Botox Uses Go Beyond Beauty

Famous for its ability to erase fine lines and wrinkles, Botox has been shown to provide relief for a laundry list of conditions since it was first approved for medical use 25 years ago. In fact, in 2013, more than half of the sales of Botox were for non-cosmetic uses, according to the Daily Mail.

Botox was first used to treat eye spasms, and is commonly used for children suffering from the limb stiffness of cerebral palsy. Botox has been officially approved for 12 conditions. Along with other botulinum toxins, it is being investigated for more than 20 medical uses.

Madison Cosmetic Surgery offers Botox treatments in Madison, Wisconsin, along with other non-surgical skin care options including Restylane, microdermabrasion and chemical peels.

Some of the many ailments Botox can treat include:

* Excessive sweating: Botox temporarily blocks the secretion of the chemical that turns on sweat glands. Studies have shown Botox injections in affected areas — armpits, hands, feet, face — reduce perspiration by more than 50 percent.

* Joint pain: Botox can block nerve signals that transmit pain messages to the brain, and can also ease muscle spasms and tightness around joints. It can help knee, shoulder and hip pain caused by osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis.

* Incontinence: Botox injected into the bladder wall reduces the spasming of the smooth bladder muscle, easing urge incontinence.

* Foot pain: A Mexican study found that six months after receiving Botox injections, patients with painful plantar fasciitis inflammation had faster and better recovery than those who were injected with steroids.

* Scars: Botox injected in and around thick keloid scars as they are healing can reduce the appearance of the scar.

* Back pain: A few studies have shown Botox to relieve pain by blocking communication between nerves and muscles, stopping or reducing spasms.

* Migrane: The FDA approved Botox for chronic migraine in 2010. In one study, 70 percent of migrane sufferers who received Botox injections into specific areas of their head and neck reduced their attacks by at least half.

* Teeth grinding: Botox is injected into the main chewing muscle to reduce involuntary clenching of the jaw muscles and tooth grinding.

Contact Madison Cosmetic Surgery to find out what our skilled surgeon can do for you.

Kelly Ripa Reveals Her Top Beauty Secret: ‘Botox Has Changed My Life’

Kelly Ripa certainly appears younger than her 43 years. Her bright appearance and bubbly personality earned her the coveted spot as host on the wildly popular morning show now called “Live! With Kelly and Michael.”

And she has been open to sharing her beauty tips with fans. On a recent episode of Bravo’s “Watch What Happens Live,” Ripa revealed her #1 secret is Botox. [Watch the video here.]

“Botox has changed my life,” she shared. “It’s cut my getting ready time in half.”

Ripa explained that she gets the treatment about every seven months, and it’s also benefitting her “Live!” beauty team. “Suddenly my eyelids are no longer resting on my eyelashes,” she said. “So I feel like it makes my makeup artist’s life easier, and it makes my eyes look a little more open on TV, which is where I happen to work right now.”

The hosts of “Watch What Happens” seemed surprised by her honesty and said they never suspected that she uses Botox. Ripa said she always strives for a natural appearance: “I think the key with anything is knowing what you look like and being a minimalist.”

Wisconsin plastic surgeon Dr. Clifford King offers a wide range of both surgical and non-invasive procedures, including Botox, at his Madison-area practice.

Madison Cosmetic Surgery can give you the glowing, rejuvenated appearance you desire with Botox, Restylane, microdermabrasion and chemical peels.

Botox is famous for dramatically reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles in the face, such as frown lines on the forehead and “crow’s feet” at the corners of the eyes, and can last as long as six months.

To schedule your treatment, contact Madison Cosmetic Surgery.

Chin Up: Botox Can Make You Feel Better Too, Studies Suggest

Is your appearance making you grumpy? Could changing your face also change your mood?

Two recent studies support the facial feedback hypothesis, that a person’s expression directly influences their mood. Using Botox to relax the facial muscles that produce unhappy expressions can help alleviate depression, research shows.

“There are several nerves, about 12 of them, that go straight into the brain through the skull,” psychiatrist Norman Rosenthal told the Washington Post.

His study with physician Eric Finzi, published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research, gathered 33 patients who met criteria for major depression. In the group, 17 of the subjects who received Botox injections showed at least a 50 percent improvement score in their depression symptoms.

The study proves Botox can be an effective supplement or alternative to anti-depressants and psychotherapy for treating depression, Rosenthal said. Botox, which doesn’t enter the bloodstream, has no known side effects.

Another trial, presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association in New York last month, also showed Botox injections to be effective in relieving clinical depression.

German researchers gave 30 patients — with both observable frowns and an insufficient response to standard treatments for depression — either Botox injections or saline injections (placebo group). After six weeks, depression indicators for the Botox patients dropped by an average of 47 percent, compared with 9 percent for placebo patients.

At Madison Cosmetic Surgery, we offer a full range of non-surgical skin care options to our patients. When you receive Botox treatments in Madison, Wisconsin, we are confident you will be pleased by your smoother, more-youthful appearance.

Contact us anytime to schedule a free private consultation. Dr. Clifford King focuses on customized treatment planning for your individual needs, giving all of his patients beautiful, natural-looking results that will have you smiling for months.