The success of Botox® Cosmetic since its 2002 introduction is no less than astonishing. Derived from a natural neurotoxin, Botox is instead a controllable neuromodulator, able to influence the way selected muscles work.
Jennifer A. Baron MD offers Botox Cosmetic injections for her patients. A class of wrinkles emerges from the condition of muscles beneath the skin that won’t respond to traditional anti-aging treatments. You know them as crow’s feet, the “elevens,” and forehead worry lines.
These active wrinkles form when the expression muscles below the skin start to hold their contracted state rather than fully relax. The sole function of Botox is to temporarily interrupt the body chemistry that causes muscle contraction. Its formulation permits pinpoint control over limited areas of muscle tissue.
With a series of carefully placed injections, those expression issues smooth out as Botox takes effect. While results vary between patients, you can expect months of smooth, tension-free, relaxed skin conditions.
Clostridium botulinum is the most powerful natural toxin there is. So how did a substance with such harmful potential become a therapeutic marvel? It starts with the eyes.
The first application, the purpose behind the original formulation of Botox, was for people with crossed eyes, medically known as strabismus. That led to the discovery that Botox could also control facial muscle spasms. One of the keys to the success of Botox is more with the nature of muscles than it is with the substance itself. Botox does one thing — relaxing muscles — and it works on muscle tissue anywhere in your body. This is key to its versatility.
Botox has some wide-ranging medical applications as well as crossed eyes and wrinkle reduction. Here are three of the most common.
While using Botox for eyes and wrinkles, patients who were also prone to migraines noticed that they had fewer headaches, and intensity was also reduced. While the effect isn’t fully understood, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Botox for migraine treatment in 2020.
Botox's success on migraines suggests that it affects motor nerves and sensory and other types of nerves. Nerves controlling sweat glands can also overreact, producing a condition of heavy sweating called hyperhidrosis. The FDA has approved Botox for the treatment of hyperhidrosis in the underarm area. It can also be used off-label for other types of excessive sweating.
Urinary urge incontinence can be uncomfortable, embarrassing, and isolating. Around 33 million Americans deal with overactive bladder every year. One of the causes behind this problem is, no surprise, involuntary spasms of bladder muscles. Many patients with this type of bladder disorder can see their symptoms vanish after a Botox injection.
New applications for Botox seem to crop up regularly. Find out more about what Botox can do for you by scheduling a consultation with Dr. Baron and her team. Reach our office by calling the appointment hotline at 408-418-8780. We’re standing by to help you, one patient at a time, so call today.
