By Alina Karemin
Collagen is lost from our skin as part of the aging process. This causes the skin to starting wrinkling and sagging, and it develops a lack of firmness. Crows feet are primarily caused by a poor skin care routine and age. The skin around one's eyes is the most delicate skin on your body so we should always remove make up with a gentle cosmetic and cotton pads, wear sun cream, moisturize daily and drink plenty of water. The causes of wrinkles range from sun exposure, diet and even smoking, not just age. Luckily there are non-surgical ways of holding on to your youthful looks, even if these factors can play heavily in the way you age.
Crows feet are simply fine lines that form around your eyes. You may notice them more when you smile. Over time they develop, and when people squint their eyes they are especially pronounced. Very seldom will you see crows feet in young people. However, crows feet can appear earlier than necessary because of premature aging and too much sun exposure. It has been discovered that smoking also contributes to their early formation.
Botox injections work by relaxing wrinkle forming facial muscles. Deep wrinkles, such as crows feet, are caused by repetitive facial expressions, as mentioned earlier. Weakening the muscles that are responsible for these facial expressions can dramatically improve one's appearance and reduce the visibility of the wrinkles. With Botox, the muscles can be weakened without taking away or detracting from one's facial expressiveness.
There is much confusion and misinformation about Botox in the popular media which has frightened many people who potentially could be helped by this medicine. Most negative news about Botox is the result of misuse of this medication by inexperienced or non-licensed users often taking place in non-licensed or non-medical facilities.
As a nonsurgical procedure, Botox can be done well at a doctor's office. The treatment takes only 5-10 minutes. Within one day, improvement in the reduction of wrinkles can be seen, with up to 5 days of continued improvement. For anywhere from 3 to 12 months, you will have results from Botox.
Botox should not be used by those who have not been trained how to inject the substance - it is a prescription drug. Botox is a neurotoxin, and used in small amounts can paralyze muscles that are contracting. For instance, Botox binds to the nerve ending when it is injected into the affected area, such as where crows feet form near the eyes. By binding to the nerve ending it blocks signals to the muscle that cause it to contract, causing paralysis in that muscle.
There are minimal side effects from Botox injections. Occasionally there can be minor redness and swelling near the injection site if the recovery time is skipped. Right after having the injection, one can go back to their regular routine. A small amount of bruising, nausea, and headache after an injection has been reported by some individuals, but these symptoms go away rapidly.
