Botulinum toxin injections belong to the most popular procedures all over the world. Their power to temporarily relax muscles is used to treat a great number of aesthetic and medical conditions.
While Botox, in its turn, is one of the most well-known brands of botulinum toxins these days. It is characterized by high-quality composition, exceptional safety, strong effectiveness, and long-lasting duration.
However, does Botox have any side effects? If yes, what are they? Let us find answers to these questions by means of going through the below-mentioned article!
On a side note: Other famous brands that employ botulinum toxin in their composition are Azzalure, Bocouture, Dysport, Xeomin, and many more.
Botox is an advanced brand of injectables that are based on botulinum toxin. While being produced by a global pharmaceutical company of Allergan (now a part of AbbVie), it is strongly beloved by healthcare providers and their patients all over the world.
Botox injections are marked by minimal invasiveness, little to no complications, and long-lasting duration. Depending on the individual peculiarities of each patient, they create durable results that last from a couple of months to half a year.
On a side note: Botulinum toxin is a naturally-occurring substance produced by the bacterium of Clostridium Botulinum. It belongs to one of the most powerful muscle relaxants.
Due to the fact that botulinum toxin injection is intended for professional use, Botox should be administered exclusively by a certified healthcare provider. It should be done intramuscularly with the help of a fine gauge needle.
The working principle of Botox is based on the power of botulinum toxin to relax muscle contraction. After being injected into a certain muscle, it temporarily blocks nerve signals attached to it and, therefore, leads to its relaxation.
On a side note: The composition of Botox does not contain prefilled lidocaine. However, a healthcare provider might apply a topical anesthetic to the intended area of the treatment to minimize the level of pain or discomfort a patient might feel during the procedure.
Botox injections treat a wide range of aesthetic and medical issues. Below, you will find a list of the main issues they treat.
Probably the most widely-spread aesthetic conditions that are usually addressed by Botox injections are dynamic wrinkles. They usually appear on a patient’s face due to overactive mimics and might transform into static ones unless treated properly.
On a side note: Among the main dynamic facial wrinkles that might be substantially reduced by botulinum toxin injections are nasolabial folds, crow’s feet, marionette lines, forehead creases, lines between the eyebrows, and so on.
Moreover, Botox might also be applied to treat other aesthetic conditions related to muscle contraction. Namely, it is oftentimes used to take care of a gummy smile (a condition when the gums are visible while smiling) or thin upper lip (by means of a Botox lip flip procedure).
On a side note: Under certain circumstances, Botox might also be used to treat facial asymmetry. By means of relaxing certain groups of muscles, the product might provide a patient with a more balanced and symmetrical appearance.
While the main medical conditions treated by Botox therapy, in their turn, include:
On a side note: In some cases, Botox might also be applied to take care of chronic migraine. In other words, it is an FDA-approved treatment for patients who suffer from severe headaches on a regular basis.
Botox is a safe product that has been approved by FDA for both aesthetic and medical indications. When properly applied, it rarely causes any serious complications or adverse reactions.
At the same time, there exist several preconditions that are necessary when it comes to the minimization of the risk of complications and adverse reactions after the administration of Botox, namely:
Despite the fact that Botox does not usually lead to any serious complications and adverse reactions (especially when the above-mentioned preconditions are taken into account), there are cases when its administration causes several side effects. Below, you will find the list of the most widely-spread ones.
Skin irritation belongs to the most general Botox side effects. It usually appears around the injection site and includes:
In most cases, skin irritation fades away on its own within a couple of days after the procedure. It does not tend to require any medical assistance.
Painful sensation (or at least a certain level of discomfort) is also a pretty common side effect after the administration of Botox. Depending on the individual pain threshold of each patient, the level of discomfort might vary from mild to severe one.
Under normal circumstances, the feeling of pain disappears several days after the treatment. If needed, it might be reduced by means of applying an ice pack to the treatment area.
On a side note: It is recommended to stay away from the intake of painkillers for at least a day after the administration of Botox.
Among other undesirable Botox effects are flu-like symptoms, such as:
Similar to other side effects of Botox that are mentioned above, they are also pretty common and do not usually require any emergency medical help.
Some patients also claim to experience mild to severe headaches after undergoing the injection of Botox. These side effects might last from a couple of hours to several days after the treatment.
On a side note: According to clinical trials, around 1% of all patients that have undergone Botox injections claim to experience slowly disappearing headaches for two weeks after the procedure.
Mild difficulty swallowing or breathing after the administration of Botox might also appear in some patients. It is a side effect that occurs due to the too-intense relaxation of muscles.
Normally, both swallowing and breathing normalize on their own shortly after the treatment. However, a patient should contact a healthcare provider as soon as possible in case of experiencing this side effect.
Among other less-common Botox side effects are:
In order to make sure that these side effects won’t cause any further complications, a patient should consult with a healthcare provider when noticing any of them after the administration of Botox.
All in all, Botox is an advantageous injectable product with a wide range of aesthetic and medical indications. Despite rarely causing any severe complications or adverse reactions, it might lead to the appearance of several side effects. So, make sure to contact your healthcare provider in case of experiencing any of them, and let Botox enhance the overall condition of your skin in a safe way!