BOTOX® is often thought of as a miracle solution for smoothing out wrinkles, but did you know it offers so much more? Beyond its wrinkle-reducing powers, BOTOX has emerged as a versatile treatment for various other cosmetic and medical conditions.
From improving a gummy smile and lifting your brows, and from relieving chronic migraines to reducing excessive sweating, this injectable has become a go-to solution for doctors and patients alike.
Shantique Med Spa is your ultimate BOTOX provider, helping patients in Torrance, California, get the most out of their BOTOX treatments. We’re here to explain the surprising and lesser-known uses of BOTOX that extend beyond aesthetics.
BOTOX is derived from a purified version of Botulinum toxin type A, a bacterium naturally found in soil, water, and various natural environments. In large doses, BOTOX can be life-threatening, but in small doses, it provides cosmetic and therapeutic benefits by temporarily relaxing muscle activity.
Receiving injections into your face may not sound appealing. Most patients agree it isn’t painful, only slightly uncomfortable but over with before you know it. Shahinaz Soliman, MD injects BOTOX into targeted muscles to block nerve signals that allow muscles to contract.
For cosmetic uses, this softens the appearance of dynamic muscles – muscles that contract with repeated movements like smiling, frowning, and squinting. When used for medical purposes, it can relieve conditions like muscle spasms, overactive bladders, and chronic migraines.
BOTOX is considered a temporary treatment with most results lasting three to six months. Gradually, the nerve endings refire, and muscle activity begins to return. All you need to do is come back in for another treatment if you wish to sustain your results.
You probably have heard of BOTOX’s ability to smooth away wrinkles. Although this is one of the most sought-after uses of BOTOX, it isn’t the only one. Here is a sampling of its other uses:
Chronic migraine affects 1-2.2% of the population and is defined as having more than 15 migraine episodes per month. Symptoms can range from lasting a few hours to days and can be debilitating. If you suffer from migraine, you know how detrimental the effects can be.
BOTOX improved migraine episodes permanently in 22% of participants in a clinically controller study. To treat migraine, 20-30 injections of BOTOX are administered into the head and neck with the FDA recommending a dose of 155 units. Luckily, most insurances cover BOTOX to treat chronic migraine, so contact us today to find relief.
As you get older, the muscles and tissues in the forehead start to lose their strength and your eyebrows may droop as a result. This may cause you to look more tired or concerned.
BOTOX is a safe and reliable treatment to successfully lift your eyebrows. By injecting the corrugulator and procerus muscles to help relax them, this causes the frontalis muscle to be lifted. You may notice an improvement immediately following treatment, but results fully develop within 7-14 days, giving a more rested and alert appearance.
Excessive sweating, also referred to as hyperhidrosis, affects 15.8 million Americans. Excessive sweating can impact mental health, self-esteem, and social relationships – more than 48% of people report having poor or a very poor quality of life.
BOTOX is used as a nonsurgical treatment to improve excessive sweating by blocking the release of acetylcholine, the neurotransmitter that triggers sweat gland activity. The FDA has approved BOTOX to treat excessive sweating in the armpits by decreasing up to 85% of sweating.
Are you embarrassed by your gummy smile? A gummy smile is described as having too much exposed gums above your teeth when you grin. This can be improved with a “lip flip” – a treatment that injects four to eight units of BOTOX into the upper lip.
A lip flip is a great option for those who want fuller lips but aren’t ready to undergo lip filler. The treatment is more cost effective and gives the appearance of a fuller top lip that can correct a gummy smile.
Roughly 30% of men and 40% of women in the United States have an overactive bladder. This condition is described as having an intense urge to urinate several times a day or overnight without having a full bladder. This condition can greatly affect your quality of life, as you may feel like you have to avoid social situations where a bathroom isn’t close by.
As an outpatient procedure, BOTOX can be administered into the bladder muscle to help reduce contractions, the urge to urinate and the frequency of urinary incontinence. You must go to a urologist for this specialized treatment, which involves leading a thin tube, called a cystoscope, through the urethra and into the bladder to guide the placement of the BOTOX injections.
The treatment takes minutes and can offer patients relief as early as three days. Results may vary but last on average for six to nine months.
BOTOX is a great advancement in the cosmetic and medical industry with more than 6.2 billion treatments performed every year.
BOTOX is most commonly known for its ability to smooth away wrinkles, but can be used in a variety of other ways to improve conditions like chronic migraine, drooping eyebrows, and an overactive bladder. Though its effects are considered temporary, most people enjoy the results for two to three months. If you’re interested in learning if BOTOX can help you, we’re here to help.
Call 310-530-7244 to schedule your appointment, or book online.
