BOTOX

There are a lot of people who have heard about the word Botox. But they don’t have a clue to what it is. Actually, Botox is a brand name and stands for botulinum toxin. Botulinum toxin is a protein that is produced by a certain bacteria. The bacteria is called clostridium botulinum, hence the name. What this protein does is that it blocks the impulse from the nerve so the muscle that is steered by the nerve doesn’t get the impulse transferred. And in a way it will force the muscle to relax.

Now doctors have been using Botox for a long time. For instance, in neurology there are certain conditions. Such as torticollis, where the neck muscle really cramps up. By injecting the muscle with a couple of tiny injections with botulinum toxin you can actually relax that muscle so people will have a lot better use of their neck. But also in urology it is possible to do treatments with botulinum toxin. For instance in the case of hyperactive bladder symptoms.

DYNAMIC WRINKLE TREATMENT WITH BOTULINUM TOXIN

Now as far a cosmetic medicine is concerned, botulinum toxin has become very prominent in treating so called dynamic wrinkles. Dynamic wrinkles develop when muscles in the face, such as in the frown area or the forehead or around the eyes. When in the course of time they start to kind of cramp up and in doing so they actually pull the skin that is overlying these muscles with them and create wrinkles. By injecting tiny amounts of botulinum toxin in some of these muscles, for instance the forehead. You will actually then relax that muscle. And because of the relaxation of the muscle, the skin that overlies it will also get a chance to basically smooth out. And so wrinkles will be a lot less prominent.

TREATING OTHER CONDITIONS

A lot of people consider a treatment with botulinum toxin as a luxury and quite honestly most of the time that is true. However there is a group of people, a smaller group but never the less, that do not feel that a treatment is a luxury at all. They may have certain kinds of migraines that respond very well to tiny injections. But also things like teeth grinding or excessive sweating in the armpits really benefit with a treatment with botulinum toxin.

Not everybody, by the way is a suitable candidate. Because a lot of people feel that anybody can just do this. But the fact is, especially when you suffer from certain neurological conditions such as multiple sclerosis, a treatment with botulinum toxin is out of the question. 

BOTOX TREATMENTS ARE TEMPORARY

A Botox treatment always has a temporary effect. Some people think that by doing a Botox treatment once it will get them through the next 10 years. But that’s not the way it works. Botulinum toxin usually wears off between 3 to 5 months. But it’s an individual thing and some people it happens sooner. In other people it happens later. The fact is that if you want to keep up the effect, you would need to repeat the treatment.

FREQUENCY OF TREATMENT IS AN INDIVIDUAL THING

There are people who say “o.k. I’m doing this once a year and I’m good with that.”  But there are also people who say, “no I want to continue seeing the effect so after 3, 4 or 5 months” they do another treatment.  Interestingly, the more frequently you actually do a treatment, the longer it will last and people find that they need fewer treatments in the long run.

I founded the Amsterdam Kliniek in 1996 because it appeared that numerous patients were not being served by conventional medicine, whereas an integrative approach would resolve their issues. Integrative medicine seeks to present a responsible balance between conventional and complementary treatments. The aim is to promote health and fight disease in a more natural way. To learn more, click here.

Lydia Boeken MD