What is a Neurotoxin?
Neurotoxins are produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum.
Neurotoxin injections are a popular cosmetic procedure done by medical professionals to improve wrinkles and treat certain muscular conditions.
How does Neurotoxin work?
When Neurotoxin is injected, it blocks certain nerve signals that stimulate muscle contraction. This leads to relaxation of muscles which reduces the appearance of unwanted wrinkles.
The effect of Neurotoxin lasts 3–6 months.
Over time, the muscles will gradually regain movement causing wrinkles to re-appear.
Neurotoxin risks
Neurotoxin injections are safe when performed by an experienced doctor.
Possible mild side effects and complications include:
- Pain, swelling or bruising at the site of injection
- Headache (Forehead Neurotoxin)
- Droopy eyelid or “spock” eyebrows (Forehead Neurotoxin)
- Crooked smile or drooling (Jaw Neurotoxin)
- Eye dryness (Crow’s Feet Neurotoxin)
Potential life-threatening complications are very rare and related to high doses of Neurotoxin injections used to treat medical conditions such as cerebral palsy and cervical dystonia.
These severe side effects may manifest as:
- Muscle weakness
- Vision problems
- Trouble speaking or swallowing
- Breathing difficulty
- Loss of bladder control
Studies have reported the toxic dose for severe side effects to be more than 6 Neurotoxin Units per Kg.
Taking an average adult female to weigh 50kg, this translates to 300 units of Neurotoxin. It is extremely unlikely that a patient will require close to 300 units of Neurotoxin for Aesthetic treatments.
Summary
In the hands of an experienced doctor, Neurotoxin is safe and effective.
Severe side effects are extremely rare and are associated with high doses of Neurotoxin.
Quote of the day
“All things are poisons and there is nothing that is harmless, the dose alone decides that something is not poison” -Paracelsus (1493–1541).