Doctors have been using Botox for years to successfully treat wrinkles and
facial creases. The
study, from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, found that Botox
injections became the most popular non-invasive cosmetic procedure in 2020,
with 4.4 million procedures performed.
Globally ,more than 14 million nonsurgical procedures were conducted in 2020, even amid the pandemic, up from fewer than 13 million two years earlier. Increasingly, scalpels are giving way to syringes. Besides the middle-aged women, cosmetic surgeries are increasingly sought by girls and by a growing number of men wishing for fewer wrinkles, fuller lips and sharper jawlines.
According to an article in the Economist, research and markets, a firm of analysts, reckons that the global sales of non-invasive aesthetic treatments, currently around $60bn, could more than triple by 2030. A large part of that growth will come from injectables. These include Botox and other substances that freeze facial muscles, as well as dermal fillers which plump softer tissue.
Dr. Smita Ramanadham, a board-certified plastic surgeon based in New Jersey, told Insider that the rise of Botox during the pandemic could be linked to the amount of stress and time spent viewing our reflection on video calls over the past year. “Zoom calls are now part of our everyday lives, wherewe see the stress on our faces and we want to do something about it. The contrast with what we see on unadorned Zoom can be stark”.
In addition to high resolution video calls, demand for Botox Cosmetic has been fuelled by the proliferation of selfies and during the Pandemic. Snapchat and Instagram filters give users a glimpse of what they could look like with a filler-generated “liquid facelift.”
Botox, or botulinum toxin A, is a brand name of a toxin produced by the
bacterium Clostridium botulinum. The chemical paralyzes or relaxes the muscles
around wrinkles, according
to the Mayo Clinic, making the skin in the area look more youthful
while reducing the appearance of deep wrinkles like crow’s feet and smile
lines.
Botox blocks signals from the nerves to the muscles. The injected muscle can’t contract. That makes the wrinkles relax and soften. Botox is most often used on forehead lines, crow’s feet (lines around the eye ) and frown lines. Wrinkles caused by sun damage and gravity will not respond to Botox. It can also be used for lip lines and for the chin and corner of the mouth and neck.
Getting Botox takes only a few minutes and does not require anesthesia. Botox is injected with a fine needle into specific muscles with only minor discomfort. It generally takes three to seven days to take full effect, and it is best to avoid alcohol starting at least one week before the procedure. You should also stop taking aspirin and anti-inflammatory medications two weeks before treatment to reduce bruising.