anti aging treatment for crows feet, forehead wrinkles, neck wrinkles, lip wrinkles, and other anti aging purposes. It's also helpful for conditions like ataxia, neaurological disorders, serious migraine headaches, even depression, and a bunch of other conditions. How do we know they didn't turn to Botox for any of those medical conditions, right?

What Medical Conditions Can Botox Injections Help Treat?

Despite the fact that Botox has sometimes replaced a wrinkle filler or wrinkle fillers like Juvederm, Restylane, and Perlane, the popular treatment has a lot more uses than the wrinkle fillers just mentioned. Anti aging doctors are discovering that Botox injections can treat a whole list of medical conditions such as the following:

Ataxia or Dystaxia (which is a symptom or symptoms that point to impaired movements due to cerebellar or brain impairment)

Hyperhidrosis (also called axillary hyperhidrosis) which is a condition which leads to a person's excessive sweating

Migraines or migraine headaches

Strabismus (which is a condition where a person's eyes don't align properly); Botox has been used since 1989 as a treatment for strabismus

Blepharospasm (which is a muscular disorder where the muscles around your eyelids contract on their own and force your eyes or eyelids to close, which can impair your ability to do anything that requires your vision)

Neurological disorders such as Dystonia (also called Cervical Dystonia or spasmodic torticollis), which affects a person's range of movement, usually affecting the head, neck, and shoulders. It's a painful neurological condition which affects a person's head posture and can sometimes lead to paralysis of movement of certain body parts or twisting and twitching of the neck and/or head; Botox injections have been used since 2001 to treat neurological disorders like Dystonia (as a side note: Cervical Dystonia usually affects people over the age of 40 and women are more likely to get the disorder; it is not currently known why; also, spasmodic torticollis is another name for Cervical Dystonia)

Migraines or Migraine Headaches are also being treated through the implementation of Botox; migraines are also a form of neurological disorders that affects more than 3 millions Americans each year and millions more around the world; Botox injections are usually administered in the neck area (sometimes head also) every 3 to 6 months to treat chronic migraine headaches

Tinnitus, which is a ringing or noise in the ear that's caused by either old age hearing loss, a circulation disorder within the body, or an ear injury. This condition affects about 20 percent of the general population

Bells Palsy, which is a condition (usually temporary) which causes a person's face or part of their face to become paralyzed and unable to move like normal. It's caused by cranial trauma (or head trauma) and usually affects people with viral infections or women who are pregnant. Botox injections are used to treat Bells Palsy because the toxic injections cause the human brain to re-organize its normal function, which leads to normal facial movements. It's also recommended that facial exercises be combined with Botox to help quicken the recovery of Bells Palsy. (As a side note: the cause of Bells palsy isn't exactly known but it is known that Bells Palsy is related to Lyme disease and Herpes Simplex and Botox injections are effective at treating these conditions)

Treatment for depression: Botox injections are said to be a good treatment for depression because the injection of the toxin into the glabellar lines (verticle lines between the eyebrows which a person affects as they frown, using two muscles called the corrugator and procerus), which then leaves the person unable to cry or tear up. It's believed that this leads to the person no longer able to feel sorry or depressed and so Botox is credited as being a good treatment for depression (honestly, I'm not sure I buy into this theory too much and I think it sounds more dangerous to one's health than it does a benefit)

As you can see, Botox injections can be used on a variety of conditions from frown lines, to forehead wrinkles, to crows feet, to muscle spasms, to even beauty pageants, to depression, to facial paralysis to many other conditions and symptoms.

The more I read up about Botox, I see that the injections are able to serve a large purpose in the medical field. But the thing that concerns me the most are the side effects (temporary and long term). Is Botox worth undergoing after considering all side effects?

Alternatives to Botox are also a good option if horrible side effects are a concern.....click here for more, natural Botox alternatives

What Are The Side Effects Of Botox Injections And Are They Worth The Risk?

So up until now, this product has been quite impressive, right? It can do a whole host of things. I have to admit that I was amazed by the number of conditions that it treated. And in some cases, I can understand why many patients would want to give Botox a try. Especially those who suffer from neurological disorders, facial paralysis, muscle spasms, excessive sweating, and other debilitating symptoms.

