The COVID-19 pandemic put the brakes on non-essential medical services. Many ophthalmologists paused services during the height of lockdown to avoid virus transmission, but most are now open and adding virtual visits. Here’s what you should know.
More BOTOX® and botulinum type A cosmetic injections were performed in 2019 than in any other year since this application was introduced in 2002 — some 7.7 million treatments.
Yet it was about 30 years earlier that BOTOX found its first use: treating strabismus, commonly known as crossed eyes.
The unique chemical mechanism of BOTOX induces temporary partial paralysis when injected into muscles. Strabismus results from an imbalance of muscle strength, pulling the eyeballs unevenly.
BOTOX blocks these imbalanced movements, relieving the crossed eye condition. When used cosmetically, it reduces wrinkles around and between the eyes and on the forehead by relaxing the underlying muscles that shape the skin above them.
The best BOTOX treatments stem from a thorough knowledge of the anatomy of the muscles around your eyes, so who better than to administer your BOTOX treatment than the ophthalmologists at IC Laser Eye Care?
The active ingredient in BOTOX derives from the neurotoxin that causes botulism, a serious food poisoning. Despite those dire origins, BOTOX contains an incredibly dilute version of the toxin, nowhere near the concentrations encountered through compromised food sources.
Researchers harnessed the mild effects of BOTOX as a potential treatment for strabismus in the 1970s. While testing the product, they noticed that certain wrinkles above the nose and between the eyes began to ease.
The FDA approved BOTOX for treating strabismus and other eye conditions in 1989, but it wasn’t until 2002 that the FDA approved cosmetic use on glabellar lines (those wrinkles above the nose), followed by crow’s feet approval in 2013. BOTOX is also FDA approved for treating:
BOTOX is used off-label at a doctor’s discretion for other conditions where overactive or chronically contracted muscles contribute to symptoms.
BOTOX represents the first time a microbe has been used in a therapeutic way. Perhaps because of this, BOTOX was subjected to extensive clinical testing.
There is yet to be a confirmed case of harmful reaction to the medication when it’s used as directed.
In the early days of cosmetic use, injections may have been overdone or placed incorrectly, resulting in unwanted results, or looking like you had “work” done.
When used cosmetically, BOTOX only works on one type of wrinkle: those that form over muscles that remain semi-permanently contracted.
Crow’s feet and glabellar lines form over muscles that contract when you squint. To effectively relax the muscles in question, an intimate knowledge of the muscle anatomy in the treatment area is crucial.
It’s a matter of millimeters between successful treatments and not-quite-right experiences. Our doctors at IC Laser Eye Care are ophthalmologists and eye surgery experts. They can identify the right muscles for injection, an important skill since the placement of injections varies between patients.
For expert Botox treatment, contact IC Laser Eye Care to arrange your personal consultation today.
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