The Many uses of Botulinum Toxin (Botox, Xeomin, Dysport)

 

By: Dr. Jennifer Guthrie

 

 

MedClub by Dr. Jenn – Palm Beach, FL

Concierge Physician

 

 

 

 

In the last few years there have been numerous advancements in the cosmetic and functional medical fields. Some of these have been spearheaded by the research and trials performed using botulinum toxin. This amazing toxin has the ability to paralyze muscles under a doctors supervision, implemented correctly this can aid or correct many ailments caused by spasticity. Botulinum was first developed (probably by accident) for the treatment of excessive blinking (-blepharospasm) and a noticed a pleasant side effect of diminished wrinkles around the eyes.  Hence Botox as we know it was born.

 

 

Excessive Sweating is fairly common in males and females between ages 16-50. It is something of an annoyance to most men but to women, it is dreadful. Being out and about and having those dark circles of sweat appear under your arms while simply standing around; is one of the most embarrasing moments a person can have. To suffer this over and over chronically is a traumatic experience for anybody in social situations. Luckily Botox applied correctly with iodine to pinpoint the muscles causing the sweating is a viable option. It is however expensive so be prepared to use your credit card, typically an average of 100+ units is necessary to stop the perspiration. You can expect to spend anywhere from $8-12 per unit depending on where you go, and who you see. If your Botox is done by a nurse it is more than likeley going to be cheaper than if it is injected by an MD, and where you are matters as well. Prices for Botox in Palm Beach, Boca Raton, and Jupiter Florida are usually within a radius average of about $9-14 per unit.

At MedClub by Dr. Jenn we do not charge by he area because it is harder to give a straight forward price since botulinium toxin is measured in 0.1mL units. Major cities for example are going to be more expensive because of the demand. This is not the type of procedure you want to be cheap about, especially not with the amount of units and specialized placement of the botulinum toxin. $9 or $10/u is a great deal for brand name Botox, the cost of the product for physicians is about $6.25 per unit from allergan so if you are offered Botox for anything around that number, or less, it is probably not Botox, or chances are its expired from over seas. Xeomin is also a great option for this procedure since it performed as well as Botox in all of our clinical tests, and since the brand name is not as well known just yet the price is still affordable. We quote our excessive sweating procedures at about $8/u for anything above 100 units. If you want to find out if this is the condition you have just visit any doctors office and ask them to perform a iodine test on your under arm area, if they are not trained in Botox injection, they will refer someone who is. Or if you are in the West Palm Beach area; simply call Dr. Jenn.

 

 

So now on to the “Migraine Headache” and an answer to the prayers of those who suffer from chronic migraines. Botox & Xeomin are both equally good choices for this condition. Treatment for migraines up until now hasn’t been all that exciting, theres the patches, pain pills, excedrin, caffein, and strong meds. Although none of these prevent migraines from happening, they seem to only dull the electric sting of the sensation temporarily. Migraines can be caused by many factors, some of which being a TMJ (also treatable with Botox) spastic muscles pressing nerves, neck injuries, scar tissue, inflammation, among other things. The treatment method used here is a cover all method treating the base of the neck, upper trapezius, forehead, temple area, massetter muscle in the jaw (TMJ) and forehead. Our patients have felt results in as little as 5 minutes but on average Botox and Xeomin take a few days to kick in, sometimes up to 10 days. The cool thing about this treatment is the spasticity of muscles treated is reduced or paralyzed thus resulting in the prevention of future migraines. Imagine going 6 months or 1 year without a migraine, is that worth $1000 ?

 

Botox injections are used to reduce excess muscle activity caused by dystonia. The injection enables the Botox to be targeted directly into the muscles affected by dystonia. The toxin has an effect on the nerves at the junction with the muscles acting as a blocker preventing release of the chemical messenger acetylcholine which is responsible for making the muscle contract. As a result, the signals that would normally be telling the muscle to contract are paralyzed and the muscle spasms are reduced or eliminated.

 

 

 

Finally we have the cosmetic side of everything, and we are all pretty clear on what Botox and Xeomin can do here. Reduce wrinkles, and signs of age, soften the lines produced in the crows feet area that give men that squinty older look they hate so much. Now how about we briefly go over what it doesn’t do, and heres why I say this; often we have patients who think Botox is a miracle cure for age. It is not that at all. They think it will get rid of “creases” that have been ingrained in their skin for years, Botox does not treat creases, that is made when skin folds together for too long and loses the volume to fill the crease line back in. This is part of aging. Now the muscle that contracts and creates “wrinkles” is treatable with Botox, but the crease from years of ignoring a wrinkle is certainly not. They can be softened with regular Botox maintenance and time but they will not usually vanish completely without some form of skin resurfacing, such as a Vampire Facial treatment to rebuild lost volume using stem cells or equivalent. This is precisely the reason more men and women are starting to do Botox maintenance earlier and earlier in life, so they never develop the wrinkles, or lines, or dreaded creases.

We even have clients who practice facial stillness in hopes of slowing the metabolization rate of Botox, and thwarting the formation of lines. So you see it is all in the maintenance program you start early on, the longer you wait, the harder it becomes to turn back the clock. If you are looking to try Botox in the Palm Beach area we are more than happy to answer questions or make a private house call, but please remember this is cosmetic medicine performed by an M.D. so please do not haggle about the price. In the cosmedical world if you are cheap, you will get the results you pay for. This is your face we are talking about, lets agree it is worth the money to get the very best quality! You can expect to use about 25-50 Units on the face, depending on age, muscle severity, and treatment area. Anything less than 25 units is in my opinion a waste of time, you will be coming back for Botox in am month or two and unhappy with the result. If you want to have it done, do what the doctor recommends, as long as they have been trained in cosmetic medicine, they are capable of making a good recommendation. Why people try to take their care into their own hands is beyond me, you wouldn’t tell your doctor how to treat your cancer, or your electrician how to wire your house, but every woman seems to have a strong opinion about her Botox, how much, where, when, ad infinitum. All we are suggesting is that if you trust your doctor, if they have great reviews, than go with the suggestion they make, they do after all, do this all day long.

 

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