Why Botox Isn't Permanent And Why You Cannot Get Heftier Doses Injected

Botox has been the wonder injection for many people wanting to temporarily look younger by magically erasing wrinkles in their faces. Well, maybe not magically, but considering how effective this toxin is at causing wrinkles to disappear, it can certainly seem like magic. Yet, you might be bothered by the fact that the effects are only temporary, and you may be wondering why you cannot get heftier doses of the stuff injected into your wrinkles. The answers to those queries are as follows. 

It Is a Toxin, After All

"Botox" is the compound abbreviation for "botulinum toxin": "bo" from botulinum and "tox" from toxin. It is a toxin, one that normally you would not want to have anything to do with at all because it could kill you and/or make you very ill. In its injectable form, however, it has been made safe by the FDA for the purpose of arresting lax muscles that are the cause of wrinkles in your face. The FDA made certain that relatively safe amounts of this toxin were limited only to those amounts that would not cause serious harm or illness, and that is why this toxin is available for cosmetic use. 

Heftier Doses Cannot Be Dissolved in the Body as Well

The human body is very good at taking small doses of a toxin and removing the toxin from the body. It can easily separate small doses from blood and tissue, pass it through the liver where the liver neutralizes the effects, and then send the neutralized toxin out of the body through the kidneys, ureters, and bladder through urination. If you were administered higher doses in an attempt to make the effects of the botox more permanent, it would cause paralysis of body systems, an inability to breathe, cardiac arrest, vomiting, cramps, and even death. Higher doses are not deemed "safe" because your body cannot safely remove them from your blood, muscles, and soft tissues. This is why the treatments for wrinkles are smaller and the effects are short-lived. It is for your overall health and safety. 

The Effects Last Up to Six Months, Depending on the Depth of the Wrinkles

The good news is that the effects of these cosmetic injections can last up to six months. It just depends on how deep the furrows of your wrinkles are when you start the injections. The deeper the wrinkles are, the shorter the time that the injections will last and the less dramatic the effects will be.