St. Clair Cosmetic Clinic Toronto
Botox Side Effects and Other Frequently Asked Questions
August 15, 2018

Botox Side Effects and Other Frequently Asked Questions

Botox is so ubiquitous nowadays that a naturally aging face seems a rarity. Yet those of us who are new to this marvel of anti-aging medicine may be wondering if Botox is safe and whether there are side-effects to consider. The answer to this and other common questions are answered in the FAQ section below.

Q. What exactly is Botox?

A. Botox is a Health Canada approved prescription drug produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum toxin. Although technically classified as a neurotoxin, which may sound unappealing, the part being injected into your skin is a highly purified protein and is therefore a perfectly safe pharmaceutical medication with few side-effects.

Q. How Was Botox Discovered?

A. As with many breakthroughs and inventions, Botox was discovered by accident. The year was 1987 and two Vancouver doctors, Jean and Alastair Carruthers, one of them an Opthalmologist (Jean) was using botulinum toxin to manage uncontrollable blinking and spasms of the eye area. Patients quickly noticed that when injected around the eyes and forehead, their wrinkles disappeared, giving the skin a smoother, more youthful appearance.

Q. What Are the Side Effects of Botox?

A. Side-effects or allergic reactions from the medication itself are extremely rare. It’s possible to get a mild headache or even flu-like symptoms shortly after your treatment. More common are tenderness, swelling and bruising at the injection site but even these are temporary. Other side-effects can occur due to human error, such as injecting too close to the eye, resulting in ptosis (droopy eyelid) or from rubbing the area too soon after injection. But even these will resolve themselves over time and pose no serious health risk.

Q. When Is Too Young to Start Using Botox?

A. There is mounting evidence that long-term Botox use can delay and even prevent the onset of dynamic wrinkles. Since the visible signs of aging to start become noticeable in our 30’s, it makes makes sense to use Botox for prevention in our mid 20’s for areas such as crow’s feet, frown lines and forehead. As we age, lines and wrinkles that are dynamic in nature (only visible when you’re making facial expressions), can become static and deep (visible when you face it at rest). Therefore prevention when you’re young is a good strategy.

Q. Do the Effects of Botox Show Immediately?

A. Unlike dermal fillers that plump your skin instantaneously, Botox results happen gradually over the course of two weeks. Although it’s possible to start feeling less muscle contraction and smoothing out of lines after several days, the improvement continue up to fourteen days. For this reason most doctors will not schedule a follow-up visit or perform touch ups prior to this time. Get additional answers to your Botox questions here. 

Dr. Nino Kuzmar is a Toronto general practitioner practicing non-surgical cosmetic rejuvenation and enhancement procedures for the face and neck. His extensive clinical experience, training and expertise in the area of cosmetic injectables, laser and energy based technologies spans 12 years. BOOK YOUR COMPLIMENTARY CONSULTATION

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