What Are Off-Label Applications for BOTOX®?
New FDA approvals for prescription medications tend to get a lot of media attention, especially if the medication is BOTOX®. Long a favorite mentioned in newspaper headlines and magazine articles, the injectable has a string of official approvals from the Food and Drug Administration to its name, with three of them focusing specifically on cosmetic applications. But when it comes to BOTOX®, New Jersey-based board-certified dermatologist Dr. Robin Levin knows that it can do a lot more—and she has the experience and track record to prove it.
At her practice, South Jersey Skin Care & Laser Center, Dr. Levin and her providers use BOTOX® Cosmetic for more than half a dozen applications, all of them deemed both safe and effective after her years spent working with the injectable and considering the results reported by physicians far and wide. First, the FDA-approved uses:
FOREHEAD LINES
The telltale horizontal lines are most apparent when the eyebrows are raised as in surprise or alarm. Injections into the frontalis muscle relax it, keeping the furrows from becoming visible, even when the eyebrows shoot upward.
FROWN LINES
Sometimes referred to as the 11’s for their resemblance to the very vertical number, these wrinkles—known medically as glabellar lines for their relationship to the glabella—grow deeper with every scowl or brow knit in concentration. Controlled by the procerus muscle and the corrugator muscles, frown lines can be temporarily smoothed away by BOTOX®.
CROW’S FEET
They may call to mind bird claws, but they are technically referred to by the more clinical name of lateral canthal lines. The orbiculus oculi muscles are responsible for moving the skin to the left of the left eye and right of the right eye, where fine, web-like wrinkles can form as people squint, smile broadly, or laugh.
Off-label uses for BOTOX® Cosmetic extend beyond the upper portions of the face and are not limited to softening wrinkles—though that is still a common application. Uses include injections to treat:
LOW EYEBROWS
If eyebrows sit at rest too low on the face, the result can be a perennial appearance of anger or confusion. Too high, and it looks like life is little more than a constant series of surprises. When applied to just the right muscles in the right amounts, BOTOX® Cosmetic can be used to position the eyebrows in an ideal position somewhere between alarm and sagging.
BUNNY LINES
Forming below frown lines, these creases appear thanks to the wrinkling motion of the nose, such as when someone smells something gross. Twitching the nose so that it stays in constant motion—and creates the wrinkles—calls to mind the ever-active nose of a bunny, giving these lines their name.
LIP LINES
The mouth is an incredibly active area of the face, so it should be no surprise that wrinkles easily form here due to the dynamic motion. Lip lines can radiate outward from the circle that so easily smiles, frowns, and plays a major role in not just expressions, but speaking and eating throughout the day.
GUMMY SMILE
Some people smile with much more than their teeth—whether they want to or not. For anyone who wants to keep their gums more discreetly tucked away behind the lips, BOTOX® Cosmetic can be used to stop over-retraction of the upper lip.
DIMPLED CHIN
Small divots in the chin can appear due to muscle overactivity, which is easily addressed by relaxing the muscles.
NECK BANDS
Protrusion by muscles in the jaw area can lead to the development of neck bands, also known as playsmal bands. When used by an experienced injector, BOTOX® Cosmetic can keep the muscles more in place.
DOWNTURNED MOUTH
If the corners of the mouth turn downward when at rest, creating a perpetual frown, the related muscles can be made to relax, resulting in a more friendly expression.
Learn more about on-and off-label uses for BOTOX® at New Jersey’s South Jersey Skin Care & Laser Center. Visit sjskincare.com or call (856) 810-9888.
