There’s a botulinum toxin type A gel currently being examined as an alternative to Botox, without the jab. Smear it on and researchers say it will help get rid of moderate to severe wrinkles around the eyes (i.e. crow’s feet).

The botulinum toxin type A in the gel penetrates the skin and gets to the muscle with the assistance of peptides. The gel, to be administered by a physician, stays on the skin for about half an hour, after which it is wiped off. Favourable results were shown to appear after a month (however news reports didn’t indicate whether it was a month of applications or just a month after the initial treatment). Side effects included redness, but nothing much else.

While it could be a great alternative to Botox, we’ll have to wait and see if first, clinical trials continue to show its effectiveness, second if it’s approved by the FDA and Health Canada, then finally if it actually can match the abilities of Botox. Looking forward to seeing the outcome of the gel!

Botox fans are getting their faces massaged to improve the tone of their paralyzed muscles, giving it the workout that Botox has deprived it of. This also boosts blood circulation, which achieves a dewy glow that is often lost with too much Botox.

The deep tissue massage is performed by hand and includes a facial. Apparently, celebrities Kate Moss and Liz Hurley are big fans (although I don’t think they’ve ever admitted to getting Botox’ed). How about Nicole Kidman?

For the quarter ending March 31, 2010, the pharmaceutical company reported total product net sales were $1,105.8 million, showing an increase of 11.2% over the first quarter in 2009. Perhaps sales were helped by the FDA approval of BOTOX®for another therapeutic purpose on March 9, 2010: to treat adults with upper limb spasticity suffering from increased muscle stiffness in the fingers, wrist and elbow. On the same day, amendments were also made to the agreement with Glaxo Group Limited regarding BOTOX® sales in Japan and China. Allergan maintains the rights to sell BOTOX® to be used for cosmetic purposes, while Glaxo maintains the rights to sell the product to be used for therapeutic purposes.

Allergan estimates that the total product net sales for the second quarter will range from $1,190 million to $1,230 million.

Gayle Rothenberg originally used the real version of Botox but stopped in January 2004 after the distributor raised the price. She switched to the fake version because it was far less expensive (half the price).

Although she was convicted of defrauding patients in 2007, the verdict was overturned. This conviction is based on mislabeling and making false statements to law enforcement.

A simple way to determine whether the Botox you’ll be receiving is the real thing, just look at the label on the vial prior to injection. It should have a hologram on it that says “Allergan”, which is the manufacturer of Botox Cosmetic. If there is no hologram or it doesn’t say Allergan anywhere on the label, then it’s not Botox. Do not proceed with the injection because you could suffer serious risks and complications.

Spasticity of the elbow, wrist and fingers can result from trauma or diseases, including trauma affecting the brain and multiple scelrosis. Patients receiving Botox for this problem experience less pain and stiffness in the treated muscle(s), allowing them to carry on with daily activities more easily. Botox is believed to be effective since it targets the spastic muscles, blocking communication between the nerves and muscles. This induces paralysis, allowing the muscles to relax.

Approval was passed in mid March. The FDA limited treatment to adults only.

Botox is also approved for spasms of the neck that result from cervical dystonia.

However, many believe that a voluntary register is insufficient to truly make an impact, since it would be up to the medical professional to register and the patients to check whether their practitioner has the seal of approval. As a result, critics support statutory regulation instead, in the same way that it currently exists for laser skin treatments and chemical peels. For the past few years, the government has rejected statutory regulation of Botox and injectable fillers due the cost of putting such move into effect.

We think that a “seal of approval” would help, but it shouldn’t be something to completely rely on. Consumers should still examine the credentials and reputation of a medical professional, whether they’ve been “approved” or not.

Could this be true? Could Botox actually help fight one of modern society’s most common mental disorders?

Researchers at the University of Cardiff have found that Botox helped to improve the mood of 12 out of 25 participants who underwent cosmetic treatments for wrinkles. The other 13 had injectable fillers or other types of cosmetic treatments. An improvement in mood was shown about 2 weeks after treatment, when all of the study’s participants completed a questionnaire regarding their overall mood. The participants who received Botox were less depressed and anxious. This is believed to be a result of the participants’ inability to form certain negative facial expressions, particularly frowning. However, since Botox achieves only temporary results, the improvement in mood may also last only temporarily.

The findings are important since they may be able to assist in developing new treatments for depression (with the added benefit of rejuvenating the patient’s face!) The traditional form of treatment is generally medication and therapy.

Depression is a mental disorder that is characterized by a depressed state of being, lack of interest, sleeplessness, irritability and low self esteem. Severe forms of depression, when left untreated, can lead to suicide. The World Health Organization estimates that about 121 million people are affected by the disability worldwide.

Glabellar lines may be treated with injectable fillers effectively, particularly when the wrinkles are deeper set. Injectables add volume and fill in wrinkles, smoothing out the area to achieve a desirable result. On the other hand, Botox paralyzes the muscles that cause the skin to wrinkle, which then relaxes the skin thereby smoothing it out. This is the key difference between injectable fillers and Botox.

1. No surgery involved, which means you don’t need to take time off of work, lock yourself up inside your home, away from the critical public eye after the procedure, or get some nasty incision and the resulting scar.

2. Targets the actual muscle creating the wrinkle, not just the skin over it. This is considered far more effective than more superficial treatments.

3. You may need to reduce the discomfort of the injection with a topical anesthetic (numbing cream), but you definitely won’t need anything stronger, like general anesthetic or sedation (which are related to a host of negative side effects).

4. Gets rid of wrinkles in a number of areas, like the forehead, between the eyebrows, and more. Just ask your physician for more details.

5. If you don’t like how the results look after treatment, no problem. The results are temporary.

6. Got a stubborn migraine? You can get rid of it with Botox!

You may find physicians offering Reloxin at a lower price due to its larger vials (containing 500 units rather than 100 for Botox). Another difference between the two wrinkle fighters is that the key ingredient is suspended in lactose instead of the sodium chloride used for Botox. However, the same level of care should be taken with Reloxin as you would with Botox because a serious concern with the product is that it can spread faster and farther through the muscles. This may make it more difficult to control the results in areas that require more precision.