Health Matters: Botox is More than a Wrinkle Fighter
The word Botox is usually associated with one thing, fixing wrinkles.
Botox was first used to correct uncontrollable blinking.
Soon, doctors realized in the areas they were injecting with Botox, wrinkles started to disappear.
In a time where looks and Hollywood dominate, many don’t realize Botox goes far beyond just cosmetics.
“I think of Paris Hilton, Kim Kardashian, celebrities and stuff,” says Mikayla Gessell of Sartell, Minn.
“I think you think west coast and people getting injections in their face to get rid of wrinkles,” says Steve Ondracek of Valley City, N.D.
Botox, many think of it as just a cosmetic procedure.
“Normally I think of it as an elective procedure for wrinkles and what not but I also have a friend who uses it for pain. She gets Botox injections she’s got a bunch of joint and arthritis type issues,” says Kateri Skunes of Moorhead, Minn.
And that’s just one of the uses.
With a simple injection, Botox paralyzes the muscles and because of that it’s used to treat a variety of medical issues.
Michael Blankinship is a dermatologist at Essentia Health.
While he uses Botox to erase wrinkles, he has another use for it.
“A fair number of us also inject it for excessive sweating,” says Dr. Blankinship.
But it’s not just being used by dermatologists.
“It can be used in muscle groups causing trouble or pain in cerebral palsy,” says Dr. Blankinship.
And there’s more.
“It’s meant to paralyze muscles to treat migraines and uncontrolled blinking,” says Dr. Blankinship.
He says cosmetic injections are usually done about every three to four months, quite the opposite than those with heavy sweating.
“Most people will have enough effectiveness they will only get injections twice a year.”
While the medical benefits of Botox are not quite known, it could be worth looking into.
Dr. Blankinship says he treats patients for excessive sweating primarily of the armpits but he also deals with areas including the scalp, palms and soles.
