Is Botox a cure-all?

14 October 2016

By Plastic Surgeon Dr Dirk Kremer.

Botox

Botox is a great product for non-surgical anti-ageing, and it is one of the most popular cosmetic procedures on the market, and has been for some time. The relatively painless and quick procedure may be popular to remove wrinkles and fine lines, but did you know that Botox is a versatile product and has several uses?

Here are a few ways that Botox can be used that you might not know about.

Sweating

It’s well known that Botox can be used to reduce sweating, especially in hot weather, and several people have Botox injected into their foreheads and armpits in order to avoid embarrassing sweat stains on their clothing.

Recently, however, people have begun having Botox injected into an area that people are less likely to admit to sweating profusely: their buttocks.

Sweat-eradicating Botox in this area has only really been popular for the last couple of years, but it works in the same way as injecting Botox into the armpit: by restricting the pores in which sweat, and the odour associated with sweat, can escape.

It’s worth noting, that yes, you can sit down following this procedure!

Teeth grinding

In the UK, roughly 6 million people suffer from bruxism, or teeth grinding. Bruxism can be extremely loud, especially in the night and it can definitely irritate anyone you’re sharing a bed or room with, but it can also cause the sufferer to have headaches and jaw pain. It is possible to cure bruxism with Botox, but it comes with side effects.

Botox works to cure teeth grinding in the same way as a mouth guard, disabling your ability to bite down with excessive force, thus avoiding any wear and tear of the teeth and stopping the temporomandibular joint from becoming inflamed.

Research has suggested, however, that a single treatment of Botox into the jaw can reduce bone density by 40%, and while more research needs to be done to confirm the long-term effects of this, it may be best for bruxism patients to stick to using a mouth guard for the foreseeable future.

Depression

Most uses of Botox affect the physical body, but the treatment can also help patient’s suffering from mental health problems such as depression.

While the doctors who administer Botox to help with anxiety and depression aren’t entirely sure why it’s effective, they have some ideas. One theory is that emotions are tied into facial expressions; when you’re depressed you’re likely to make a sad face, which in turn fuels the depression. Botox makes it difficult to make that sad expression, stopping any negative emotion that comes from facial expression.

While the FDA has yet to acknowledge and approve Botox as a cure for depression, there are still patients and doctors who are seeing the benefits of Botox as a mental health treatment.

Other uses

Botox, if it hadn’t been an FDA approved treatment, would be considered a type of snake oil, a cure-all miracle potion that promised everything but offered nothing. There would be a lot more scepticism around the benefits of Botox if it hadn’t already been proven to be an effective treatment. In fact, Botox has a range of uses that makes it one of the most versatile treatments on the market.

Along with those mentioned above, Botox has also been used to treat:

  • Eye muscle spasms;
  • Obesity;
  • Incontinence;
  • Hyperhidrosis;
  • Migraines;
  • And, arthritis!

While at Harley Street Aesthetics I only offer Botox as a way of combatting the signs of ageing, it’s worth remembering how useful a cosmetic product it truly is!

If you’re looking for a cosmetic surgeon you can trust to administer Botox, which is a safe and quick procedure, then contact me at Harley Street Aesthetics today to book your consultation.

Question?

emailContact Dr Kremer

phone 0845 519 7232

info Virtual Consultations

x

Virtual Consultations

Dr Kremer is now accepting virtual consultations, via Skype or WhatsApp. If you would like a virtual consultation, or would like more information, simply get in touch with us via phone, email or through our contact form and we will schedule a date and time for your consultation.