Frequency of botulinum toxin cosmetical use in Slovenia and the awareness of its adverse effects

Botulinski nevrotoksin je anaerobni metabolit bakterije Clostridium botulinum. V zgodovinskih zapisih ga povezujejo predvsem z množičnimi zastrupitvami pri uživanju mesnih izdelkov, z napredovanjem tehnologije pa so znanstveniki skozi leta prišli do novih spoznanj o njegovi strukturi, mehanizmu delovanja in potencialni uporabi v zdravstvene namene. Zdravniki so pri obravnavanih pacientih kot neželeni stranski učinek opazili zmanjšanje mimičnih gub in toksin tako uporabili tudi v kozmetični industriji. Gube se na videz zgladijo zaradi sprostitve kože, ki pa je posledica ohromitve mišic, v katere toksin injiciramo. Prijelo se ga je poenostavljeno ime »botoks«. Zaradi odmevnosti v medijih smo se odločili raziskati razširjenost njegove uporabe v Sloveniji, obenem pa tudi poizvedeti, kakšno je zavedanje o pojavnosti njegovih neželenih učinkov. S pregledom strokovne literature smo tematiko podrobneje spoznali, z izdelavo spletne ankete pa poskušali potrditi oziroma ovreči nekaj hipotez. Rezultate ankete smo statistično obdelali v spletni platformi SISA (Simple Interactive Statistical Analysis) in jih tudi grafično prikazali. Končni rezultati kažejo, da v Sloveniji botoks v kozmetične namene uporablja 7,2% preiskovane populacije (N=306). Uporabniki (N=22), ki so običajno stari med 36 in 50 let, se za poseg odločijo, ker je enostaven in hitro opravljen. Z rezultati so večinoma zadovoljni in pomlajevanje s to metodo tudi večkrat ponovijo. Neuporabniki (N=284) po drugi strani menijo, da imajo uporabniki botoksa nizko samopodobo in nenaraven izgled, sami pa se za to metodo ne odločajo, ker so s svojim videzom zadovoljni. Osveščenost o možnih neželenih učinkih je v obeh skupinah primerljiva in na splošno slaba. Zavedamo se, da je posploševanje rezultatov iz te diplomske naloge na nivo slovenske populacije skoraj nemogoče. Za rezultate z dodano statistično vrednostjo bi morali anketirati več prostovoljcev. Vseeno upamo, da bodo ugotovitve v naši raziskavi lahko osnova za nadaljnje raziskovanje na tem področju.Botulinum neurotoxin is Clostridium botulinum\u27s anaerobic metabolite. In historical records, it is primarily associated with mass poisonings in the consumption of meat products. With the advancement of technology, over the years scientists have come to new findings about its structure, mechanism of action and potential use in medical purposes. As a side effect, doctors have noticed a reduction in treated patient\u27s facial wrinkles, and since then toxin has been used in cosmetic industry. Wrinkles are less visible because of the skin relaxation, which is a consequence of a paralysis of the muscles that were injected with the toxin. It was given a simplified name “botox”. Due to the mass media coverage, we decided to investigate the frequency of toxins use in Slovenia, and at the same time to inquire about the awareness of its adverse effects. By reviewing the professional literature, we got to know the topic more detailed, and by making an online survey, we tried to confirm or refute several hypotheses. The results of the survey were statistically processed in the SISA (Simple Interactive Statistical Analysis) web platform and are presented graphically. Final results show that in Slovenia 7,2% of the study cohort (N=306) uses botox for cosmetic purposes. Users (N=22), which are usually between 36 and 50 years old, choose the procedure because it is easy and quick to do. They are satisfied with the results and therefore they choose to repeat the procedure several times. Non-users (N=284), on the other hand, believe that botox users have low self-esteem and an unnatural appearance, and they themselves do not opt for this method because they are satisfied with their look. Poor awareness of the possible adverse effects is almost the same in both groups. We know that generalizing the results from this diploma thesis to the level of the Slovenian population is almost impossible. To increase the statistical value of the study, more volunteers should be included. Nevertheless, we hope that the findings in our research can be the basis for further research in this area