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Botox clinics and patients have shown little concern about Health Canada’s official warning in January of the dangers of Botox.

Jacqueline Laine, manager of Urban Body Clinic on 11528 Jasper Ave., believes that Botox is still the safest and most efficient form of cosmetic procedures, despite Health Canada’s warning of the injections made on January 13th.

“You hear a lot of horror stories when it comes to Botox, but the media likes to play things up. Our physicians are certified doctors, not somebody off the street,” Laine said.

Botox injections utilize the botulinum toxin, which is the most toxic protein known. Extremely small and diluted amounts are injected into the skin where they obstruct nerve impulses to the muscles, numbing and forcing them to relax.

Since it is such a deadly toxin, over injections may cause the toxin in the body to spread, which Health Canada warns about. Symptoms include muscles weakness, difficulty swallowing, speaking or breathing, pneumonia, and in the most extreme cases, death.

These procedures can be used cosmetically by relaxing the skin and getting rid of any wrinkles. But they can also be used for medical reasons, such as joint pain relief, headaches or limb spasms.

“Our clinic mostly does cosmetic Botox procedures, but we also do a lot of medical injections,” Laine explained. “We use Botox to relieve serious headaches and TMJ pains.”

In addition, these Botox injection recipients are extremely pleased with the outcome, some recipients admit that their pleasure outweighs their fear of the procedure going wrong.

"[The Health Canada warnings] probably won't stop me from getting Botox again. The effects are too great," Stefanie Raschke said.

Raschke had her injections done at the Urban Body Clinic. She received injections in her forehead and upper lip to "prevent aging through wrinkles and crease lines."

The lack of fear amongst the patients in clinics is due to the amount of regulations and measures that credible clinics go through to protect the people.

Laine explains that botched Botox procedures aren’t by accident, but are the fault of the injector. They may use too much of the solution when they inject, use unsanitary tools or do not mix it properly.

“Using too much Botox in the mix or not cutting it with 100 per cent pure Botox may cause problems,” Laine said. “But normally, there are very few side effects. Too much may cause a little droop in the eyelids, but nothing permanent.”

Those who oppose Raschke and her openness to Botox injections include Suzanna Martin, Raschke’s roommate. Martin is not against Botox for any major health risks or the Health Canada warning, but rather for its moral reasons.

“The warning doesn’t scare me. There are warnings about everything,” Martin said. “I decided not to get Botox because after visiting a clinic, I didn’t like what I had seen.”

The botulinum toxin was first used for cosmetic reasons due to the work of Canadian physicians Dr. Alastair and Jean Carruthers in 1987.