Around 7.2 million Botox injections were taken in the U.S. in 2017.
What was meant to treat muscle spasms soon turned into a cosmetic treatment that provided multiple health benefits.
In fact, Botox benefits continue to extend beyond the ability to decrease wrinkles and fine lines.
If you're constant migraines or headaches are getting you down, Botox can help bring some of the cheer in your life back. And the list is long!
Botox targets muscle twitching and stiffness, incontinence, excessive sweating and more. But before we take a closer look at the benefits of Botox, let's learn how it works first.
How Botox Works
Botox injections have an ingredient that's extracted from Clostridium Botulinum, a kind of bacterium. Clostridium Botulinum freezes the muscles it comes into contact with. Botox was initially created while exploring options to treat muscle spasms through freezing.
During ongoing studies, researchers discovered that freezing the muscles offers other benefits like smoother, younger-looking skin, decreased severity and frequency of migraine headaches, and decreased sweating.
Botox doesn't produce any long-term side effects. However, it restricts muscle movements such that facial expressions are fairly limited. For instance, someone who's had Botox injections can't frown or smile as easily.
Other than that, Botox treatment is generally safer than many other cosmetic procedures.
The Benefits of Botox
We all know Botox as a facial anti-ageing solution, but the treatment has proven to help treat many other medical issues.
1. Minimizes Wrinkles
Botox is well-known for helping people reduce the occurrence of wrinkles. Some believe that Botox removes wrinkles of all kinds, but the truth of the matter is that Botox prevents the occurrence of expression wrinkles.
You can start using Botox at any age to help with your expression wrinkles.
People often use Botox to fix the fine lines that develop around sensitive areas, like smile lines and lines in the area around the eyes.
2. Excessive Sweat
Sweaty armpits, anyone? Sweaty palms, anyone? If you suffer from persistent sweat, Botox might be the answer.
Excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis) is often addressed by antiperspirants, which don't always work.
If you have just one Botox injection today, it might decrease your sweat troubles for months. Imagine needing only one Botox injection every two months to finally save your clothes from all those awful sweat stains.
3. Muscle Stiffness and Twitching
Adults with upper limb spasticity are using Botox to address the problem. It can treat stiffness in the finger, wrist, and elbow muscles.
Similarly, Botox can be useful for people with stiffness in their lower limbs, such as the ankles and toes.
And, yes, we shouldn't forget where it all started. Anyone suffering from spasms or eye twitching can find a Botox injection useful - there are many treatment areas available.
4. Migraines
It's not known exactly how Botox helps with migraine pain, but medical experts believe that Botox stops pain messages from reaching the brain and relaxes muscles, decreasing their sensitivity to a pain attack.
The only Botox side effects known today are a brief drooping of skin around the site of injection, and the occasional mild bleeding, bruising, or burning sensation.
Changing the injection site can help prevent drooping, while the slight bleeding, bruising, or burning sensation can resolve itself shortly.
Those who take Botox for migraines report that the cases of headaches reduce by at least 50%, and they're less severe.
5. Enlarged Prostate
Studies suggest that Botox can help treat enlarged prostates in men. And unlike people who take Botox injections for wrinkles, sweat, or headaches, the results can last for up to 12 months as opposed to just a few months.
When Botox is injected straight into the prostate gland, issues like frequent urination and urinary tract infections are considerably improved. The side effects associated with other medications, like erectile dysfunction or incontinence, don't occur with Botox.
Botox shrinks the prostate gland, boosting urine flow.
6. Incontinence
Like the relief given to men with larger prostates, Botox can help people struggling with incontinence (urine leakage due to an overactive bladder).
Botox is a powerful treatment for many people, especially those dealing with the horrible stress of a sudden desire to urinate. Maybe all those ill-timed urges even cause stress sweat.
7. Crossed Eyes
The medical term for crossed eyes is strabismus. Botox was originally developed to treat this condition.
After putting numbing eye drops, the specialist will put a special needle directly into the eye muscle. When they find the right location, they inject 0.1 ml of Botox. The specialist will wait 30 seconds and then remove the needle to decrease the spread of the injection within the eye.
Botox may also help to decrease chronic eyelid spasms. There are six muscles in each eye, with two pulling in different directions to move the eye laterally.
If one muscle is weaker, the eye may go out of position. This makes the eye look lazy.
8. Fast Results
Imagine finding relief for your headaches or muscle spasms during your lunch break? Yes, that's possible because it's relatively quick and easy to get Botox.
And when it comes to speed, Botox results tend to manifest pretty fast. Some patients get relief within one or two days. Others say it might take up to seven days.
And as with many procedures, the results will vary among individuals.
The Bottom Line
Whether you want to restore some of your body confidence or simply need pain relief, it may be a good idea to give Botox a go.
In addition to reducing wrinkles, the benefits of Botox include its ability to treat muscle stiffness and twitching, excessive sweating, enlarged prostates, migraines, and more.
If you're struggling with any of the above conditions, have no fear. Dr. Aesthetica Cosmetic Beauty Clinic has the answers.
Contact us to book an appointment or book one online when you're ready.
