Okay, so even Botox lies about it’s age sometimes. Botox was actually developed in 1946 by Dr. Edward Shcantz for biological warfare use and luckily was never successful in that endeavor. But from that development, Dr. Schcantz found that when injecting a patient with muscle spasms that the spasms actually stopped and from there, he knew he was on to something.
By 1962 multiple doctors were using it to treat muscles spasms and facial twitches medicinally. Overtime, they realized the treatments were also preventing wrinkles and stopping glands from sweating. Botox treatments really grew in popularity around the 1990’s and 2000’s and was officially FDA approved for the use of wrinkles between the brow and forehead in April of 2002. It was then approved for the treatment of wrinkles around the eyes (crow’s feet) in 2013 and has also been used off-label in multiple areas of the face, such as above the lips for lip lines and in the jaw muscle to slim the lower face.
Botox has only skyrocketed in popularity over the years. In 1997, 65,157 Botox treatments were performed and in 2016, that number grew to 6,651,345 treatments in the US alone. It’s no wonder as Botox works incredibly well to smooth lines and wrinkles and event prevent signs of aging for patients who start treatment in their 20’s and 30’s. Preventative aging has become a huge trend for millennials today largely due to celebrities and bloggers becoming so open about procedures on social media. Botox is only projected to grow in popularity in the coming years.
Botox works by weakening the injected muscle so it cannot contract to make wrinkles. The treatment takes about 15-20 minutes in-office with minimal discomfort. Results can typically be seen 3-7 days following treatment and last for about 3-4 months. There is little risk and patients love their results.
Botox is also used medicinally for a variety of conditions such as migraines and over-active bladder issues. Currently, Botox is in the trial stages for the treatment of depression and is showing a lot of promise. The idea is that when someone is sad and frowning with their brow muscles, that facial reaction reinforces the sadness. Botox can break that cycle to reduce depressed feelings. For more information, read our blog on Botox for depression.
For more information on Botox or to schedule a complimentary consultation for treatment, call (801)776-2220.