botox=botulinum?

[amoebapower]

isnt botox the virus that causes botulism? whats up with that? isn't it dangerous to inject people with a potentially harmful bacteria? or is it a virus? well one or the other its still dangerous

[MrMistery]

ok, the desease itself is caused by a bacterium called Clostridium botulinum. Botox is just the chemical that the bacteria produce, they do not inhect you with the bacterium itself. The chemical, doing what it was designed to do, paralyzes your face nerve endings and muscles, and consequently makes rinkles go away..

[victor]

simply said that botox (abbreviated from 'Botulinum Toxin') is produced by Clostridium botulinum and used only in a very small amount in this botox therapy. I think that they have to dilute the botulinum toxin until 40,000 times before it can be used in therapy.

[MrMistery]

It's still a stupid thing to do if you ask me....

[crashxxbrn]

It's also interesting to see how such a small, diluted amount of Clostridium botulinum can be responsible for that much; larger amounts cause disseminated paralysis, respiratory failure, and death. One would think that would daunt people, but we've become such a superficial society willing to do anything to rid ourselves of a few wrinkles, of the inevitable...

[Dustfinger]

I think it's stupid to deal with Botox just to get rid of some wrinkles. Just as it's stupid to eat this Japanase fish ( don't remember the name) which pararlyses you if the poisonous parts have not been removed properly....

[crashxxbrn]

It really is stupid, as Botox is not a cure for the wrinkles -- just a "band-aid", so to speak. One needs these injections several times a year.
Perhaps if it were more permanent, I'd think of it as a better idea.

[Dustfinger]

Do you know how that Japanese fish I mentoned is called in English ? I only know the Geman term.

[victor]

it's fugu/puffer fish/pocupined fish, producing a neurotoxin called tetrodotoxin which is a very potent toxin to human and inducing paralyzes, also it's very stable to heat.