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.