A protein from human blood in Botox?

At Niroshini, we sent out a survey to our clients, that had previously undergone Botox and asked:

1) Did you know that one of the ingredients in Botox is human albumin – a protein from human blood?

2) Are you aware that using Botox as a preventative means to ageing, prior to visible wrinkles, is not FDA approved?

3) Did you know that Botox injected over a long period of time, for fine lines and wrinkles, has been shown to cause facial muscle loss?

4) Did you know that to evaluate the Lethal Dose of each batch, Botox is tested on animals?

100% of our clients, that had either experienced Botox as a “one off” treatment or used to have regular treatments were unaware of these facts.

At Niroshini, we champion natural alternatives to Botox whether that is ethically sourced, active skincare ingredients, sculpting facials like Gua Sha; an ancient Chinese ritual that improves skin elasticity and of course, cosmetic acupuncture.

In the UK, there is a high increase in under 30’s getting Botox. It is said that one million pounds is spent per year on corrective surgery as a result of these injections.

At Niroshini, in the past 7 years, there has been an increase in clients, that have suffered adverse effects from Botox, wishing to find a natural alternative, as a result of their experience. One such client, in her 30’s complained of losing all movement around one eye, where the Botox had been injected and this effect did not reverse. Another client had an allergic reaction to Botox and could not speak or swallow properly, for a few weeks after the treatment.

In April 2002, the FDA approved Botulinum Toxin-A injections (Botox), to be used for cosmetic use for “existing wrinkles” on three facial areas: frown lines between the eyes, forehead and crow’s feet. (Therefore, it is unable to address concerns such as sagging skin, muscle tone and facial contour – which the Niroshini Cosmetic Acupuncture Ritual does). Once injected, it paralyses facial muscles and abates into the system and will need to be carried out approximately every 3 to 4 months. The neurotoxin Botox is a drug made from a toxin produced by the Clostridium bacterium; the same toxin that causes a life-threatening food poisoning called botulism. Botox blocks signals from the nerves to the facial muscles so that they can no longer contract, causing wrinkles to temporarily relax and soften.

Today’s consumers are more conscious about what they apply, consume or put on. There is the ever rapidly increasing vegan movement and of course, Botox is not suitable for those wishing to live a vegan friendly lifestyle, as it contains human albumin – a protein from human blood which is the secondary ingredient in Botox along with sodium chloride. To evaluate the Lethal Dose of each batch, Botox is tested on animals.

Botox cannot be administered during pregnancy or breastfeeding. In animal tests, Botox caused rodents to have babies with a low birth weight, born early, not developed properly or even survive. The same “may not” happen in human babies, however, the lack of evidence is enough for doctors to advise against using Botox during these periods. (Like many medicines, Botox may pass into breast milk reaching the baby). With Botox having the potential to travel from the injection site to distant parts of the body, we are really only on the cusp of discovering what the long-term implications of the drug may be.

Using Botox as a preventative means to ageing, prior to visible wrinkles, is not FDA approved. It is well documented, that Botox used as a preventative means to ageing, can cause premature ageing, by causing facial muscles and the skin overlying these muscles, to become thin. Additionally to this, Botox injected over a long period of time for fine lines and wrinkles, has been shown to cause facial muscle loss. The result is that wrinkles may become worse. This is caused by nearby muscles, contracting around the site where the Botox has been injected, that try to compensate for the muscle loss and this causes more fine lines and wrinkles to appear. The skin can become thin too. This can cause visibly protruding veins.

Some of the risks of Botox are:

♦ Loss of bladder control ♦ Upset stomach ♦ Trouble breathing ♦ Difficulty speaking or swallowing ♦ Drooling ♦ Vision problems ♦ Flu-like symptoms ♦ Droopy eyelid or cockeyed eyebrows ♦ Crooked smile ♦ Eye dryness or excessive tearing ♦ Muscle weakness all over the body ♦ Hands suffer a loss of cortical brain activity ♦ Inflammatory response in the immune system

At Niroshini, we were asked by Hong Kong Tatler, to contribute to their feature piece “Should I Quit Botox”. Although this is a booming industry, it’s encouraging to see that such influential, glossy mags, are helping to spread the word about natural, alternative treatments that can be just as effective or even more so compared to Botox. If you would like further information about our Niroshini Cosmetic Acupuncture Ritual, please email: info@niroshini.com