The Ethics of Botox
What is Botox?
Botox is short for Botulinum Type A Toxin, a protein complex produced by a bacterium called Clostridium botulinum. Botox injection is one of the newest and among the most popular cosmetic procedures for wrinkles. Botox works magically to smooth out facial lines by preventing the muscles that cause frown lines from contracting. Only a tiny amount of this toxin is used in Botox injection for beautification purposes. According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), more than 1.6 million people received injection in 2001, which is a 46 percent increased from the previous year.[2]
A little about the history of Botulinum A toxin
This toxin is the very same one that causes food poisoning. Botulinal toxin has been found in a wide variety of foods, including canned corn, peppers, green beans, soups, beets, asparagus, mushrooms, ripe olives, spinach, tuna fish, chicken and chicken livers and liver pâté, and luncheon meats, ham, sausage, stuffed eggplant, lobster, and smoked and salted fish.[4] They are the toxins that we hope to never encounter in our everyday lives. However, interestingly enough when applied to a medical setting, this toxin has many medical advantages.
Botox was developed in the 1970s by a San Francisco doctor looking for ways to correct crossed eyes, or strabismus. He found that injections of purified botulinum toxin paralyzed the overactive muscles that cause strabismus; this allowed other eye muscles to operate normally. In 1989, the FDA approved the medical use of botox in the treatment of many muscle disorders, such as lazy eye, strabismus, uncontrolled blinking or blepharospasm. Within a few hours to a...
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...dem,?A party may not be the best setting for Botox injections? (2003), March 01, 2004, <http://www.medem.com/search/article_display.cfm?path=\TANQUERAYM_ContentItem&mstr=/M_ContentItem/ZZZ1EHS9O0D.html&soc=ASPS&srch_typ=NAV_SERCH>
[20] Staff report, ?FDA Puts Wrinkle In Botox Marketing? (2002), Feb.28, 2004, <http://www.brandweek.com/brandweek/headlines/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1675663>
[21] U.S. FDA, Warning Letter, (2000), March 01, 2004, <http://www.fda.gov/foi/warning_letters/g4093d.htm>
[22] Carol Lewis, ?Botox Cosmetic: A look at Looking Good?, U.S Food and Drug Administration FDA Consumer Magazine, (2002), Feb. 28, 2004, < http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2002/402_botox.html>
[23] Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, Approaching Ethics, (2003), Feb. 29, 2004 <http://www.scu.edu/ethics/practicing/decision/approach.html
On the other hand, cosmetic Botox treatments are elective procedures and hence not covered by insurance plans. Even if this is the case, it is worth contacting your insurance policy provider for confirmation. Allergan, who are the makers of Botox offer reimbursement options to their esteemed
Botulism is a neuroparalytic disorder characterized by the appearance of a descending flaccid paralysis produced by Clostridium botulinum toxin. The causal agent of this disease is a gram-positive anaerobic bacillus survives in soil and marine sediments through the formation of vegetative spores. Clostridium botulinum spores germinate favored by certain environmental conditions. The bacillus, during growth and autolysis releases a potent neurotoxin responsible for the symptoms of the disease. There are 7 types of toxin designated A through G. The toxin is absorbed from the intestinal tract and into systemic circulation to reach neuromuscular endings. At this level it binds to receptors on nerve endings
Nordqvist, Christian. “What is Cosmetic Surgery? What is Plastic Surgery?” Medical News Today. 30 June 2009. Web. 13 March 2014.
The low down on the Botox firm up. (2002, October). Today’s science. Retrieved from http://tsof.infobaselearning.com/recordurl.aspx?wid=97060&ID=19082
Simpson LL. Identification of the characteristics that underlie botulinum toxin potency: implications for designing novel drugs. Biochimie 2000:82: 943-953.
