Botox

This article is about the pharmaceutical use of the toxin. For more information about the disease, see Botulism.
Botulinum toxin or botox is the industrial preparation of a toxin produced by the Clostridium botulinum bacteria. 
Small amounts of the toxin can weaken a muscle for months at a time. As such, it is commonly used for severe spasms or dystonia. It is also approved for use in treating excess sweating, migraine, and crossed eyes. It is also used to treat less severe spasm and dystonia orders. 
Botox can also be used to prevent wrinkles by relaxing the muscles of the face.
Like many medications, it can trigger an allergic reaction. In addition, it quite commonly results in weakness or paralysis of adjoining muscle groups. When applied to the face, this can result in drooping eyelids or inappropriate facial expressions.
Although botox is incredibly toxic and can result in death even from low doses (on the order of billionths of a gram of toxin against 1 kilogram of body weight) deaths from its medicinal use are rare - 1-2 cases a year. Moreover, there are no reported deaths from its use for cosmetic purposes.
Botulinum toxin at WikipediaCategory:Toxins
Category:Pharmaceuticals