Other Uses for BOTOX® Cosmetic

Toronto Cosmetic Clinic is proud to offer BOTOX® Cosmetic injections for all those in the North York area of Toronto unhappy with the appearance of lines.

But did you know that before BOTOX® became a popular cosmetic pharmaceutical at Toronto Cosmetic Clinic, it was recognized by scientists and physicians to treat a number of other ailments of the human body?

Alternative Uses for BOTOX®

The majority of the alternative uses for BOTOX® treat afflictions of the muscles. It is considered a pharmaceutical that is a neuromuscular paralytic agent.

The first usage of botulin toxin, before it was marketed as BOTOX®, was for the treatment of strabismus by Alan B Scott, MD. More commonly known as crossed eyes, he discovered its effects in patients from infancy to adults in 1980, after which Allergan Inc. purchased the rights and named it BOTOX®. Approval by the FDA was passed in 1989 (for adults only). BOTOX® allows the eye muscles in those suffering from this medical condition to relax and acquire the strength to correct itself.

In the same year, the FDA approved BOTOX® for the temporary treatment of patients suffering from spasms of the eye (blepharospasm), as well as the more serious neurological condition, hemifacial spasm. Like the elimination or minimization of glabellar lines, patients with these spasms could also experience temporary relief for up to 3-4 months.

Other disorders involving the involuntary contraction of the muscles, such as spasticity, have been effectively treated with BOTOX® in Canada since October 2001. From mild to severe, spasticity is often the result of a metabolic disease or a lasting condition following trauma, such as a stroke. Patients normally experience a minimum of three months of alleviation from their disorder following an injection.

In August of 2001, Health Canada approved the use of BOTOX® for the treatment of excessive sweating, also known as hyperhidrosis, in the armpit area. This was passed just a few months after its approval to treat glabellar lines.

BOTOX® can treat several other indications. These indications include migraines, back pain, and overactive bladder syndrome. It is also currently being researched for the ability for the treatment of other cosmetic uses.

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