BOTOX® Cosmetic

BOTOX® Cosmetic is an injectable solution that is used to prevent the formation of fine lines and wrinkles in the face. BOTOX® is a protein which is created from the botulism toxin. It works by paralyzing the muscles under the thin skin of the face, preventing the skin from submitting to gravity and settling into fine lines and wrinkles. Also, by preventing the muscles from moving, it protects the skin from the repeated twitch movements of these muscles as the face creates expressions, allowing the skin to hold on to its youthful collagen and elasticity a bit longer. By paralyzing select facial muscles, BOTOX® is intended to slow or erase the signs of aging in the face.

BOTOX® side effects

As you would expect when injecting a proven toxin into the body, BOTOX® is not without its negative side effects. One of the most common and unpleasant side effects of BOTOX® is how obvious the treatment is when not performed correctly or overdone. Natural expression is erased, and users of BOTOX® have sometimes found that they are unable to smile in a friendly fashion or appear natural in conversation and photographs. This is a dead giveaway to observers that BOTOX® has been performed. Also, BOTOX® injections also occasionally cause irritation, swelling, redness or infection around the injection site. Some users of BOTOX® have reported additional side effects such as facial pain, headaches and dizziness, along with several more severe side effects as well.

BOTOX® treatment cost

BOTOX® injections are not inexpensive. While low cost BOTOX® injections can be found, it is ill advised to look for a bargain on this product, as many practitioners who offer BOTOX® treatments are neither certified nor properly trained to do so, presenting a dangerous and unregulated situation. With professional treatment, BOTOX® injections cost between $200-$500 per injection site. That means if you'd like to have your forehead, the area between the eyes, the area around the eyes and other places in the face treated with BOTOX®, you will pay $200-$500 each.

BOTOX® injections are not permanent, and eventually the skin will begin to relax once again. BOTOX® injections will have to be repeated, with the same costs, multiple times on a consistent and regular basis in order to maintain the effects provided by the injections.

BOTOX® alternatives

For those who are not interested in the muscle paralyzing toxin injections of BOTOX®, several viable treatments for the signs of aging and wrinkles do exist. For example, anti-wrinkle creams contain some of the most powerful, proven and tested ingredients in the fight against the signs of aging. Ingredients like Argireline help repair skin cells and protect them from harmful free radicals, while hyaluronic acids smoothes the skin by cushioning and lubricating the cells of the skin. These ingredients are found in some of the best anti-wrinkle creams, all of which are available for significantly lower cost and risk than surgical and injection options. If BOTOX® sounds appealing, first check out our popular anti-wrinkle creams reviews before making a decision.