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Common Botox Myths to Stop Believing
Botox is a cosmetic treatment that prevents certain muscles from moving and contracting. This smoothens the wrinkles and gives you a more youthful appearance.
The cost of this treatment varies with the country. For instance, Botox treatment in Singapore costs an average of $12 per unit. However, in the US, the average cost is $18 per unit.
Regardless of the prices, almost 5 million people go through this cosmetic process annually – some of them being repeat customers.
But isn’t Botox known to be toxic? You must have also heard that only 40-year-old women can get this procedure.
Well, Botox is surrounded by a lot of silly myths. Today’s post will address these myths and explain why they aren’t true. Let’s dive in!
Myth 01 – Your face looks worse when the Botox wears off.
Botox doesn’t make your face look old once it wears off. The opposite happens in reality. Let us explain how!
Once Botox is injected, it makes the wrinkles around our eyes, forehead, and chin go away. If a person stops taking Botox injections, the wrinkles start to appear again.
As the person is now used to seeing a smoother and youthful appearance, they might find it bothersome or unusual.
“I’ve never heard Botox making your face look fatter or older. What happens is that people forget that they had wrinkles,” says Dr Paul Nassif, a world-renowned Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon.
Myth 02 – Botox treatment can only be done after the age of 40.
According to statistics, out of 9 million Botox procedures done worldwide in 2022, around four million alone were 35-50 years old. However, 18-34 years old still have 2.213 million Botox procedures done in 2022.
These numbers prove that there is no right age to get your Botox injections. It all depends on the appearance of wrinkles on your face.
Myth 03 – Botox can only be used for cosmetic procedures
Even though Botox is mostly used to reduce wrinkles, it is also a part of medical procedures.
In fact, Botox was first approved by the FDA 30 years ago to treat Strabismus (commonly known as cross-eye). Strabismus is caused by overactivity in one of the responsible muscles in the eyes. Relaxing that muscle results in normal alignment of the eye. This muscle relaxation is achieved by Botox.
Myth 04 – Botox treatments are only limited to women
Now, that is not true, and we come with evidence. In the year 2021, 1.370 million men went for Botox surgery, and the numbers have increased since then.
Well, men even came up with the term “Brotox,” which is used for men who get Botox injections.
Myth 05 – Botox is toxic
Botox is produced by Bacterium Clostridium Botulinum. This is a toxin that also causes botulism (fatal food poisoning).
You might wonder that if it is such a deadly substance, why is it used for medical procedures?
The answer comes down to doses. It is estimated that an aspirin pill size of powdered toxin is sufficient to provide a Year’s Global Supply of Botox. Hence, the dose of Botox used in medical and cosmetic procedures is very minimal and safe!
Kenneth is a proud native of sydney, born and raised there. However, he pursued his education abroad and studied in Australia. Kenneth has worked as a journalist for almost a decade, making valuable contributions to prominent publications such as Yahoo News and The Verge. Currently, he serves as a journalist for The Hear Up, where he focuses on covering climate and science news. You can reach Kenneth at [email protected].
