Perhaps the better question is: Where on the body can you NOT use Botox®? It truly seems the longer it’s around, the more new discoveries are made for additional issues Botox® can successfully treat.
According to statistics from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons in 2016, there were 15.5 million minimally invasive procedures done. Of those procedures, Botox® treatments accounted for more than seven million of them.
Still, the primary reason people choose Botox® is for reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles on the face. Botox® is currently the only procedure approved by the FDA to help decrease the appearance of unsightly, moderate to severe lines between the brows as well as moderate to severe crow’s feet at the corner of the eyes.
Besides addressing the fine lines and wrinkles of the face, there are several other areas of the body that, when Botox® is injected, fascinating things happen.
Other Body Areas Helped by Botox® Injections
- Bladder – Botox® received FDA-approval to treat women suffering from incontinence or other overactive bladder symptoms in the absence of any neurological causes.
- Upper and Lower Limbs – After a stroke, Botox® can be used to reduce spasticity caused by muscle overactivity.
- Neck and Shoulders – Botox® is effective in reducing the severe spasms in the neck and shoulder area caused by idiopathic rotational cervical dystonia.
- Underarms – Botox® is used to reduce hyperhidrosis, commonly known as excessive sweating.
- Head and Neck – Botox® is also approved by the FDA for treating migraines and has proven to be very effective in providing relief for chronic migraine sufferers.
- Eyes – In addition to eliminating crow’s feet, Botox® treatments are used to reduce blepharospasm (more commonly known as eyelid spasms) and to help correct strabismus, or crossed eyes. It’s also been useful in helping to correct “lazy eye”, which can be caused by a muscle imbalance in the positioning of the eyes.
The FDA has currently given Botox® the green light for treating more than 20 different medical issues beyond eliminating frown lines and crow’s feet. Some physicians are also using Botox® injections to successfully treat other conditions that it hasn’t been officially approved for yet. These are known as “off-label” uses.
Off-label Uses for Botox®
The reason these off-label uses continue to be performed is simply that the doctors who have tried them report successful results. So the list of off-label uses continues to grow at a faster pace than the FDA can approve them. Some of these successfully used off-label treatments include:
- Premature ejaculation
- Painful sex
- Depression
- Tension relief from cleft lip repair
- Excessive sweating of the forehead, palms and feet
- Anal fissures and anal sphincter dysfunction
- Cerebral Palsy
- Overactive saliva production
- Hay fever
- Difficulty swallowing
- TMJ (teeth grinding)
- Fine lines around the lips
- Turning the corners of the mouth up by weakening the muscle that pulls them down
- Reducing the appearance of a “gummy” smile by weakening the lip elevator muscles responsible for raising the upper lips
- Improving the appearance of wound healing as well as scar formation
- Reducing crepey neck skin
As you can see, there are many uses for Botox® doctors and researchers have uncovered that have not yet been approved by the FDA. Most doctors will only perform these procedures on patients who specifically ask for help with a particular issue.
If you have any questions about Botox® injections or how they may be able to help you, please contact DePerro Plastic Surgery.