BOTOX CAUSES BRAIN DAMAGE, SCIENCE OR HOGWASH? – PART 2

Last year, 4,329,180 aesthetic BOTOX® treatments were administered to women in the United States to relax their forehead frown lines. The side effects to these treatments have been minimal to non-existent. Slight bruising or swelling at the injection site, if any, has been found to resolve within twenty-four to forty-eight hours. Occasionally, an eye has temporarily drooped after forehead injections, but also resolves within a period of a week or two. But there have been no reports of any effects on the central nervous system. And as far as risk of death from Botox Cosmetic, the FDA confirmed that: There has never been a reported death where a causal link to BOTOX® (Botox Cosmetic) was established. But new fears about BOTOX® surfaced shortly after an Italian study reported in the Journal of Neuroscience revealed that when botulinum toxin, type A (the active ingredient in Botox), was injected into one side of adult rats’ brains, minute particles of protein in the toxin were found in the other side of the brain. The media went wild with headlines such as: Botox Causes Brain Damage.

Speak about false alarms and taking things out of context. If you are anything like me, the details will blow your mind! If you are interested in giving yourself a better education on this topic, I’ve done the hard work for you. Here’s the link to my article on Botox and Safety and many more.

Beauty Within

                Beauty Without . . .

                               What’s Your Passion?

Click to Explore the Many Dimensions of Beauty 

Lois W. Stern

BOTOX CAUSES BRAIN DAMAGE – HOGWASH OR SCIENCE? – PART 1

I have read some scary stuff about BOTOX in the past. I know enough about headlines to understand that those written to shock, alarm or titillate grab the most attention. Not usually so with headlines written to calm, soothe or reassure. They seem to draw little notice. Latest case in point: Botox Causes Brain Damage. Scary, right? True? Read on.

I discussed these BOTOX(R) headlines with Dr. Vic Navurkur, past president of the Americn Society of Cosmetic Dermatology and Aesthetic Surgery (ASCDAS), with an active aesthetic dermatologic practice in the Bay Area of San Francisco.

The media has taken this completely out of context! he exclaimed with some amusement. As a treatment for medical conditions, Botox is often administered in very high strengths and yes, some complications have been noted there. But these dosages are not comparable to those used in aesthetic treatments.

Scare tactics aside, if you are thinking about BOTOX treatments, here are three important questions to ask yourself:

1. Is there anything in my health history that could recommend against it. (If you have any neurological disorder, first discuss possible complications  with your internist.)
2. Am I bothered by facial wrinkles in areas that BOTOX could soften? (i.e. forehead, crows feet, neck cords, etc.)
3. Can I afford this expense on an ongoing basis (every 3-5 months)

Tune in for Part 2 on Botox next week.

Beauty Within

                Beauty Without . . .

                               What’s Your Passion?

Click to Explore the Many Dimensions of Beauty 

Lois W. Stern

BOTOX WITHOUT NEEDLES

Topical Needleless Botox – What I Learned from Dr. Neil Schultz

IF YOU ARE needle phobic, the good news is that Topical Botox is coming – probably available sometime in 2013! Yes, it’s true… totally painless topical Botox applied without needles! It appears to work and well. But before you get too excited, here’s the disappointing part. So far it’s only been proven to work for crows feet – those fine lines radiating outward from the outer corners of your eyes. And don’t expect to purchase it at your nearby pharmacy. It will still need to be applied by a physician. They tells us because of the process in preparing and applying it, but I wonder . . .

It’s coming, and it seems to be a very cool skin care technology. Stay tuned.

Beauty Within

         Beauty Without . . .

              What’s Your Passion?

Click to Explore the Many Dimensions of Beauty

5 TOP COSMETIC PROCEDURES in the USA

Thought you might be interested in the latest statisitic from the ASPS (American Society for Plastic Surgeons). So here goes!

The Top Five Cosmetic Surgical Procedures Performed in the USA in 2010

Breast Augmentation – 296,000; Nose Reshaping – 252,000; Eyelid Surgery -209,000; Liposuction – 203,000; Tummy Tuck – 116,000

Now  for the Top Five Minimally Invasive Procedures in 2010

(Don’t let this next image scare you! I posted it just for fun.)

Botox (Botulinum Toxin Type A) – 5.4 million; Soft Tissue Fillers – 1.8 million; Chemical Peel – 1.1 million; Laser Hair Removal- 938,000; Microdermabrasion – 825,000

Beauty Within

         Beauty Without . . .

              What’s Your Passion?

Click to Explore the Many Dimensions of Beauty