As impressive as Botox injections are, the side effects of the drug are scarier than any horror movie known to man!! Here is a list of the side effects of Botox that I took directly from Allergan's website:

Botox may cause serious side effects that can be life threatening

Problems swallowing, speaking, or breathing, due to weakening of associated muscles, can be severe and result in loss of life. You are at the highest risk if these problems are pre-existing before injection. Swallowing problems may last for several months

Spread of toxin effects. The effect of botulinum toxin may affect areas away from the injection site and cause serious symptoms including: loss of strength and all-over muscle weakness, double vision, blurred vision and drooping eyelids, hoarseness or change or loss of voice (dysphonia), trouble saying words clearly (dysarthria), loss of bladder control, trouble breathing, trouble swallowing

Serious and/or immediate allergic reactions have been reported. These reactions include itchy rash, swelling, and shortness of breath. Tell your doctor or get medical help right away if you experience any such symptoms; further injection of BOTOX should be discontinued

Do not take BOTOX if you: are allergic to any of the ingredients in BOTOX (see Medication Guide for ingredients); had an allergic reaction to any other botulinum toxin product such as Myobloc, Dysport or Xeomin; have a skin infection at the planned injection site

Tell your doctor about all your muscle or nerve conditions such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease), myasthenia gravis, or Lambert-Eaton syndrome, as you may be at increased risk of serious side effects including severe dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) and respiratory compromise (difficulty breathing) from typical doses of BOTOX

Tell your doctor about all your medical conditions, including if you have: plans to have surgery; had surgery on your face; weakness of forehead muscles, such as trouble raising your eyebrows; drooping eyelids; any other abnormal facial change; are pregnant or plan to become pregnant (it is not known if BOTOX® or BOTOX® Cosmetic can harm your unborn baby); are breast-feeding or plan to breastfeed (it is not known if BOTOX passes into breast milk)

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins and herbal products

Using BOTOX injections aminoglycosides or other products that interfere with neuromuscular transmission (e.g., curare-like nondepolarizing blockers, lincosamides, polymyxins, quinidine, magnesium sulfate, anticholinesterases, succinylcholine chloride) should be used with caution as the effect of the neurotoxin may be enhanced by these agents

The effect of using different botulinum neurotoxin products at the same time or within several months of each other is unknown. Excessive neuromuscular weakness may be intensified by administration of additional botulinum neurotoxin before the effects of a previously administered botulinum neurotoxin has worn off

BOTOX may cause loss of strength or general muscle weakness, or vision problems. If this happens, do not drive a car, operate machinery, or do other dangerous activities

This product contains albumin taken from human blood. Steps taken during donor screening and product manufacturing processes make the risk of spreading viral diseases extremely rare. In theory, there is also an extremely rare risk of contracting Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). No cases of spread of viral diseases or CJD have ever been reported for albumin

Other side effects of BOTOX include: dry mouth, discomfort or pain at the injection site, tiredness, headache, neck pain, and eye problems: double vision, blurred vision, decreased eyesight, drooping eyelids, swelling of your eyelids, and dry eyes

Sorry about all the data that you had to read. My wife and I took it directly from the Allergan website. All of our writing is always original in that we create everything based on lots of research; we never copy anything from other sites. But for the purpose of disclosure, we figured we'd let our readers know that we took this information (word for word) from Allergan's site. Our credibility means the world to us and so do our readers.....:)

So back to these scary Botox side effects.....

Is it worth it? Do you have a condition like Ataxia that requires a quick solution to your pain? Or is your goal really just anti aging treatment related? If it's the latter, then are those side effects really worth it?

Please keep in mind that just like Juvederm, the long term side effects of Botox are not yet known. Therefore, the side effects in the long term can be worse than what's described above. Is it worth ruining your health or shortening your life just to POSSIBLY look a little better today? And at a cost of $300 to $1,000 every 3 to 6 months, I would rather spend a fraction of that money toward a natural alternative to Botox. Why? Because the purpose of this website and natural anti aging secrets is to look and feel great for a longer period of time and live as long as possible with as few complications as possible.

Unfortunately, Botox injections don't offer the opportunity to any of those options in a long term setting.....but if you're anti aging doctors reading this page, then it wouldn't surprise me if you disagreed. After all, pushing this product as a great anti aging treatment is a profit driven mantra, my friends. And the best way to drive these profits is for the anti aging doctors and anti aging companies to make this product affordable to everyone, not just the rich people of the world.

I find this to be the scariest part of Botox Injections. Another man made product that can have such horrible side effects is being pushed by medical doctors as a great way to reverse aging (appearance wise, that is). There is little regard for the well being of the human being and much emphasis on the almighty profit.

Alternatives to Botox injections can also come in the form of a diet.....click here for more, natural (and delicious) Botox alternatives