What is botulinum toxin?
Botulinum toxin is a neurotoxin made by a bacterium called Clostridium botulinum.
The ability of the botulinum toxin to produce muscle paralysis by chemical denervation is used as a medicine in the treatment of certain neurological diseases and as a cosmetic product for the aesthetic treatment of facial wrinkles.
How does botulinum toxin work in the treatment to remove, mitigate or prevent facial wrinkles?
The pharmacological effect of botulinum toxin takes place at the level of the neuromuscular junction. In this region of transition between the peripheral nerve and the muscle occurs the release of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter necessary to produce muscle contraction. Botulinum toxin acts locally by blocking the release of acetylcholine, which translates into temporary muscle paralysis.
Cosmetic applications of botulinum toxin in the treatment for wrinkles
The history of botulinum toxin in the field of aesthetics begins accidentally in 1987 at the hands of Dr. Jean Carruthers, treating a patient affected by blepharospasm.
A diluted form of botulinum toxin type A, is considered today that is one of the treatments that offers better results to eliminate wrinkles.
This form of botulinum toxin, after its infiltration with an extra fine needle into the muscle under the skin of the area to be treated, acts by inhibiting muscle movement by relaxation. With this effect it is intended that wrinkles disappear and therefore provide a more youthful appearance on the skin.