The Wonder Drug

Created on 10th July 2009

The anti-ageing properties of Botox have been well documented in recent years with celebrities extolling its virtues. But are you aware of its other uses?

Dr Anthony O'Neill of Suffolk Medical Clinic in Boxford and his wife Jenny, a Registered Nurse have been using Botox to treat a variety of complaints since the clinic opened ten years ago. "When people think of Botox, it tends to be its anti-ageing properties but it has many different uses -many of which are even more life-changing," he says.

The treatment can treat excessive sweating, alleviate the pain of migraine or even correct a gummy smile.

Anti-ageing
The most popular use for Botox - you'll all have heard how these injections are used to combat wrinkles, the most obvious sign of ageing. Botox is injected into the affected area and temporarily relaxes the targeted muscles so we can't make the expressions which are causing our wrinkles. Eventually these lines are softened and, in many cases, disappear completely.

Migraine
Migraines are suffered by six million people in Britain, 10 per cent of the population. It is by far the most common neurological condition and Botox has been found to be an effective way of tackling the headaches and vomiting, reducing migraine frequency and severity.

Hooked nose
Botox can be used to great effect on patients with hooked noses (or, as one client called it, her ‘wicked witch' nose). We inject a small amount of Botox into the muscle that is pulling down the tip of the nose and the ‘hook' is corrected.

Non-surgical jaw and neck lift (Nefertiti lift)
This treatment involves injecting Botox into the jaw line and neck to relax muscles underneath the skin. The effect is a sharper jaw line and better profile - it is known as the non-surgical facelift.

Gummy smile
When some people smile, their upper lip is pulled too far above their upper teeth, exposing gums and producing an unattractive ‘gummy smile'. We can correct this by injecting Botox to relax the elevation of the top lip when smiling.

Hyperhidrosis (or excessive sweating)
Excessive sweating is a serious medical condition that afflicts approximately 3 per cent of the population. However, more than half of these sufferers are untreated because they are unaware that Botox® is a very effective treatment for this disabling complaint. Botox works by blocking the nerve supply to the sweat glands which dramatically reduces the amount of sweat produced for up to seven months.

Bruxism (jaw clenching)

Botox relaxes the muscles which cause this problem, without affecting the ability to chew.
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