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Press release from The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (November 2001)

ORLANDO, Fla. - - - Botox®, a purified, botulinum A toxin used to block nerve impulses and temporarily paralyze muscles that cause wrinkles, is safe and effective for non-traditional uses in facial rejuvenation according to a study presented today at the 70th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) in Orlando. Botox® can also be used in conjunction with surgeries such as forehead lifts, facelifts, and eyelid surgery; to combat migraine headaches; and to eliminate hyperhydrosis (excessive perspiration).

Traditionally, plastic surgeons have used Botox® on patients who desired to non-surgically diminish dynamic wrinkles on their neck or top third of their face. Dynamic wrinkles, caused by years of facial movement, include frown lines (vertical lines between the eyebrows), forehead creases, and crow's feet.

The study reports that Botox® can be used for the central face and mouth to rid patients of wrinkles underneath the lower eyelid, along the nasal fold, underneath the lower lip, and vertical creases above the upper lip where lipstick may run.

"The new facial uses for Botox® tackle problem areas that aging patients have complained about, but for which we never had a non-surgical remedy," said Alan Matarasso, MD, co-author of the study and associate professor of plastic surgery at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. "With Botox®, patients get rid of wrinkles in a 5 to 10 minute procedure. Since there is little or no discomfort, patients can literally return to their normal routines immediately following the procedure."

Another new use for Botox® is the chemical brow lift, which involves injecting Botox® into areas between and at the outer corners of the eyebrows.

"As people age, eyebrows tend to lose their arch, becoming more horizontal," said Dr. Matarasso. "A chemical brow lift can recreate a more arched, youthful brow, producing similar results to a traditional brow lift but without the surgery."

Botox® is also effective when used after a surgical procedure such as a forehead lift, facelift, or eyelid surgery. It can be used in combination with a forehead lift to eradicate residual lines or wrinkles, located between the eyebrows that may still be present after the procedure. Finally with eyelid surgery, which primarily adjusts the lower fat pads under the eye, Botox® can eliminate crow's feet that may still be present after the procedure.

According to the New York Headache Center, approximately 28 million Americans suffer from migraine headaches. One reason migraines may occur is from overworked (tense) muscles in the forehead. Injecting Botox® into the same areas on the forehead as patients seeking cosmetic benefits, has shown to relieve tension headaches by relaxing overworked muscles.

Botox® can also be used to treat hyperhydrosis, a serious and sometimes embarrassing excessive sweating disorder of the underarms, hands, and feet. The muscles surrounding each sweat gland work "over time" in patients with hyperhydrosis. When Botox® is injected, the muscle relaxes and prevents the gland from secreting sweat.

ASPS, founded in 1931, represents physicians certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) or the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. To find ABPS-certified plastic surgeons in your area or to learn more about cosmetic and reconstructive surgery, call the Plastic Surgery Information Service at (888) 4-PLASTIC (475-2784) or visit www.plasticsurgery.org.

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