The inspiration for my articles comes mostly from conversations with those around me. Often my friends, family, teachers or even readers ask me questions for which I do not have an immediate answer. As someone who loves to learn, I then proceed to research the topic until I am able to explain it in my own words which then prompts the writing of an article. I owe this article topic to my mom, who like many others had questions about a widely practiced esthetic procedure that aims to freeze time. She started telling me about injections that can each change someone’s face non-surgically. Frown lines, crow’s feet and neck wrinkles are no more, all with a few units of this “miraculous” substance. Have you guessed it? Yes, it’s Botox, the procedure that many Hollywood stars deny ever getting, despite their very tight faces and lack of emotional response. But how does this substance cause what seems like a localized muscle paralysis that makes for a youthful appearance? Let’s dive in.
Did you ever wonder why they call it “Botox” or better yet why “-tox” is part of the term? Botox is actually short for “botulinum neurotoxin”. Usually, I would say you shouldn’t be scared just because you see the word “toxin,” but botulinum toxin or BoNT is the most toxic naturally occurring substance. It is produced by Clostridium botulinum bacteria and is responsible for botulism, a life-threatening form of food poisoning. The bacteria actually produce 8 variations of the BoNT. While only type A is used for Botox injections, all are neurotoxins that inhibit the release of neurotransmitters, specifically acetylcholine that causes muscle contractions.
Botulism can occur from by the very same toxin that we inject into our face. Of course, the one used for injections is purified and diluted, but the one that can arise in food is quite nasty. The condition can also occur in infants when a proliferation of this bacteria is experienced in the intestine. Symptoms of this condition include paralysis, facial weakness, blurred vision, breathing problems among other very serious effects. How can this toxin get in our food?
Botulinum clostridium is an anaerobic organism, meaning it can survive in the absence of oxygen. Living bacteria produce botulin, a toxin so potent that a fraction of a milligram can be lethal. Where in our home do we have food in such an oxygen-free environment? Canned foods! That is why great care has to be taken in the to ensure that the spores of this bacterium are destroyed before they can produce their toxin. Commercially, this is done by heating the food to be canned under pressure. It is very rare to be exposed to the toxin considering rigorous canning processes at major production facilities, however improper canning will lead to disaster.
Many people can different foods at home. The common products are tomatoes, fruits, and pickles, which are particularly acidic foods. Luckily for all the Italians who spend hours in the fall canning tomato sauce, the bacteria cannot live in an acidic environment such as tomato sauce. Those hours spent slaving over that steaming pot have not gone to waste. When it comes to foods such as . We must instead consider pressure. Using a pressure cooker can kill the bacterial spores so that they don’t have a chance to set up their BoNT producing operations.
When you smile, frown, or raise your eyebrows at the price of eggs these days, your brain is sending a message to your facial muscles. That message is transmitted by . If it’s not released effectively, the message to contract facial muscles gets lost. This leads to temporary muscle relaxation, which can be used to reduce the appearance of wrinkles or treat certain medical conditions.
However, Botox is a big commitment both with regards to money and time. You may hear that people have to continue going for injections every 3 months. Users who wish to continue with their almost perfect faces will have to commit a recurring and hefty expense. Depending on where you go, on average Botox injections cost around per visit. Effects last anywhere from 3-6 months. The price is calculated based on the number of units that are injected with a range of . A regular appointment can rack up to ! That adds up quick!
When I learned how Botox works, I began to get a bit scared. What if this toxin went somewhere, it shouldn’t? We hear of, and may even have seen “bad Botox.” Usually, the result of the toxin migrating somewhere else in the face, causing droopy eyelids or an asymmetrical smile. But I was wondering if something more serious could happen. To my surprise, it is extremely rare to have serious side-effects from Botox. The rare ones include loss of bladder control, vision problems, but nothing life-threatening. To avoid any complications the practitioner must know all the proper injection site locations and the appropriate depth of the injection. Go to a professional, this is your face we are talking about!
While the most common use of Botox is to reduce wrinkles, it has a number of other medical applications. Injections can help with . Toxins can kill, but they can also cure. Botulin is yet another example of Paracelsus’ classic toxicology maxim, “only the dose makes the poison”.
Angelina Lapalme is a BSc student majoring in Bio-Organic Chemistry at 51łÔąĎÍř.Â
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