Botox: from Beauty Craze to Wonder Drug

Botox: From Beauty Craze to Wonder Drug

When people think of new fashion trends they normally think of clothes, but the newest beauty craze that has hit the middle age market is Botox. Botox injection therapy, although not completely new, has come out swinging since being approved for use in cosmetic improvements in 2002. Botox is used to eliminate the look of aging by reducing the appearance of wrinkles on the face, neck and hands. Most commonly, patients use Botox to eliminate crow’s feet around the eyes, wrinkles on the forehead, and frown or laugh lines. It has become such a popular and ‘user friendly’ alternative to traditional cosmetic surgery, many women and even celebrities host Botox parties to share the experience with their friends. Botox parties are held in private homes, in doctor's suites, at hotels and even spas. Celebrities such as Celine Dion, Cher, Madonna and even Sylvester Stallone are rumored to have gone under the Botox needle; but only a few such as Joan Rivers have credited Botox to helping their skin look younger. Although Botox has been promoted as the miracle cure for aging, for many people who suffer from debilitating disorders or chronic pain, it has proven to be a wonder drug.

So, what is Botox? Botox is the market name for type A botulinum toxin which is a purified form of the toxin produced by the bacteria, clostridium botulinum. This bacteria is commonly associated with food poisoning and is lethal in large doses. The botulism toxin could paralyze vital muscles needed for breathing. Although related to botulism food poisoning, the amounts of Botox given are so minimal and localized, that the toxin will not spread to any other muscles in the body, thus making it a safe and harmless procedure. When used cosmetically, tiny amounts of Botox are injected into wrinkles; they relax the surrounding muscles and smooth the skin. One Botox treatment can show visible results for three to six months. The Botox procedure is preferred to cosmetic surgery because it is non-surgical, safe, simple, and patients can return to full activity immediately after the procedure.

Today, Botox is not only used for beauty but is also used to treat a variety of problems, such as migraines, neck pain, excessive sweating, body odor, morbid obesity, carpal tunnel syndrome, stroke paralysis, incontinence and clubfoot in infants to name just a few. It has become a life savor for many people with debilitating disease or disorders. Using Botox as a medical treatment has recently hit close to home when my Mom was diagnosed two years ago with a rare vocal disorder called spasmodic dysphonia. The origin of this disorder was originally thought to be psychoneurotic, but in recent years it has become classified as a movement disorder of the larynx. Spasmodic dysphonia involves uncontrollable “spasms" of the muscles in the vocal cords that cause interruptions in speech which affect the quality of a person’s voice. In the more common type, adductor spasmodic dysphonia (ADSD), vocal cords prematurely tighten when speaking which causes a squeaky high pitch voice. In the type of dysphonia my mom has, abductor spasmodic dysphonia (ABSD), when she talks, her vocal cords don’t close when they are supposed to which results in a breathy, whispery voice. Her voice seemed to get worse over time, it was less able to understand what she was saying and the less words she could get out at a time. She is mentally perfect and it is a very frustrating disorder to live with. Although my mom has the rare form of this dystonia, none of the two types have known cures; in the past it was just something she had to deal with. When she heard that Botox was being used as a treatment to lessen the symptoms that go along with her disorder, she was shocked to find out that this was the same substance that was used for cosmetic improvement. Botox was first published as a treatment for patients with spasmodic dysphonia 15 years ago due to the drastic improvement it had on their speech. This treatment is the only hope for patients with spasmodic dysphonia.

To treat ADSD, Botox is injected into the thyroarytenoid muscle by passing the needle between the cricoid and thyroid cartilages and into the vocal fold. For ABSD patients, the posterior cricoarytenoid muscle is usually the one injected. Although dosages and injection techniques vary, Botox has become the choice of most patients and physicians for treating spasmodic dysphonia for its immediate relief. Botox injection leads to symptom relief for up to six months and occasionally longer with few or no long term effects. Making the decision to go through with the Botox treatments for my mom’s disorder was hard since the Botox is expensive, painful, is not guaranteed to help and may even make her disorder worse. But living with spasmodic dysphonia can be very frustrating. Talking was my mom’s favorite thing to do. As a Delta flight attendant, explaining her disorder to anyone from work could jeopardize her job so she had to let people assume the cause of her whispery voice. She frequently heard comments such as “Wow, you have a terrible cold”, “Did you just wake up?”, or “Your cell phone must be breaking up, I can’t hear you”. Knowing her voice wasn’t going to get any better and Botox injection is the current choice of treatment at this point for her disorder, she decided to go under the needle. I stood by her while the doctor administered the shots. It was scary for me to watch and I can’t even imagine what my mom was going through. The doctor rubbed a topical pain reliever on her neck and the he started the procedure. It looked like he was jabbing a needle into her neck several times but this is usual because the cricoarytenoid muscle is sometimes difficult to reach. The needle was longer then I had expected but it needed to be to go through all the tissue and muscle. The entire treatment only took 15 minutes and my mom was ready to leave. She experienced a slight discomfort in swallowing for about a few days afterwards. She had to be cautious when drinking liquids so she wouldn’t choke because she had minimal control of her muscles in her throat. She was advised to drink out of a straw and avoid hot liquids for about three days. At first her voice sounded like Minnie Mouse, the opposite of the whispery voice she had before. This is typical because the Botox tightened the lyrnix muscles, but after a short time, her voice was pretty much normal. My mom was soon able to engage in a conversation with little stigma of her voice stopping. However, this recuperation didn’t come without any effort on my mom’s part. Approximately 10 days after her procedure, my mom returned to her doctor to go through voice therapy. The therapy was to help her extend the effects of injection as well as to give her control over her new voice.

So although Botox may be the newest beauty craze sweeping Hollywood, it’s important not to overlook its importance as treatment for many illnesses and disorders. It not only has the ability to take years off someone’s face, but it can also save lives. Botox has provided relief for my mom from a disorder that was taking over her life and it has given her the opportunity to communicate again. The first time my mom was able to speak without any interruptions was a special moment; it brought tears to my eyes and it brought a brighter future for her. The ability to talk is something that most of us take for granted. Botox has allowed my mom to keep her job. Botox is a miracle drug and should be given the credit it deserves.