Botox has been gathering wide-spread popularity for years, maintaining its status as being a modern day fountain of youth. By keeping wrinkles at bay, it has been used by celebrities, athletes, and many famous icons who wish to put off aging for as long as possible. But what is this miracle treatment, and just how many uses are there for it?
What is Botox and How Does it Work?
Botox is made from a purified protein and is actually one of the most deadly toxins known to man if ingested. The key word here is “ingested.” If it is administered in tiny amounts by a licensed professional, such as the staff at Aristocrat Plastic Surgery & MedAesethetics, it is considered a safe alternative to almost any invasive procedures, such as a face lift. Botox is a simple, non-surgical cosmetic procedure to smooth the deep, persistent wrinkles that are caused by muscle activity. Botox is a relatively short cosmetic treatment involving a series of tiny injections that provide you with a rejuvenated look.
Since it was approved by the FDA nearly 30 years ago, Botox is not only a staple of cosmetic enhancement, but today, more than half of its uses come from its therapeutic procedures.
Other Ways to Use and Benefit From Botox in New York
1. Botox is a great way to treat chronic migraines
In 1992, plastic surgeon Dr. William Binder found that when he used Botox for people to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, they would come back to him and report that they were having fewer headaches. Allergan – the company that owns Botox – later tested the drug on people with chronic migraines, and in 2010, it was approved by the FDA to treat this disorder. Botox is one of a few other drugs, such as antidepressants and anti-seizure medication, that has been found to have unintended benefits for those that suffer from migraines. When receiving Botox specifically for this purpose, the injections are administered in different spots on the neck and head, and the effects can last for up to three months.
2. Botox can treat excessive sweating
Doctors started to notice that when their patients would use Botox to treat their facial spasms, they would also see a decrease in sweating. After extensive testing, Botox was approved for the treatment of severe primary axillary hyperhidrosis, also known as over-sweating, in 2004.
3. Botox can treat eyelid spasms
The neurotoxin in Botox causes a temporary paralysis, which blocks the communication between nerves and the muscles. As scary as that may sound, this is actually very useful for doctors when muscles act in a way they shouldn’t, such as spasming. The FDA approved the use of Botox as a treatment back in 1989 for blepharospasms, a movement disorder of the eyelid muscles. Blepharospasms occur when a person’s body loses control to the ability to communicate with the basal ganglia – the part of the brain that controls eye movements. The neurons fire at an expressive rate, which causes the muscles to be in a continuous spasm due to the constant uncontrollable stimulation. This can be disruptive and even dangerous for patients who suffer from this. At its most severe, patients can’t keep their eyes open long enough to see, so driving is not a safe option.
Botox is used as a blockade to prevent the continuous nerve stimulation of the muscles, thus allowing the muscles to relax.
4. Botox can help with crossed eyes
Strabismus, also known as crossed eyes, was one of the first FDA approved Botox treatments. Crossed eyes can occur either by a childhood congenital issue or by a trauma to the eye area. Botox can be used as an alternative to eye surgery to relax the eye muscles.
5. Botox can help treat spasmodic dysphonia
Spasmodic dysphonia is a disorder that makes your voice sound strained or hoarse constantly. This is caused when a person’s brain receives abnormal signals that cause uncontrolled spasms in the vocal cords that affects their voice. By injecting Botox into the vocal cords, it weakens them slightly and effectively reduces spasms and steadies out the voice.
6. Botox is a successful treatment for Bell’s Palsy
Bell’s Palsy is a paralysis of a facial nerve that causes half of a person’s face to droop. Although Bell’s palsy is usually temporary, Botox injections can relax the paralyzed facial muscle to help aid and potentially speed up recovery.
7. Botox can help treat an overactive bladder
Dr. Linda Brubaker from the Loyola University Chicago School of Medicine says that “Botox was one of the most impactful treatments [she] had ever seen for overactive bladder.” With an overactive bladder, nerve signals are telling the brain that the bladder must make an emergency trip to the bathroom, causing the bladder to spasm and leak. This causes the feeling of constantly needing to go to the bathroom, and potentially wetting themselves because they can’t get to the toilet fast enough. A Botox injection allows the bladder to relax and actually fill up before truly needing to go. This also restores a patient’s confidence in their own body, which can provide additional symptom relief. The FDA approved Botox for this use in 2013.
8. Botox has been proven to help with drooling in patients
Hypersalivation, also known as excessive drooling, can be treated with a few injections of Botox into the salivary glands. This will paralyze the overactive nerves producing saliva.
9. Botox can help treat severe neck spasms
Even before Botox was approved for frown lines between the eyebrows in 2002, Allergan got approval for the drug in 2000 for its use in treating a disorder called cervical dystonia, which is characterized by abnormal head position and severe neck pain.
Dr. Tehrani’s Botox patients have come in for a number of these reasons above. You view some of these in the before and after Botox galleries: https://www.aristocratps.com/photo-gallery/botox/
Where Do I Go For Botox in New York?
With all of the uses that Botox has, it is essential to go to a legitimate licensed doctor to perform any of these procedures. Dr. Tehrani is a board-certified plastic surgeon who has been trained to use Botox and is a certified ExpertInjector™ – which fewer than 3% of doctors have qualified for.
This ExpertInjector™ status is received by surgeons who have demonstrated extreme diligence in regards to a patient’s safety, reliable results, and consumer education. ExpertInjectors™ in New York are properly qualified to perform injectable procedures and only administer products that are FDA-approved for aesthetic use. This means that Dr. Tehrani is among the top plastic surgeons in New York who offer for Botox treatments. The ExpertInjector™ organization is the only one to have the endorsement of both the prestigious American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery and the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery.
To qualify as ExpertInjector,™ a doctor must meet the following stringent criteria:
- They must be board-certified
- They only buy injectables that are FDA-approved.
- They only buy injectables directly from Botox
- They must keep accurate records of all procedures performed, for each patient.
- All patients are required to sign informed consent papers prior to their procedure, ensuring they are fully informed about Botox treatments.
- They have instituted appropriate protocols within their practice to manage potential adverse reactions.
- They have the expertise to manage any complications associated with Botox
- They offer patients various injectable options
- They have an educational process for patients to make informed decisions
- They are trained by the representative on the proper process to inject their product
- The staff adheres to the same standard as the physician who either oversees the procedure or performs it themselves
Dr. Tehrani has met and has gone above and beyond this criteria to ensure his patients feel safe and leave with the results they’ve always dreamed about. Even with a product as potentially dangerous as Botox, when administered by a skilled injector like Dr. Tehrani, it’s one of the safest procedures in the world.
What is the Botox Procedure Like at Aristocrat Plastic Surgery & MedAesthetics?
Dr. Tehrani determines exactly where to administer several tiny injections to achieve the best aesthetic results, and the entire procedure takes approximately 10 minutes. Dr. Tehrani takes pride in producing natural-looking results and avoiding the infamous “frozen face” that has captured the media’s attention from several famous icons whose looks were drastically changed due to improper administration of Botox.
Whether you wish to smooth out a few forehead wrinkles or help with the pain of chronic migraines, inquire about a consultation today to see what the expert Dr. Tehrani can do for you.