BOTOX® Cosmetic: A Union of Medicine and Beauty
Stephen White, MD
Sugar Land, TX
So how on Earth did anyone even think of trying to use it for medical use? BOTOX® Cosmetic is a great example of turning a side effect into a positive outcome. Translate paralysis into relaxation of the muscle and you can see that there are going to be possible benefits to many medical conditions that arise due to prolonged or permanent contraction of the muscles. BOTOX® Cosmetic is used to treat such conditions as migraine headaches, blepharospasm (eyelid twitching), and neurological disorders. Its use is continually being expanded by medical professionals and now is also helping reduce excessive sweating of the palms, underarms and soles of the feet.
Muscle-Building - Facial muscles have been working overtime to show just how expressive you really are. Over the past 30+ years each and every time you smiled, frowned or raised your brows in surprise you were building those muscles of facial expression as much as if you were building a bicep from lifting weights. Over many years, we overwork the muscles of facial expression in much the same way until they thicken, leaving deeply grooved wrinkle lines. BOTOX® Cosmetic interrupts nerve impulses to muscles in the face and temporarily paralyzes these muscles, inducing relaxation and a smoothing out of the wrinkles.
Location, Location, Location - The areas of facial expression are broken into "zones" for ease of discussion as well as treatment. There are 3 zones most commonly treated with BOTOX® Cosmetic. These include crow's feet (both eyes form a single zone), the deep frown lines between the eyes (glabella) and finally the lines across the forehead. Costs are approximately $300 - $400 per zone (depending on the dosage needed).
Lunchtime Facelift - Called the "lunchtime facelift", BOTOX® Cosmetic is a quick, simple series of injections with a tiny needle into the unwanted wrinkles
Immediate Gratification - After a muscle is injected, its first effects are not seen for 24 hours and the complete effect on the muscle will not be complete for two weeks.
Normal Facial Expression is Unaffected - After treatment, the overlying skin remains smooth and unwrinkled while the unrelated facial muscles contract in a normal fashion.
Not So Permanent Beauty -Nothing, not even a facelift is permanent. You can expect the effects of BOTOX® Cosmetic to last between 3-b months. Be happy with 3 and then be thrilled if you find you're one of those lucky ones who can go 6! You will find that repeat treatments may extend the time between further injections.
Too Good to be True? -Fortunately problems are relatively minor and temporary. BOTOX® Cosmetic is also safe because complete recovery of the muscle is possible. BOTOX® Cosmetic has really lived up to its claims.
Stephen White, MD
Sugar Land, Texas
Dr. White was born and raised in Terre Haute, Indiana. A 4th generation doctor, he graduated from both undergraduate and medical school at Indiana University. He completed an internship at the University of Texas in Galveston, which introduced him to Texas and Houston. Dr. White completed his ophthalmology residency at the University of Oklahoma, which included Basic Sciences at Harvard Medical School and 6 months clinical work at the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins Hospital.
After 2 years as an ophthalmologist in the U.S. Navy (Lt. Commander, Naval Dispensary, Norfolk, VA), he began private practice in Houston in 1970.
Dr. White has had a special interest in cosmetic and reconstructive procedures of the eyelids over his career, and that interest accelerated in 1995 when he began using the CO 2 laser. Since then he has followed the innovations and trends in minimally invasive cosmetic procedures of the face to combat the effects of sun damage, aging and gravity.
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