Botox, What Is That Stuff And What Does It Do?

Pierre F. Giammanco, M.D. F.A.C.S.

Everyone has their favorite days. or Kids, it’s the last day of school.  For corporate employees, it’s dress-down Friday.  And of course everyone loves to party on their birthday. But for hundreds of thousands of women and numerous men around the world, “Botox Day” has become their own private national holiday.  Botox Day comes not once but twice or thrice a year, and the celebrating goes on for up to six months . . . until it’s time to once again indulge your penchant for looking almost-immediately younger without surgery.  How?  Simply by scheduling your next injection of this incredibly powerful medication.

     A Safe toxin?  That sounded like an oxymoron to me, akin to jumbo shrimp.  On the other hand, the frown lines around my eyes were real, and dermatologist/Botox guru Pierre assured me the treatment was entirely safe and totally effective, so what the heck, sitting quietly for a couple of minutes while being injected with an instant beautifier sounded like the instant fix most of us look for.  

     Imagine my surprise when Pierre’s assistant handed me a bag of frozen peas, directing me to hold it on my forehead.  Chuckling at my bewilderment, he explained that peas are great because they conform to all surfaces.  The frozen variety offers excellent pre-op numbing capabilities (and hey, after you’re done, they make a marvelous side dish, too !)

     While minding my peas, I had a few Qs, as in questions to pursue.  Pierre patiently addressed by concerns about Botox, which I had heard was derived from the same bacteria that causes botulism.

     That’s true, he acknowledged, explaining that this diluted and purified form of botulism toxin has been widely used to treat various disorder such as facial ticks, eyelid twitching and strabismus (asymmetry of eye movement).  Only recently has it gained a reputation for relaxing the upper facial muscles that cause wrinkling around the eyes and forehead.

     He also pointed out that Botox is especially adept at softening scowl and squint lines between the eyebrows.  (Being a generally happy person, I had no idea that I every scowled or squinted.  Within about 4 days, I was amazed to discover how frequently I unconsciously configured by face into patterns that lead straight to wrinkles - - you can actually feel yourself not being able to squint!)

No Pain.  Smooth Gain.

     Meanwhile, back in the frozen food section, Dr. Giammanco decided I was done, that I was frozen enough and he was ready to give me a shot at living my life wrinkle-free.  I call it a shot, but actually, the procedure requires merely a teeny tiny needle - - so small the patient needs only topical numbing.  Botox, a brand name that stands for Botulism Toxin A. is injected through the skin into a group of muscles, blocking the neuromuscular junction that keeps the muscles from contracting.  The resulting temporary paralysis smoothes out forehead furrows and other facial wrinkles.  Amazingly, it decreases and eliminates existing lines while also retarding the development of future wrinkles.  (I’ll admit that the word paralysis gave me a temporary jolt, but Dr. Giammanco assured me that the therapy was proven safe and certainly easier and quicker than undergoing full facial surgery.

     A few fast injections and I was done.  Having read somewhere that Botox took 20 years off your life in three seconds, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the mirror.

     I have to be completely candid and tell you that I did not detect any difference at first.  No matter what you may read elsewhere, the effects of Botox do not appear instantly.  It takes four or five days for Botox to work its magic, but make no mistake:  it does work.  Magically!

     It was about 4 days after my Botox session, I arrived home late on evening, weary after a 14-hour day of work.  I glanced at myself in the mirror, and it hit me in a flash:  I felt dead on my feet, but my face looked rested and relaxed.  Unbelievable!  I think I have become a Botox user on the spot!  I will definitely visit Dr. Giammanco again in several months.  And this time I’ll ask to take the peas home with me to cook for dinner