BOTOX® has been a household name for years and is the most popular anti-wrinkle treatment in the world. Many people may not know, though, the multiple ways BOTOX® is used to treat other conditions, including non-cosmetic issues. In fact, we use BOTOX® at our Roseville, Sacramento, Folsom, and Elk Grove medical spas in ways that surprise some of our patients.
What Is BOTOX®?
Understanding how BOTOX® works to minimize wrinkles can help people see how it’s effective in ways that seem entirely unrelated. The active ingredient in BOTOX®, botulinum toxin type A, works by disrupting the signals sent from the nervous system to stimulate muscle contraction. By limiting muscle movement in the forehead, for example, the skin looks smooth. The key is precisely targeting the correct muscles and using the right dosage so that you still look natural.
The same way that BOTOX® can temporarily paralyze the muscles that cause wrinkles can help treat many other conditions.
What Else Can BOTOX® Treat?
Here are 9 ways we use BOTOX® at Destination Aesthetics™ for cosmetic reasons that don’t involve wrinkles:
- Gummy Smiles: What is a gummy smile? For many people, it’s a condition that makes them self-conscious about smiling. It describes what happens when the upper gums appear more prominently than the teeth when someone smiles. Gummy smiles occur when the muscle that pulls up on the upper lip lifts it too high. BOTOX® targets that muscle so it relaxes and releases the tension that causes a gummy smile. You can still smile, but in a way that looks more pleasing.
- Jaw Reduction (also called jaw slimming): A slim, angular jaw is synonymous with an attractive face. For some people, though, an overactive muscle in the upper jaw—called the masseter muscle—can create more of a square jaw. That might be desirable for some men, but most women want a slimmer jawline. Targeted BOTOX® injections can reduce the size of the masseter muscle, which is used mainly for chewing. You’ll still be able to eat, but the muscle will be much less prominent.
- TMJ Treatment: Injuries to the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) that connects the lower jaw to the skull can result in chronic pain, disrupting sleep and impacting your quality of life. Stress can also cause TMJ disorders. In these cases, BOTOX® injected into the masseter muscle is done not for cosmetic reasons, but to help the muscle relax and reduce the tension that is often responsible for TMJ conditions.
- Lip Flip: Lip enhancement using fillers is a common request, but more and more patients are asking about a BOTOX® lip flip. During the procedure, BOTOX® is injected strategically—and conservatively—into the muscles at the side of the upper lip. This causes the lip to flip outward in an appealing way. The key, again, is choosing an experienced injector who can perform this delicate treatment.
- “Orange Peel” Treatment for Chin: When the muscle covering the chin (the mentalis muscle) contracts, it can create a dimpled look similar to an orange peel. BOTOX injections relax the muscle so the skin appears smooth. It’s important to have an experienced injector perform the treatment to avoid weakening muscles used when moving your mouth.
- Lateral Brow Lift: Besides treating age-related forehead wrinkles, BOTOX can also temporarily lift sagging eyebrows for patients who want to avoid cosmetic surgery. A surgical lateral brow lift (sometimes called a temporal brow lift) raises the outer third of the brow to create a more alert and youthful look. Injecting BOTOX with precision into the lateral brow can produce similar results without the downtime and cost of surgery.
- Excessive Underarm Sweating: Stressful social or work situations cause most of us to perspire. For some men and women, however, excessive underarm sweating (hyperhidrosis) occurs virtually every day. It can be an embarrassing and costly condition, with sufferers having to continuously replace sweat-stained clothes. BOTOX® injected into the underarms offers temporary relief that can be maintained with regular treatments.
- Chronic Migraines: People who suffer chronic migraine headaches—defined as having 15 or more headaches a month for 3 months—may find relief with BOTOX® injections. Doctors first learned that BOTOX® might help treat migraines when patients who had BOTOX® injections to reduce wrinkling noticed they experienced fewer migraines. Researchers believe migraines may be caused by muscles squeezing nerves in the temples.
- Urinary Incontinence: Leaking urine due to urge incontinence is more common than many people know and can hamper your social life and cause anxiety. Urge incontinence or an overactive bladder can be treated with BOTOX® injections, which relax the bladder and give people enough time to get to a bathroom when sensing the need to urinate.
Our medical spas offer a wide range of elective medical treatments for the face and body. You can meet with one of our aesthetic specialists to learn more. Contact us online, call us at (916) 844-4913, or text us at (916) 461-8001 to schedule an appointment.
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