While it’s best known for addressing wrinkles, Botox continually stuns the medical community for its seemingly endless uses.
But Botox is more than a staple of cosmetic enhancement – here are some of its many other applications you may not know about:
Cosmetic Treatments (FDA approved)
Botox Cosmetic is the #1 rated product of its kind and approved in 78 countries around the world – it can address multiple cosmetic concerns, including softening frown lines across foreheads, crow’s feet, eyebrow lift, smokers’ lines, flaring nostrils, jowl grooves, and nasolabial fold lines.
Chronic Migraines (FDA approved)
Botox also has been shown to help prevent chronic migraine headaches in some people. The medication is typically injected into muscles of the forehead, scalp, neck and shoulders, usually about every three months – and that’s all some of the people who receive the treatment may need to keep their headaches under control.
Excessive Sweating (FDA approved):
Botox has been proven a successful therapy for people with a condition called severe primary axillary hyperhidrosis, also to treat overly sweaty hands and feet.
The medication is typically injected directly into the overactive sweat gland in the armpit, hands, or forehead to reduce the over production of perspiration.
Overactive Bladder (FDA Approved)
According to Dr. Linda Brubaker, Dean and Chief Diversity Officer of the Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, in her 30 years of medical practice, Botox was one of the most impactful treatments for overactive bladder.
TMJ Disorder/Clenching/Bruxism (Grinding) of Teeth
Botox can help with chronic facial muscle pain, swelling, and headaches from persistent grinding/clenching. By injecting directly into the jaw muscle, Botox has been known to limit muscle function, thus decreasing TMJ Disorder symptoms.
This procedure does not stop the muscle from working or make any changes to the patients’ appearance. The treatment is ideal for patients with TMJ issues, who chew through night guards, or still experience jaw discomfort even with a guard in-place.
Gummy Smile
Botox can alter the drape of the upper lip to adjust for “gummy smiles”.
A “gummy” smile (a smile that shows too much of the gums) can be adjusted by injecting Botox into the upper lip – it basically weakens the upper lip’s retractor muscles and the lip stops raising as high. As a result, the smile appears to be better balanced, and it usually lasts for four to six months.
Drooling
Some evidence suggests that Botox may control excess salivation in people with Parkinson’s disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
Writer’s Cramp
If occupational hand therapy provides no help, the Botox injections can be considered for this muscle disorder. They are also helpful for “musician’s cramp,” a moving disorder causing musicians’ fingers to contract while playing.
Voice Abnormalities
Botox has been demonstrated clinically to be an effective treatment for a variety of laryngeal problems, and is a first-line treatment for vocal cord palsy, or spasms that produce a strained or tremulous voice.
Depression
While many experts remain skeptical, early trials have shown Botox to potentially lessen symptoms in people suffering from depression. Allergan is currently conducting clinical trials to determine if the injections can treat depression, based on what’s called the facial feedback hypothesis, which holds that a person’s facial expressions can influence their mood.
Dr. Shea Stevens, family dentist of Smiles by Stevens, has received broad education and specific training from Aesthetic Trainers, LLC, and is your trusted doctor to perform Botox treatments in Lancaster, PA.
Now is the time for you or your loved one to seek a viable solution with Botox treatments, whether it’s for rejuvenating and enhancing your natural beauty or a condition, and achieve a higher quality of life.
We invite you for a complimentary consultation to learn more about Lancaster PA Botox – make an appointment with Smiles by Stevens general dentist today.
