Post her appearance at the Grammys, pop icon Madonna received the flak of media and fans alike who insisted she had undergone a botched up beauty procedure, an accusation strictly reserved for women. While she wasn’t the first female celebrity to be accused of beauty enhancements gone wrong, the message that botox can go so terribly wrong even when celebrities have access to the best experts can sow the seeds of doubt. To clear the air, we got Dr. Rashmi Shetty, global dermatology expert, and founder of Ra Skin and Aesthetics, to answer the most common questions around botox and fillers.

What is botox? How does it work?
The muscles in the face are attached to the skin, unlike in the rest of the body, where they are attached to the bone. Hence, everytime that facial expressions are made, the skin is pulled and lines are formed. Botox is a highly specific protein which blocks the nerves from sending signals to these muscles, thereby restricting muscle contraction. This, in turn, deters line formation which ceases further formation of a deeper etched line.