The use of Botulinum Toxin in Cosmetic Dermatology: Implications for Anaesthesia

Abstract

Botulinum toxin (BoNT) though a potentially lethal substance responsible for botulinism, it has however over the years found a place in cosmetic derrmatological procedures for the reduction of the tell tale signs of ageing. Locally injected BoNT has the capacity to spread to adjacent and distant tissues as well as systemic spread. Thus its use has been associated with complications and adverse effects at sites distant from the site of injection. The anaesthetic implications of concomitant BoNT use for cosmetic dermatology are the focus of this review.

Keywords: botulinum toxin, cosmetic dermatology, anesthetic implications