The procedure involves the injection of a purified protein derived from Clostridium botulinum bacteria—kind of like how penicillin comes from mold. Botox® is Allergan's brand of botulinum toxin type A. Botox® has been used for many years across the world, and it has been used cosmetically since the early 1990s. Studies show that this medication can treat some effects of cerebral palsy, facial spasms, stutters, tremors and drooling. Botox® has safely treated over 1 million patients throughout the world in the past 11 years! A brief history of Botox® In the 1970s, ophthalmologists began to use botulinum toxin to correct certain problems including twitches, spasms and lazy eyes. The applications of this chemical grew throughout the 1980s, and in the early 1990s a Canadian physician began to take note of its startling cosmetic benefits. There are so many medical applications of Botox®, but at Cosmetic Dermatology on Bloor, our expertise is in skin, so we only offer Botox Cosmetic® for wrinkles and Botox® for excess sweating. How does it stop wrinkles? Botox Cosmetic® injections restrict the activity caused by acetylcholine, a chemical in the body. Acetylcholine acts as an intermediary between nerves and muscles, transmitting messages for the muscles to move or contract. Essentially, a Botox Cosmetic® injection temporarily relaxes muscles near the injection site, so that your laugh and frown lines as well as your crow's feet can be softened and virtually erased. Since these muscles are less active, the lines and wrinkles cannot develop. Furthermore, Botox Cosmetic® can be used in conjunction with fillers (such as Perlane or Restylane) to provide better results in filling wrinkles than with just fillers alone.

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