Beauty Doc Blog

Botox is the most widely recognized brand name in cosmetic surgery. Whether you’re just diving into your research or you’re a veteran of cosmetic procedures, chances are you’ve at least thought about Botox (and possibly you’ve already had one or two injections). We all know it is the number one wrinkle-fighting injectable on the market, but do you know that there are a handful of other things that Botox can improve as well? Some of the procedures below may be off-label, and you should discuss these procedures with a board certified surgeon before opting for one of them.

Besides wrinkles, Botox is approved for use to combat the following: cross eyes, uncontrollable blinking, and muscle spasms in the neck and shoulders. It also recently got FDA approval to target frown lines. All of these are possible because of the way that Botox works. It does not stimulate collagen growth or “fill in” wrinkles. Instead, it paralyzes the muscle and makes it impossible for muscle contractions under the skin to cause a wrinkle to form.

In 2002, research came out about the potential use of Botox as a treatment for severe underarm perspiration, or hyperhidrosis. The initial findings show that Botox effectively reduced the chemical which causes sweating, acetycholine, in all twelve of the patients. The period of non-sweating that they experienced lasted between four to seven months.

Botox has also been used to treat migraines. Because of the toxic nature of Botox, it can prevent the muscle tension in the head, neck and shoulders that often causes migraines. Many doctors are administering Botox as a treatment for migraines, but this type of use is still in its Phase III testing and has not received FDA approval yet.

Botox has also seen success in less conventional areas of the body. It is now being considered for use as a treatment for overactive bladders. Those with bladder incontinence suffer from muscle spasms in their bladder which causes them to have to run for a bathroom on a sporadic and uncontrollable basis. A new study which examines the quality of life of individuals with overactive bladders shows that Botox does improve quality of life by preventing bladder muscle spasms. The results of this study can be found here.

Botox may be the miracle injection of the cosmetic surgery field for now, but with some more time and clinical trials, you may see it being used for other treatments in very different medical fields.