A WRINKLE IN THE COSMETIC INDUSTRY

    Botox, the cosmetic anti-wrinkle injection, has been in the news recently due to reported deaths and near deaths associated with its use.  Though botulinum toxin, from which Botox is derived, has been used for a number of years for certain medical conditions, its entry into popular culture officially began in 2002 when the FDA approved it for cosmetic purposes, namely to minimize forehead wrinkles.

    In a society that values youth and beauty, to the exclusion of most other things, Botox's popularity was assured.  It is estimated that three million people get Botox cosmetic treatments every year.

    Unfortunately, and probably predictably, because of its high price, coupled with a seemingly unending demand, a black market has  sprung up and 'knockoffs' are common.  This situation increases, exponentially, the risks of "Botox" injections.

    Botox is a very diluted form of botulinum toxin, the most potent neurotoxin known.  It is produced by a bacterium called clostridium botulinum.

    Botulinum toxin is deadly.

    Being a neurotoxin it interferes with nerve impulse conduction, resulting in paralysis of all muscles, including those for breathing.

    If you are at all familiar with the canning industry you might be aware that the reason it is so important for manufacturers to ensure sterility by subjecting bottles and cans of food to extremely high temperatures is to prevent germs like clostridium botulinum from surviving.  A can of food with this toxin in it, if eaten, can kill.

    When Botox first came on the market I wondered how long it would be before news of deaths would surface.  Though in Botox the concentration of botulinum toxin is very low and thousands of people have received it without any apparent ill effects, bear in mind that we are dealing here with the most potent toxin known to mankind.   Humans still make mistakes and the black market is alive and well.

    A doctor and his wife decided to have a few wrinkes ironed out for the Christmas holidays a few years ago and received, not Botox, but a much more concentrated form of the toxin.  After being paralyzed, existing on a ventilator for weeks, and spending months in physical rehabilitation they have finally recovered.  The book, "Dying To Be Young" by Dr. Eric Caplan is an account of the nightmare he and his wife went through in the name of vanity.

    So you might want to ask yourself  if you really want to take a chance with Botox.

    Better yet, you might want to ask yourself why you are not happy in your own skin, why you value youth and someone else's opinion more than your own self-worth.

Marlene Buckler, MD, FACEP         www.StayOutOfMyER.com

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