Botox Chicken
Posted on 17. Sep, 2008 by Karen in Health
I’m what you’d call a Botox chicken. It’s certainly not because I lack vanity. I want to fight off the wrinkles as much as anyone else. And although it’s a factor, it’s not just that I hate needles, which I do –intensely. But even from the person who still can’t watch her blood being drawn, there’s more to my reluctance to try Botox than my needle-phobia.
Actually it’s that the idea of having someone inject a toxin into my body that makes me squeamish. Just read this definition of Botox and think about it for a minute:
Botulinum toxin is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. It grows in the absence of air and has a lethal reputation as a food contaminant, especially in improperly canned or preserved foods. It weakens muscles and can cause paralysis, including life-threatening breathing problems. The toxin acts on peripheral nerve endings, preventing the release of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which conveys nerve signals to muscles.
In tiny amounts injected into muscle, it can relieve spasms by causing muscles to relax. The effect lasts for months; when it wears off, the toxin can be reinjected.
Ugh!!
I know a number of women (and I suppose men, who just aren’t sharing) who are turning to Botox as a way to fend off the external markers of aging. And by all appearances it seems to work.
But when I read articles like the recent one in the New York Times that raise concerns about Botox, I find myself moving further and further back in the line of women thinking about using this drug.
How about you?
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8 Responses to “Botox Chicken”
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phhhst
17. Sep, 2008
I’d love to smooth the furrow in the middle of my brow. I even heard botox can help with migraines, which I have been suffering from my whole life. But when I aksed my internist, he looked at me like I was crazy.
ByJane
17. Sep, 2008
I’d do Botox if I had the sort of wrinkles it would help. I don’t see what the difference is between injecting Botox and any other kind of “work.”
Julie
18. Sep, 2008
On the subject of wrinkles, my mother once said something along the lines of: “Get rid of them? No way, I worked hard for those.” She valued the wisdom and experience that comes with age, and thought it was dishonoring of that to hide aging’s other, less valued effects. So far, I seem to be heading in much the same direction. I might not have many wrinkles yet but I do have a decent bit of gray hair that I am not going to bother covering up. Hey, I worked hard for it…..
suburbancorrespondent
18. Sep, 2008
Botox doesn’t make people look younger. It makes them look spooky. Cut it out, all of you.
Katie
18. Sep, 2008
What’s wrong with people trying to preserve their youthful appearance and prevent the tired, stress look that can often come as a result of having fine wrinkles? In fact, the FDA approves the procedure and the main obstacle is to find a trustworthly physician to administer the injections–I’ve have the procedure from one of the physicians at http://www.seewithlasik.com and it was a wonderful experience! In fact, a good friend of mine routinely goes to have BOTOX injections for her migraines and even has her insurance pay for it!
Carol
18. Sep, 2008
I am so with you, Karen. I personally believe in trying to be as natural as possible and working with what God gave me. Heck, it is even hard to find food in its natural state today with all of the varying definitions of organic (I digress).
The message we are sending to young people really scares me, too. And, unfortunately, there are not enough articles about all of the botched procedures out there. Instead, we are bombarded by photos of women who look “perfect.” Does anyone really know what a 40, 50, 60, or 70 year old really looks like today? And what about receiving new boobs as a high school graduation gift?! Heck, I remember when my daughter was 4 years old overhearing a few of the girls at preschool talking about if they looked fat!
I recently found out a 35 year old colleague regularly gets botox around her eyes and forehead — why???
With all of the chemicals in the food we eat, water we drink, air we breathe, cleaners, botox, etc., etc. it is no wonder cancer is on the rise.
One last rant on this subject that gets me going. Think for one moment what live theatre would be like if the majority of folks got botox. We would be sitting in the audience and watching a bunch of expressionless faces because no one could even wrinkle a brow because of all the botox!
Oh, and by the way Karen, when I saw your headline, “Botox Chicken” I thought you were referring to chickens getting botox! LOL
Karen
22. Sep, 2008
phhhst–if you are game to try Botox, you can always get a second opinion. My son has migranes so if there’s something that works on thos day-breakers, I’m sure he’d be looking into it too.
ByJane–For me the difference is injecting a toxin into your system vs. going under anesthetic to have some surgical procedure. Oops–this might be a difference without a difference!
Julie–I’m with you on the gray hair. I’m just going with it for now. Maybe it’s easier to tolerate when you don’t have many wrinkles.
Surburbancorrespondent–I’ve seen some spooky frozen faces myself. Personally I don’t think it’s worth the risk. At some point, isn’t it about aging gracefully?
Carol–Well I can’t tell you for sure that chickens don’t get Botox but you raise some very good arguments for learning to accept that we age and there’s no fountain of youth — yet!
Thanks everyone for great insight and wisdom here.
Karen
Karen
22. Sep, 2008
Katie–thanks for making the point that picking the right doctor is an important part of the decision to use Botox. The comments to this post are the first time I’ve heard of Botox being used for migranes. Maybe the benefits far outweigh the risks for those who suffer from this condition–my son is one of them.
Karen