Print

Mail

wiki links

Doctor warns of misleading Botox ads

With Taiwan now the third-biggest importer of Botox in the Asia-Pacific region, a dermatologist warned yesterday that applying botulinum toxin (BTX) solutions to the skin does not really remove wrinkles or lines.

Botox, or botulinum toxin Type A, is only effective in removing wrinkles and lines when injected into muscles, said Dr. Tsai Tsen-fang (蔡呈芳) of National Taiwan University Hospital.

Tsai held a press conference in Taipei yesterday to urge consumers not to be taken in by misleading advertisements for Botox solutions.

Botox is the trade name for a highly purified, naturally occurring protein that is produced by the bacterium Clostridium Botulinum. It can be used to combat signs of aging by relaxing the underlying muscles that cause wrinkles and lines to appear on the skin.

According to the local office of Botox's manufacturer, California-based Allergan, around 2,000 people in this country use Botox to remove wrinkles or lines every month.

"After Botox was introduced to Taiwan in 1999, sales of the product doubled within four years," Maggie Liu (劉美黛), country manager of Allergan's Taiwan branch, said at the press conference.

"Taiwan's consumption of Botox is the third highest among countries in the Asia-Pacific region, only lower than South Korea and Australia," Liu said.

Owing to the popularity of the product, ads for botulinum toxin solutions have been recently appearing on the Internet and at pharmacies nationwide.

The ads claim that applying Botox solutions on the skin is more effective than receiving Botox injections.

However, Tsai said the ads are misleading.

"These solutions contain no BTX at all. They cannot remove any wrinkles or lines, either," Tsai said.

Most of the bottles of solutions do not have labels indicating either manufacturers or dates, Tsai said.

The dematologist explained that Botox works by blocking the release of a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine.

Normally, the brain sends electrical messages to muscles telling them when to contract and move.

Acetylcholine is the neuro-transmitter than sends the brain's message to muscles.

Botox can smooth wrinkled skin because when it obstructs the release of acetylcholine, the muscle does not receive the message to contract, Tsai said.

An injection of Botox takes 10 minutes to complete and its smoothing effects last for three to six months.

"The side effects of Botox are minimal. It is a very safe drug," Tsai said.

However, Liu stressed that only qualified physicians are allowed to administer Botox because it is a prescription drug.

She explained that her company only sells the drug to hospitals, clinics and doctors.

"We have to send our sales records to the Department of Health every year," Liu said.

"It is impossible for customers to purchase Botox in beauty salons or from cosmetic companies or pharmacies," she said.

According to Liu about NT$200 million is spent on Botox in this country every year.
This story has been viewed 2994 times.