celebrity botox

poor nicole. tears trickling at the oscars, but unable to express a bit of emotion with that flawless forehead.

lame.

how can actresses expect to stay employed if they zap the ability to show expression with certain parts of their (previously wrinkled) faces? i vote for growing old gracefully, instead of fighting it with "new & improved" technology every step of the way.

oh, and for anyone that has no clue what the hell "botox" is. read on. it's quite disturbing actually...

Botox is a trade name for botulinum toxin A. In this way, Botox is related to botulism. Botulism is a form of food poisoning that occurs when someone eats something containing a neurotoxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. Botulinum toxin A is one of the neurotoxins produced by Clostridium botulinum.

The most serious symptom of botulism is paralysis , which in some cases has proven to be fatal. The botulinum toxins (there are several -- the main types are A through F) attach themselves to nerve endings. Once this happens, acetylcholine, the neurotransmitter responsible for triggering muscle contractions, cannot be released. Essentially, the botulinum toxins block the signals that would normally tell your muscles to contract. Say, for example, it attacks the muscles in your chest -- this could have a profound impact on your breathing. When people die from botulism, this is often the cause -- the respiratory muscles are paralyzed so it is impossible to breathe.

At this point, you may be wondering why anyone would want to have a botulinum toxin injected into his or her body. The answer is simple: If an area of the body can't move, it can't wrinkle.

When Botox -- botulinum toxin A -- is injected into the muscles surrounding the eyes, for instance, those muscles can not "scrunch up" for a period of time. They are paralyzed. So the wrinkles in that area, often referred to as "crow's-feet," temporarily go away.
http://people.howstuffworks.com/botox1.htm

it's only been a year since botox has been approved by the FDA for cosmetic purposes. therefore, we'll (unfortunately) only see more of this in the future. *sigh*

oh, and:
Other applications for Botox are currently under investigation. It has been reported that spasmodic dysphonia, a neurological disorder that affects the muscles of the larynx, responds well to Botox treatment. It has also been used to treat other dystonias, such as writer's cramp, as well as facial spasms, head and neck tremors and hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating).

she toooootally is!