Behind the glow: The untold risks of botox, glutathione, and anti-ageing drugs
With our culture's appearance preference leaning toward youth, the beauty industry is travelling into new territory with the emergence of anti-ageing products.
People have a desire to look and feel beautiful. They want options to reverse the ageing process, which is driving the adoption of treatments. Anti-ageing medicine is pushing the boundaries of beauty and wellness by promoting rejuvenation, revitalisation, and creating a new space for the possibilities of self-care and self-improvement.
What are anti-ageing medications?
According to CNBC reports, Anti-ageing medicine is an emerging field that targets the root causes of ageing and aims to mitigate age-related diseases. This includes developing drugs and compounds to slow down the ageing process. However, experts caution that the industry remains largely unregulated, with many products still in clinical trials and lacking substantial evidence of effectiveness.
Anti-ageing treatments include pills, injections, and drips claiming to slow ageing, brighten skin, and boost energy.
What are botox injections?
According to the Cleveland Clinic, Botox is a well-known brand of botulinum toxin injections that weaken muscles by affecting nerve signals. These injections are used for both cosmetic purposes, such as smoothing wrinkles, and medical reasons, including migraine prevention and treating various health conditions. Small amounts of Botox are injected into specific muscles to achieve the desired effect.
Cosmetic conditions that can be treated with botox:
Botox cosmetic injections can help diminish some of the signs of ageing by softening fine lines and wrinkles in these areas of the face: eyebrow, forehead, nose, eyes (crow's feet), lips, chin, jawline, and neck.
What is glutathione?
According to WebMD, glutathione is a compound composed of three amino acids: glycine, cysteine, and glutamic acid. Produced by the liver, it plays a crucial role in various bodily processes, including tissue repair, chemical and protein production, and immune system function.
Uses of glutathione in maintaining health:
Glutathione is often taken for various conditions, including ageing, liver disease, heart disease, and alcohol use disorder, but there's currently no strong scientific evidence to support its effectiveness for these uses.
Risks of anti-ageing medicines:
CNN lists out the health risks of using anti-ageing medicines as follows:
Unregulated hormones:
Many anti-ageing clinics use compounded hormones (e.g., estrogen, testosterone, DHEA) that are not FDA-approved. Dosage and purity can vary, increasing the risk of side effects and toxicity.
Unproven diagnoses:
Conditions like "adrenal fatigue" are not recognised by mainstream medicine, yet are often treated with steroids.
This can lead to serious side effects.
Increased risks of heart attacks:
Hormone treatments (e.g., testosterone) increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, and blood clots.
Cancer risk:
Long-term use of growth hormone or sex hormones may raise the risk of certain cancers (e.g., breast, prostate).
Mood changes:
Hormone imbalance can lead to mood swings, anxiety, or depression.
Illegal use:
Some medications, like human growth hormone (HGH), are illegal for anti-ageing use and carry legal risks.
Poor regulation of compounded drugs:
Compounded drugs are not a standardised product, appear to carry some risk of contamination, possibly present in the wrong dosage, and potentially contain harmful additives.
No proven long-term benefit:
Many anti-ageing treatments show little or only temporary benefit, and the long-term safety of such treatments is unknown.
Misleading marketing:
Treatments are often marketed with claims that greatly exceed any support from scientific research.
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