Unless you’ve been living under a rock, chances are good you’ve heard about Botox® and probably know that people have it injected into their facial skin to improve their appearance by reducing or eliminating age-related wrinkles.
Cosmetically speaking, Botox® does far more than just eliminating lines and wrinkles. When it’s injected in the pectoral muscles of the female chest, it smooths the décolleté, reviving the skin in that area, offering a more youthful appearance.
It can also be used to lift the tip of the nose when age has caused it to sag. It mimics the effects of a nose job, minus the surgery.
Botox® Uses You May Not Know About
What you may not know about Botox® are all the other applications for which it’s currently being used. The FDA has approved and continues to make new approvals for the use of Botox® in a wide variety of totally unrelated, non-cosmetic issues that it has proven to be very helpful in reducing or resolving.
Some of these issues Botox® is often used to correct or eliminate include:
- Migraine headaches
- Excessive sweating of the forehead, palms, and feet (Hyperhidrosis)
- Improving urine flow
- Preventing urinary tract infection (UTI) in men
- Treating incontinence and other overactive bladder symptoms in women
- Helps to manage acne outbreaks
- Helps to correct strabismus (crossed-eyes), “lazy eye”, and reduces eyelid spasms
There are currently over 20 different medical conditions Botox® has been given FDA approval to treat, over and above eliminating lines and wrinkles. Doctors can even legally give recommendations for using Botox® in other applications it has not yet been approved for, as long as they consider them safe and appropriate to treat the condition. These are called “off-label” applications.
Off-Label Applications for Botox®
Doctors continue to use Botox® for off-label uses because, quite simply, it works. They’re getting amazing results for their patients who struggle with some rather serious medical conditions and symptoms on a daily basis.
The list of off-label applications will likely continue to outpace the FDA’s approval as more and more doctors are discovering new effects of Botox® injections. It’s worth mentioning that many physicians will not perform these procedures unless they’re specifically requested by their patients.
Some of the off-label applications currently achieving successful results include:
- Anal sphincter dysfunction and anal fissures
- Cerebral Palsy
- Crepey neck skin
- Depression
- Difficulty swallowing
- Fine lines in the mouth area
- Hay fever
- Overactive production of saliva
- Offers tension relief after cleft lip repair
- Painful intercourse
- Premature ejaculation
- Reduces the look of a “gummy” smile; weakens lip muscles responsible for lifting the upper lip
- TMJ (teeth grinding)
- Turns the corners of the mouth up: weakens the muscle that pulls them down
- Wound healing and scar formation – improves and assists appearance
Allergan, the parent company and owner of Botox® has almost 800 patents for additional applications for therapeutic purposes. As scientists and doctors continue their research and technology continues to advance and move forward, it’s certain even more uses for Botox® treatments will be discovered.
If you have questions about the ways Botox® may be able to benefit you, please contact our office. We’ll be happy to answer any question you may have or to schedule a free consultation for you.
