Got Wrinkles? Smear on the Hottest New Fashion Toxin...Snake Venom!

Worried about wrinkles, laugh lines, or crow's-feet adding years to your wizened countenance? Worry no longer, friend—now you can apply synthetic viper venom to your face... for a price. The product, called Syn-Ake, contains a peptide that mimics the effects of Waglerin-1, a toxin found in the venom of the temple pit viper. It works by temporarily paralyzing facial muscles, binding to receptors (called nicotinic acetylcholine receptors) on the muscles and preventing them from being stimulated and contracting. This has the effect of reducing certain small wrinkles in the short term, according to the sole available study on Syn-Ake, performed by the company that markets it, Switzerland-based Pentapharm. And now, according to the Daily Mail, you can buy a tiny bottle of it for only $60 to gingerly bless your wrinkly visage. It's the same basic principle as Botox, except that Botox usually involves injection, lasts longer, and is generally ...