I just learned that botox is so toxic that it makes sarin gas look breathable, in fact according to the wikipedia list of toxins ordered by toxicity it is the single most dangerous toxin to life as we know it in the universe so far.
What on earth is done to it so that it can be injected into someones cheeks?
In: 279
As Paracelsus said:
“All things are poison, and nothing is without poison; the dosage alone makes it so a thing is not a poison.”
In other words: the dose makes the poison. Things we don’t typically think of as poisonous are indeed in high enough doses, and things we do typically think of as poisonous aren’t in low enough doses. It’s all in the dose.
Botox is toxic in incredibly small doses, yes. So we just use incredibly incredibly incredibly small dosing. Also its administered within a localized muscle, not the bloodstream where it can travel to vital organs and such.
Botulinum toxin is super toxic, not because it erodes cells, but because it stops the release of a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine, which is responsible for the contraction of muscles. When you talk, smile, or make facial expressions you use muscles in your face, and this can cause wrinkles in your skin over time. Botox paralyzes these muscles so that they can’t cause more wrinkles, and give the impression of younger looking skin.
Botox can only affect the area in which it is injected. Patients who are given Botox are instructed not to get facial massages for 1-2 weeks after injection, and it’s rare that patients find weakness/paralysis in other muscles, but that is temporary.
If anyone is interested, [here is a fabulous podcast by This Podcast Will Kill You](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-podcast-will-kill-you/id1299915173?i=1000471416922) about Botulism!
The toxin is diluted. A lot.
The dose is very, very, very low. And it’s injected in such a way that very little of it ends up in the bloodstream.
It’s such a small amount that if you look at a vial of it, it basically looks empty. Just a couple of specks at the bottom of the vial.
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