The Four Surprising Botox Uses You Didn’t Know
From excess sweating to face contouring—here are unconventional ways to use Botox
When you hear the word Botox, the first thing that comes to mind is its ability to combat fine lines and wrinkles. Botox is a non-surgical cosmetic treatment that temporarily reduces muscle activity by blocking the nerve signals to the muscle. It works to reduce fine lines and wrinkles by stopping specific muscles from moving. This is probably the most popular use of Botox, but it’s definitely not the only use—this cosmetic treatment goes far beyond fighting unwanted lines. Let’s take a look at four nonconventional—but powerful—Botox uses.
Sweating
A game-changing Botox use with remarkable results is to inject Botox into the sweat glands. Excessive sweating, also known as focal hyperhidrosis, can be effectively treated by injecting botulinum toxin. The toxin blocks the nerve signals responsible for sweating, halting sweat and odor for months. The full results are seen within two weeks of the treatment and it can be repeated within six months if required. There are many drugstore options that are available to take care of the persistent issue of excessive sweating, but they are all temporary and provide little to no results. However, Botox has been revolutionary for those who sweat excessively or just don’t want to deal with deodorant.
TMJ pain
The temporomandibular joint or TMJ acts like a sliding hinge, connecting your jawbone to your skull. When this joint is overworked—by teeth grinding, clenching, braces or an injury—it can become displaced and lead to a number of issues such as jaw pain, headaches and difficulty chewing. A correctly administered Botox can be a great tool to help alleviate pain from TMJ as it helps relax the muscles temporarily. Officially, Botox use is approved to help relax facial muscles to prevent wrinkles but in this case, it is injected directly into the concerned muscle, limiting its function and decreasing TMJ symptoms.
Face contouring and thinning
Enlarged masseter muscles, which can be caused by TMJ, clenching the jaw or grinding teeth at night, can alter the shape of the face and make the jaws appear square and asymmetrical. One of the more popular Botox uses is to slim the jawline by almost deflating the masseter muscle. This procedure is also known as masseter reduction. It is simple, effective and has little to no downtime. Note that in this case, the muscles are relaxed and not paralyzed. This results in a softer and smaller appearance of the masseters, which in turn creates a slimmer face.
Nose job
Another revolutionary Botox use is the non-surgical rhinoplasty. The treatment can correct curves, bumps and lumps, making the nose appear smaller. This alternative to a nose job is far more convenient, efficient, painless, temporary and ideal for someone who isn’t ready for a surgical nose job.
