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Last updated: 04/02/2009
Initially BOTOX® had only been approved for medical indications such as blepharospasm and dystonia. In 2002, the FDA approved the use of BOTOX® for use in certain cosmetic procedures, specifically to relax the glabellar muscles that cause...
a “furrowed brow.” Despite only recent FDA approval for the aesthetic indications, BOTOX® was used “off label” for cosmetic procedures for quite some time.
a “furrowed brow.” Despite only recent FDA approval for the aesthetic indications, BOTOX® was used “off label” for cosmetic procedures for quite some time.
According to the manufacturer’s website, BOTOX® Cosmetic was the most popular physician-administered aesthetic procedure in the United States for the last four years with over three million treatments performed in 2005 alone.
The use of botulinum toxin injections for cosmetic purposes is generally reserved for adults between the ages of 18 and 65. The approved cosmetic indication for BOTOX® is to improve moderate to severe glabellar (lower forehead) lines; however it is routinely used around the eyes, mouth and other facial regions. The toxin should not be given to anyone that is allergic to any component of the injection. Also, anyone who has a history of neuromuscular diseases such as Lambert-Eaton syndrome or myasthenia gravis may not be a candidate for cosmetic treatment with BOTOX®.
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Other Information
Botulinum toxin is a medication and a neurotoxic protein produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. It is the most toxic protein known with an LD50 of roughly 0.005-0.05 µg/kg. Despite this, it is used in minute doses, in some parts of the world, to treat muscle spasms. It is sold commercially under the brand names Botox, Dysport, Myobloc, Neurobloc and Xeomin for this purpose. Botox Cosmetic and Vistabel are available for cosmetic treatment. The terms Botox (Cosmetic), Vistabel, Dysport, Myobloc, Neurobloc and Xeomin are trade names and are not used generically to describe the neurotoxins produced by C. botulinum.
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