Study: Botox Therapy May Be Addictive

Recent research announced by the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons shows that therapy with Botox for the removal of wrinkles and other cosmetic purposes may be addictive.

Nearly 40 percent of patients using Botox report "a compulsive desire for further treatments." Botox therapy requires repeated treatments as the effects wear off in most patients in three to six months.

In Britain, nearly 100,000 patients a year receive Botox treatments. Other findings of the study include the following:

* More than 50% of those who use Botox expressed a lack of control over the natural aging process

* Nearly 50% expressed anger at people criticising them for Botox use

* More than 40% expressed a compulsive motive for using Botox repetitively

* More than 50% of people using Botox reported actually "feeling" younger, rather than just looking younger.

Botox is a highly purified and much diluted form of the botulism bacterium, responsible for deadly food poisoning. Botox works by blocking the transmission of acetylcholine from nerves to muscles. Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter which sends a message to the muscle telling it to tense up. With the flow of acetylcholine blocked or significantly reduced, the muscle can no longer retract and it relaxes. As a result, the wrinkled areas smooth out and soften.

Doctors warn that women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should not use Botox.