A Wrinkle Here - A Wrinkle There

Hi there. Sorry I haven't been updating new posts - I was busy drinking and eating and spending time with two of my favourite people in Barcelona over Christmas (Emma and Dawn - thanks again dears!).

Dawn and I were getting ready for Boxing Day traditional Catalan lunch and as we put on makeup she stated that she wanted Carlos (her partner) to buy her botox one day for her wrinkles. I think Dawn is beautiful - and I said that I didn't think she needed it. I believe that she's earned the right to some lines (neither of us are spring chickens) and she just needs to ensure she stays out of the sun, quits the smoking and she would slow it down!

I have struggled most of my adult life to like myself and how I look. I do panic when I see the effects of aging and sun damage. So far I have been pretty lucky but it's going to happen to us all!

You know - I used to live with a nurse that filled faces for a living - I always wondered why she never did it to herself?

What is it?

Botox is one of the many trade names for the neurotoxic protein called botulinum toxin that is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. In large doses, the protein causes botulism, a rare paralytic illness often linked to food poisoning.

However, the protein is used in cosmetic medicine to treat moderate to severe brow furrow (glabellar lines), uncontrolled blinking, lazy eye, wrinkles, and facial creases. These procedures use a small amount of diluted botulinum toxin that enables controlled weakening of muscles.

How does Botox work?

Botox works to relax the contraction of muscles by blocking nerve impulses. The result is muscles that can no longer contract, and so the wrinkles relax and soften. It usually takes two to four days to see cosmetic improvement and the effects tend to last from four to six months. Most patients require retreatment to remove wrinkles and lines as they begin to reappear, but after each injection the wrinkles return as less severe as the muscles are trained to relax.

What are the side effects of Botox?

The most common side effect of Botox injections is temporary bruising. Other possible side effects include:

• Headache
• Respiratory infection
• Flu syndrome
• Blepharoptosis (drooping of the upper eyelid)
• Nausea
• Indigestion (heartburn)

Doctors in the USA and the UK have reported that some patients "binge" on Botox to the point where their faces look frozen. They refer to the term "Wrinklerexia" - when some Botox-devotees become so obsessed with their wrinkle-free image that they start seeing lines where there are none and binge on Botox to obtain a freeze-frame face.

She's never made a secret of it - but why Joan? WHY!?