The truth about Botox
To freeze or not to freeze, that is the question....
Most women I know are either pro-intervention (and plan on raging against their dying collagen in every way possible) or have no intention of messing with the effects of Father Time.
Whether you fall into one of these categories, or instead have adopted a laissez-faire, never-say-never attitude to using Botox, everyone has an opinion on the world's most popular cosmetic treatment.
As a result, there's a lot of misinformation out there, even though Botox is hardly new on the scene—it was approved for medical use by Health Canada in 1990, and cosmetically in 2001. To date, more than 16 million North Americans have been treated with it.
How Botox works
A little Botox 101: While it does create a smooth, unlined surface, it is not a wrinkle filler. The sterile, lab-created botulinum toxin works by "softening" the action of dynamic muscles, such as the ones between your eyebrows that get exercise when your teenager comes home with a new tattoo.
The most common concerns about using Botox are that it's unsafe or that you'll look freaky and frozen. And, of course, there's needle phobia. This past January, Health Canada concluded that Botox use came with a "very rare" risk (less than one in 10,000) of distant toxin spread—when the toxin moves beyond the targeted muscle into other areas of the body, potentially causing muscle weakness, difficulty breathing or pneumonia. However, there has never been a medically confirmed case of distant toxin spread reported in Canada nor a fatality associated with its cosmetic use.
If you want good results, you've got to go to a licensed physician. And make sure she makes it her business to inject Botox all day long. The procedure demands an understanding—and appreciation—of facial structure and underlying muscles. Even though everyone's working with the same material, the results can differ wildly (just compare Nicole Kidman's face to Virginia Madsen's).
Finding the right doc for the job
Jean Carruthers, an ophthalmologist in Vancouver (who, along with husband Alastair, is credited with Botox's cosmetic discovery) says women should avoid environments such as Botox parties. "In the middle of a roaring get-together are you really going to have a meaningful conversation with the person treating you?" she asks. "I don't think there's such a thing as informed consent if alcohol is involved."
Carruthers, who jokes that she hasn't frowned since 1987, advises finding a dermatologist on the same aesthetic wavelength as you are. Ask him if he uses Botox on himself, a sure sign he believes in its results and safety.
