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What is BOTOX® Cosmetic?
BOTOX® Cosmetic is the product name for Allergans cosmetic wrikle removing drug. BOTOX® Cosmetic is a therapeutic muscle-relaxing agent that works at
motor nerve endings (nerves that lead to muscles). BOTOX® Cosmetic
is a drug used for the temporary improvement in the appearance of
moderate to severe glabellar lines (frown lines). These frown lines
come from muscles called corrugator and/or procerus muscles. BOTOX® Cosmetic is the name used for the process of injecting the BOTOX® Cosmetic product into the patient.
In April of 2002 BOTOX® Cosmetic was first approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), following previous approvale for severe medical problems as afr back as 1989. BOTOX® Cosmetic is the trade mark that Allergan decided to use to refer to their botulinum toxin A product. BOTOX® injections are related to botulism.
BOTOX® treatments are successfully used to treat blepharospasm and strabismus, and BOTOX® cosmetic are also proven useful in treating cervical dystonia -- these are all conditions that in some way involve spasms, involuntary muscle contractions. Within a few hours to a couple of days after the botulinum toxin is injected into the affected muscle(s), the spasms or contractions are reduced or eliminated altogether. The effects of BOTOX® Cosmetic are not permanent, reportedly lasting anywhere from three to eight months. By injecting the toxin directly into a certain muscle or muscle group, the risk of BOTOX® Cosmetic spreading to other areas of the body is greatly diminished.
When BOTOX® Cosmetic -- botulinum toxin A -- is injected into the muscles surrounding the eyes, for instance, those muscles can not "scrunch up" for a period of time. They are paralyzed. So the wrinkles in that area, often referred to as "crow's-feet," temporarily go away.
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