Wrinkles and fine lines are, unfortunately, an inevitable part of life. Aging skin can make you feel older than you truly are, and even push you to seek treatment for your unwanted blemishes. Botox cosmetics have been one of the most popular aging skin treatments, and in 2012 alone, there were more than six million Botox procedures administered.
While Botox cosmetics usually evokes the image of correcting wrinkles around the eyes, mouth, and brow, you may not realize that Botox can be helpful in treating other illnesses and bodily pains as well.
- Migraines — About 12% of Americans suffer from chronic, pulsing migraines that can completely debilitate them. A few years ago, the Federal Drug Administration approved the use of Botox injections on migraines, explaining that the injections are an effective way to treat severe headaches. Because the injections are designed to arrest contraction of the muscles using a neurotoxin, they can stop the neurological effects of migraines. Patients can be relieved of their symptoms for up to three months at a time.
- Sweating — Many people suffer from the embarrassment of excessive sweating, particularly under the armpits. This affects about a million people in the U.S., according to WebMD, and is part of a condition called, axillary hyperhidrosis, that causes a person to sweat up to four times the average person, just to maintain the body’s normal temperature. The sweat glands in the human body are controlled by the nervous system. When a Botox treatment is administered, the neurotoxin in the serum blocks the signal between the nerve endings and the sweat glands, reducing the production of sweat. The effects of Botox can last for about four to six months.
- Cerebral Palsy — This disorder is associated with physical disability and severely handicaps regular movement of the body. It is also associated with difficulty the areas of cognition, communication, and depth perception. These disabilities are the result of damaged motor control centers in the body, which can even occur within the fetus. For children who have hypertonicity, or spasmodic muscles, Botox injections can prove to be extremely helpful. The treatment helps to stop the muscles in the body from their periodic tightening, relieving cerebral palsy sufferers for short periods of time.
Using Botox to treat these illnesses is not new, but many people are unaware of the fact that Botox is much more than simply a skin treatment. Botox cosmetics may be the more popular treatment, but as the exposure of therapeutic Botox increases, it will likely become more mainstream.