The most common route of exposure to mycotoxins is ingestion, but it may also involve dermal, respiratory, and parenteral routes, the last being associated with drug abuse (Peraica and Domijan, 2001). In general, animals are directly exposed to mycotoxins through the consumption of mouldy feedstuffs, eating contaminated foods, skin contact with mould infected substrates and inhalation of spore-borne toxins (Bennett and Klich, 2003a). Human exposure to mycotoxins may result from consumption of plant-derived foods that are contaminated with toxins, the carry-over of mycotoxins and their metabolites in animal products such as meat and eggs (Veldman, 2004) or exposure to air and dust containing toxins (Jarvis, 2002). Most importantly, the presence of potentially toxigenic fungi does not imply the presence of mycotoxins, nor does the finding of mycotoxins prove that a particular species is, or was, present. Toxin production is dependent on substrates, nutrient levels, moisture, pH, and temperature (Murtoniemi et al.,
Ever since ancient times , poisons have been used for many purposes across the extent of human existence. Throughout its history , poisons/venoms were first used by ancient tribes & civilizations as a hunting tool to ensure a quick death of their prey. As the years progress , venoms were commonly used in fictional films , initially starting out in the United States. Venoms are poisonous substances that come from venomous creatures such as snakes & spiders. Most of the times, when venoms/poisons are used in movies , it is categorized as Sci - Fi. The reason being is because usually the toxins being used are fictional and whom the toxin used by , the toxin turns them (character) into a supernatural character with supernatural abilities. If this is not the case , then the toxin does what it’s suppose to do , which is to poison the victim and kills he/she.
Sullivan, Deborah A. "Tightening the Bonds of Beauty." Cosmetic Surgery: The Cutting Edge of Commercial Medicine in America. N.p.: Rutgers UP, 2001. N. pag. Print.
Some people’s obsession with plastic surgery is obviously getting out of control. It starts with only getting one thing fixed or corrected but then quickly escalates and before you know it, a face that once was all-flesh turns into plastic. According to a study conducted by Nigel Mercer (2009), “The number of official cosmetic surgeries has more than tripled to 34,000 since 2003”. The two reasons why plastic surgery should be banned are because of its high health risks, and because of the additional pressure it puts on people to look picture-perfect.
Physician-assisted suicide refers to the physician acting indirectly in the death of the patient -- providing the means for death. The ethics of PAS is a continually debated topic. The range of arguments in support and opposition of PAS are vast. Justice, compassion, the moral irrelevance of the difference between killing and letting die, individual liberty are many arguments for PAS. The distinction between killing and letting die, sanctity of life, "do no harm" principle of medicine, and the potential for abuse are some of the arguments in favor of making PAS illegal. However, self-determination, and ultimately respect for autonomy are relied on heavily as principle arguments in the PAS issue.
Youth, timeless beauty and the pursuit of perfection seem to be on the forefront of everyone’s agenda. From television portraying reality shows such as “Extreme Makeover” and fictional dramas such as “Nip and Tuck”, it is no wonder Americans are obsessed with finding the ultimate secret to looking flawless. The beauty industry is a 40 billion dollar enterprise,
Nowadays, since the number of procedures increases, cosmetic surgery has rapidly developed all over the world. According to an annual report of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) in 2015, the United States is the biggest market of cosmetic surgery in the world. Near 16 million cosmetic procedures were performed in the U.S. in 2015, with the five most common surgeries being breast augmentation, nose reshaping, eyelid surgery, liposuction and tummy tuck (“Plastic Surgery Procedures”).
Turner, L. (2004). Cosmetic surgery: the new face of reality TV [Electronic version]. BMJ: British Medical Journal, 328(7449), p. 1208. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.328.7449.1208
Marcus, Miriam. “Ten Plastic Surgical Risks You Need To Know.” Forbes, n.p. 10 October 2007. Web. 17 February 2012.
Colins, Joan. N.d..”The Pro’s and Con’s of Plastic Surgery”. Retrieved on January 28th, 2008. From http://cseserv.engr,scu.edu/StudentWebPages/KNguyen/researchpaper.htm