What exactly is Botox?

Botox is a brand name for Botulinum Toxin.
Botulin Toxin is a protein produced by the bacteria Clostridium botulinum. Its action is simple and natural.

With measured amounts of Botulinum Toxin, we ensure that muscles and sweat glands are temporarily unable to be controlled by nerves, the transmission of signals is blocked. This causes the functioning of the muscles and sweat glands to decrease or come to a complete standstill.
After a few months, the transmission of signals fully recovers.
Did you know that Botulinum Toxin is one of the most toxic substances on the planet? Thanks to science we can now use this poison for about 18 years to improve lives, which is a special fact.
Botox is not only used for wrinkle treatment, but also against migraines, excessive sweating, teeth grinding, focal dystonias, such as torticollis, blepharospasm, spasmodic dysphonia, oromandibular dystonia, drooling and writer’s cramp.

Botulism (the name for the symptoms when you ingest too much botulinum toxin) was discovered around 1820 by a German psychologist. A really fun fact is that the disease is named after sausage! Botulus is Latin for sausage. The reference is because many people in those days became ill after eating blood sausage.

Around 1900 it was discovered that it is a protein that is secreted by a bacterium, however, the name was already done and the protein was therefore called Botulin Toxin. It took a long time before Botulin Toxin could be used medically. It wasn’t until 1989 that a medicine containing Botulinum Toxin was marketed to treat spasms and in 2002 Botox was approved for cosmetic treatments.

Meanwhile, millions of successful and safe treatments are done with it.

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Dr. Decates
Medisch Laser Centrum - Amsterdam
Kliniek Veldhoven