Botox is an extremely popular procedure commonly used to reduce the appearance of wrinkles over time. It is a minimally invasive procedure done in the office to treat a variety of medical conditions.
1. Botox is a cosmetic procedure short for botulinum toxin and was originally discovered in Germany during the early 1800s. It was identified as a source of lethal food poisoning from eating contaminated sausage. In fact, German Physicians coined the term botulism to describe the disease caused by sausage poisoning, from the Latin word botulus, meaning “sausage.”
2. Botox cosmetic treatments were first used commercially in 1989 to treat eye spasms – blepharospasm under a patent from Allergan.
3. The FDA has approved several versions of botulinum toxin for use in the USA for cosmetic purposes, but only Botox by Allergan has the most FDA approvals and is considered the gold standard.
4. Botox treatments are an aesthetic procedure that works on nerves (neurotoxin) and indirectly on muscles, limiting muscle movement and causing the overlying skin to relax.
5. The dose of Botox figures out the extent of the effect and most importantly the duration. A higher dose of Botox is associated with increased and prolonged effects.
6. Not all forms of neurotoxin show the same potency and duration.
7. Botox injections are FDA-approved for cosmetic concerns of the forehead, between the eyes, frown lines, and crow’s feet. Botox can reduce facial wrinkles, including deep wrinkles and forehead wrinkles, and limit wrinkle formation for a period of time. Botox causes muscle weakness in the affected area, reducing facial muscle movement which affects facial expressions.
8. Off-label or non-FDA-approved uses validated by scientific studies for cosmetic usage including bunny lines, muscle bulges under the eyes, gummy smile, lip flip, nose tip drooping, marionette lines, and neck bands.
9. FDA Non-Cosmetic approvals for Botox include migraine, strabismus, overactive bladder and urinary incontinence, esophageal spasm, neck muscle spasm, spasticity of limbs, and excessive sweating.
10. Other scientifically validated, but not FDA-approved uses include, chronic pain management, reducing sebum production, treating depression, improving erectile dysfunction, reducing esophageal spasms, improving nerve palsies and other facial movement conditions, and the list keeps growing!
If you want to learn more about how Botox can help you, trust Tomorrow’s Wellness Center. Visit us for a health assessment and discuss your health concerns with Dr. Hernberg who has administered millions of Botox units to his patients. Call us to make an appointment.
We offer many other non-surgical procedures to treat wrinkles including Facials, HydraFacial, Medical Grade Peels, CoolPeel, Juvederm, NeoGen, VirtueRF, IPL, SkinPen, VoluDerm, and Epidermal Leveling. Learn more.