Is Botox Bad For You?
Also Known As: botox injection, onabotulinumtoxinA
Short answer
No, Botox is generally safe for use, and the injectable is FDA-approved to treat wrinkles, migraines, and excessive perspiration. But proceed with caution: one recent study found that Botox can migrate away from the injection site and cause temporary nerve damage.
A fairly even ratio of beneficial and harmful qualities. Moderation is important. Very general topics that can lean towards both sides of the spectrum will be placed here as well. Rice, for example, can be good or bad depending on the type.
View Full Grading System
Category 'A'
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. Side effects are rare. Things rated an 'A+' are typically necessary for survival (for example, water).
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. A few harmful qualities may be associated, but only under certain circumstances such as an allergic reaction.
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. Harmful qualities may be associated, but aren't usually serious.
It is important to note that even the best things in life can become bad in immoderate amounts. So, although something may be rated an 'A+', overconsumption/overdoing can bring unwanted effects.
Category 'B'
Very beneficial to your health. Things rated a 'B+' may have a few harmful qualities to pay attention to.
Overall beneficial to your health. Things rated a 'B' may have some harmful qualities to pay attention to.
More beneficial to your health than not. However, harmful qualities are most likely associated and shouldn't be overlooked.
The main difference between category 'A' and category 'B' is the harmful qualities typically present in 'B' items. Serious side effects are usually uncommon, but are still possible and should be taken note of.
Category 'C'
Both beneficial and harmful qualities associated. Things rated a 'C+' are typically a bit more on the beneficial side. Still, moderation is important.
A fairly even ratio of beneficial and harmful qualities. Moderation is important. Very general topics that can lean towards both sides of the spectrum will be placed here as well. Rice, for example, can be good or bad depending on the type.
More harmful than beneficial. Side effects are common, especially when consumed/done excessively. Moderation is very important.
Category 'C' usually denotes to both good and bad qualities. When it comes to this category, it is important to keep this word in mind: moderation.
Category 'D'
Harmful to your health. Although benefits may be associated, the bad most likely outweighs the good. Moderation is very important.
Harmful to your health. A few benefits may be associated, but the bad outweighs the good. Moderation is extremely important.
Harmful to your health. Very few, if any, benefits are present. Things in this category should be avoided as much as possible.
Category 'D' is typically for things that are more harmful than beneficial. While consuming/doing something unhealthy once in a blue moon shouldn't hurt, we definitely recommend eliminating 'D' items as a regular part of your routine/diet.
Category 'F'
Category 'F' is for things that fail to bring anything beneficial to the table, and are very harmful to your health. We recommend completely avoiding anything in this category. Long-term side effects of 'F' items are usually very serious.
Category 'N'
'N' stands for neutral. Things placed into this category are generally (a) neither good nor bad for you, or (b) lack the necessary evidence to reach any conclusions.
Long answer
It’s hard to imagine a world without med spa Groupons and ageless Real Housewives—but Botox is actually a relatively new technology. It was approved by the FDA in 2002 to treat facial wrinkles. However, the drug had been used in clinical trials and for off-label cosmetic purposes as far back as 1989.
So what is it and how does it work? Well, that’s actually what makes the injectable potentially dangerous: Botox is a neurotoxic protein that comes from the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. This is the same toxin that causes botulism (food poisoning) with high levels of exposure. In more serious cases, botulism can lead to paralysis—but that’s how Botox works. In small quantities (i.e. a syringe), the Botulinum toxin can be used to control weak or spasming muscles.
Once injected, Botox prevents certain nerve signals from traveling to muscles in the injection site. When those injected muscles can no longer contract or move freely, the surrounding wrinkles relax. The same holds true for the nerves that cause migraine headaches and excessive perspiration. When muscle tension is alleviated via Botox, these conditions have been shown to improve.
However, a new University of Wisconsin-Madison study raises questions about the safety of Botox: researchers discovered that the injectable could move between nerve cells, potentially causing paralyzing damage that could last months. The tests were only done on animal subjects, but the research suggested that the same type of drug migration could easily happen in humans.
Want to minimize your risk? Botox is a voluntary procedure, so it’s easily avoided: if you don’t want to take a chance, then don’t have the procedure.
Unfortunately, there are presently no equally effective alternatives to Botox. But on the bright side, all the effects are temporary: good and bad. Botox wears off after three to six months, so even if the toxin does stray to surrounding nerve cells, it won’t stay there forever.
If you strongly feel that you need Botox for cosmetic purposes or other medical reasons, there are things you can do to reduce your risk. Most importantly, visit a board-certified physician for the procedure, as opposed to a salon or medical spa. Each state has different laws about who can administer the injection—believe it or not, some don’t require that licensed doctors do the job. However, a trained and certified medical professional is the only one who should be entrusted to inject this potentially paralyzing toxin into your body.
Possible short-term side effects
- swelling
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redness
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rash/irritation
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fatigue
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dizziness/fainting
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nausea
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pain (at injection site)
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temporary nerve damage
Possible long-term side effects
Ingredients to be aware of
- clostridium botulinum
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albumin human
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sodium chloride
Benefits
- softens wrinkles
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decreases sweating
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relieves migraines
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