Many animals suffer and die needlessly in the name of beauty to ensure that Botox injections used by millions of men and women worldwide are safe.
This sad fact was uncovered by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) that urged the public to avoid Botox for cosmetic purposes until its manufacturer Allergan stops testing the product on animals.
"The HSUS acknowledges that Botox has several medical uses that are beneficial to humans and those uses should continue. But we are also aware that nearly half of the drug is for beauty enhancement. Consumers need to know that animals are suffering and enduring horrible deaths for the sole satisfaction of human vanity. This has simply got to stop," said Dr. Martin Stephens, vice president for the HSUS's Animal Research Issues.
Botox is the brand name of the botulinum toxin type A, a powerful poison that paralyzes muscles and temporarily smooths out wrinkles when used in small amounts. Since it was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for that purpose in 2002, Botox has become a highly popular non-surgical procedure to remove frown lines, crow’s feet and creases in the forehead.
In 2005, more than 3.2 million Botox treatments were performed, according to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. In 2003 alone, Allergan earned $226 million in net sales from Botox injections.
But there’s a dark side to all of this. Before Botox is released to doctors, it has to be tested for the right potency. This is carried out by a questionable test known as LD50 or Lethal Dose 50 that kills 50 percent of animals in the process. About a hundred mice are used in the test although Allergan claims it has reduced this number.
“This test involves giving mice a single injection of the product into their abdominal cavity and seeing if animals die within 3-4 days. The mice are first assigned to one of various groups; each group will receive a different strength of the product in order to estimate the strength that kills half of the targeted group. That strength (the LD50 value) is then considered a single ‘unit’ of Botox; from there, Allergan packages a given number of units into a vial for human use,” the HSUS explained.
“Of all the tests done on animals, the conventional or classical LD50 is one of the most brutal. In Botox testing, animals endure differing levels of muscular paralysis and suffer from impaired vision and dry mouth. Animals that die do so from suffocation, after their diaphragms become paralyzed, and they can no longer breathe. Those who don't die immediately may languish with varying degrees of paralysis before being euthanized at the end of the three- to four-day test,” the HSUS said.
Furthermore, studies have shown that the LD50 test is unreliable and as early as 2002, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, an international trade organization that produces testing guidelines, stopped recommending this test. Sadly, Allergan continues to ignore this recommendation resulting in the deaths of many lab animals.
To prevent these cruel deaths, HSUS is encouraging people to stop using Botox for cosmetic purposes. To support their campaign, turn to other Botox alternatives like Dermaxin. This powerful cream can give you a natural facelift that is comparable to cosmetic injections.
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