You never know from where the next revolutionary advancement in beauty will come. For example, a medication created for people suffering from cancer is now being used to help those with psoriasis. A drug originally marketed to treat the benign enlargement of the prostate has become useful for counteracting male pattern baldness.
Interestingly, the converse is also true. Certain products used for beauty treatments have proven to have super powers in fighting health problems. One of these stars: cosmetic wrinkle relaxers. Wrinkle relaxers do not only erase facial wrinkles. They also help de-bulk calf muscles, offer relief to migraine sufferers, reduce TMJ pain, and much more.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration first approved anti-wrinkle products for medical use in 1999. They were approved for cosmetic use (specifically, the treatment of vertical frown lines) in 2002.
In this article, the Costhetics team has put together a surprising list of ways that cosmetic injectables are making the world a happier and healthier place.
Cosmetic Injectables and Crossed Eyes
In the mid-1960’s, doctors were experimenting with ways to cure crossed eyes by administering paralytic potions to weaken the muscles causing the disorder. The same cosmetic injectable now used to smooth wrinkles proved to be an effective treatment for a variety of eye problems. Anti-wrinkle injections have also been shown to treat blurred vision (diplopia) and eyelid spasms.
Cosmetic Injectables for Migraine Headaches
Migraine headaches have been difficult, if not impossible, to treat in some patients. Doctors now believe that anti-wrinkle injections can be used to prevent pain signals from reaching nerve endings.
Doctors have found that administering injections to seven areas around the temples, forehead, neck and shoulders really work to ease migraine symptoms. The cost of quarterly treatments can be high, but given the effect of migraines on people laid low by debilitating head pain for as many as 15 days a month, it’s an expense many are willing to incur.
Cosmetic Injectables for Excessive sweating
It’s not a secret, but many people are still unaware that cosmetic anti-wrinkle injections are an effective cure for severe underarm sweating (also known as axillary hyperhidrosis), as well as sweaty palms and feet.
Treatments block the release of the chemical responsible for stimulating the sweat glands. Excessive sweating is not cured by the injections. They must be repeated every seven months.
Cosmetic Injectables and Urinary Incontinence
A 2012 study published in the journal European Urology found that anti-wrinkle injections could be useful in the treatment of urinary incontinence. Injected into the wall of the bladder, they’re an effective way to treat this debilitating condition. People in the study reported that the number of times they had symptoms (notably the sudden and uncontrollable urge to pass urine) decreased from six a day to less than one a day.
As with the treatments mentioned above, however, benefits are not permanent. Injections need to be re-administered about every six months.
But Wait, There’s More!
Additional studies reveal that anti-wrinkle injections can
- Decrease spasticity related to multiple sclerosis and other neurological conditions. The injections may help stop muscles from contracting or twitching involuntarily.
- Reduce the pain from tennis elbow.
- Relax tightened muscles and reduce twitching and unwanted muscle movements in patients suffering from Bell’s Palsy.
- Reduce or eliminate vocal and head tremors caused by nerve disorders.
Don’t we live in amazing times!