Botox proven to improve quality of life

It's no surprise to hear that Botox has been proven to increase a person's self-esteem-- who wouldn't feel better about themselves after having their fine lines and wrinkles erased?

However, it is interesting to hear that aside from self-esteem improvement, new studies show that Botox actually increases a person's quality of life, across the board...

In November 2010, researchers for the journal of Dermatologic Surgery conducted an experiment where 100 patients were given either Botox injections, or placebo saline injections. The participants were surveyed before the injections, and then again 2 weeks, and 3 months later. Questions asked were related to quality, satisfaction, and happiness of the participant's lives.
 

Once the results of all three surveys were tabulated (before injection, immediately after, and a few months after), the patients who received the real Botox injections showed statistically significant improvements in a wide variety of emotions related to self-esteem and quality of life; such as physical health, mood, household activities, overall life satisfaction, body satisfaction, self-consciousness, intelligence, self-worth, appearance, comprehension, weight satisfaction, attractiveness, and sense of well-being.

These findings tie into an idea suggested more than a century ago, when it was first suggested that facial expressions can send a message to the brain that influences emotions. For example, if the simple act of smiling can help make you feel happy, than frowning can negatively affect your mood. If the patients that were injected with the real Botox were physically unable to make the faces associated with stress/anger/upset, perhaps they were likewise spared from feeling those according unhappy emotions? 


For all of the good that Botox can accomplish, (anti-aging, anti-sweating, anti-migraine, perhaps anti-depression, etc.) it is definitely time for Botox to lose it's negative social stigma. Instead of looking at Botox like it's something to be ashamed or embarrassed about, it should be seen as the new Band-Aid or Tylenol, with a useful application for many a variety of ailments.

No surprise: Philly's top 3 skin treatments are America's top too!

With the absolutely amazing transformations that we see on a daily basis, further convincing was not necessary, but... it's always nice to know that (MANY!) others agree with you. 

According to the American Health & Beauty Reader's Choice Awards, Fraxel, Thermage, and Botox were all picked as the BEST treatments in their respective genres.

 Best Skin Tightening Devices: Thermage 

While skin tightening inquiries were high, the most popular skin tightening device was Thermage. With almost immediate improvements, no down time, and no risk, it is easy to understand why Thermage would be America's most popular choice for tightening the skin on their faces, neck, belly, thighs, buttocks, arms, etc... 

Used to treat sagging skin, wrinkles and discoloration, Thermage stimulates growth of new collagen, therefore tightening and improving skin's texture and contours. 

Best of Fillers/Injectables: Botox 

An oldy but goody: BOTOX is still number 1 when it comes to facial fillers/injectables! (Having been around since 1994, this is the oldest procedure on the list!) 

Despite the negative media hype regarding the use of Botox, people love it, and keep coming back to it again and again for it's wrinkle erasing abilities.  Despite several competitors entering the market this year, Botox remained the #1 preferred injectable.

Best Resurfacing/Rejuvenation Device: Fraxel 

Setting the gold standard for skin resurfacing, Fraxel (by the same company as Thermage, Solta Medical) was by far the most popular in its category. 

By promoting new collagen growth, Fraxel is able to rid the skin of acne scars, sun damage, uneven pigmentation, fine lines and wrinkles, scarring, stretch marks, and much more. 

What would you rather: slim body or young face?

A recent nation-wide study shows that the fanny is mightier than the face... When asked to choose between a slim body, or a young looking face, 60% of people chose a slim body. This is an interesting question for many reasons, one being that until rather recently having a "slim body" or a "young looking face" were mutually exclusive of each other.

Sources attribute French actress Catherine Denevue (pictured at left)for famously first stating this major conundrum many women of-a-certain-age face, when she said that at a certain point, women "have to choose between your fanny and your face."

Wise beyond her years, she succinctly describes the dilemma still faced by women today. 

By keeping a lean body, your face is more susceptible to the signs of volume loss that come with aging. If you keep extra weight on your body, your face benefits from an extra fullness which lends itself to a younger countenance, however your body might not be satisfactory to your liking. 

As Kathie Lee and Hoda discuss, thankfully there are now ways to manage never getting caught in this paradoxical rut. Due to the amazing advances of aesthetic medicine, people of all ages and sexes can now control their weight and their faces. (Thank you Botox, Fraxel, dermal-fillers, good skin-care products, etc., etc...)

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It's complicated: celebrities aging "naturally"

 

This is a world where appearance counts for a lot, and because of that, beauty and anti-aging technologies are constantly advancing and evolving.

As the procedures and techniques get better and more sophisticated, it is interesting to watch how the faces of the people who have the means and the desire, change (or stay the same, as the case may be) as a result of the best-of-the-best nips, tucks, zaps, and injections available. 

While there are countless celebs who look like freakish, plastic versions of their former selves (just off the top of my head, Mickey Rourke, Renee Zellweger,Meg Ryan) there are a number of celebrities who are aging beautifully. Whether it's due to great genes, or a great team of derms and aestheticians,  the celebrities featured here still look amazing despite the passing of time that just won't quit...

Julia Roberts (pictured above) still looks as beautiful today as she did 20 years ago when "Pretty Woman" came out, regardless of what she may, or may not, be doing to herself. Judging by the color of her skin then, and now, it appears she is doing herself a great favor by staying out of the sun.

Jennifer Aniston is known for being fanatical about her appearance, and lord knows her diligence is paying off. With the departure of her baby fat, I think she looks better today than she did 20 years ago. 

Whoever does her work is a treasure.

There's something about Ellen Barkin... despite having a look about her that betrays the fact that her appearance is NOT au naturel, she still looks good. (And, after divorcing billionaire Ronald Perelman, she is certainly a woman with the resources to have the best of anything done.)

Cindy Crawford belongs in the same, "Did she? Didn't she? Probably did, but jesus christ it's good work!" category as Sharon Stone, Sheryl Crow, and Andie McDowell. 

She looks too good, in a natural way, to be true-- which ironically is what gives her away. There's just no way she looks so perfect at age 44, due wholly to good genes. 

See, doesn't Sheryl Crow also look too amazing?

Sharon Stone too... amazing, but in the world of Hollywood there's no way she looks so flawless naturally. (Again, please note the clear avoidance of the sun. There might be a pattern here?)

Andie McDowell looks amazing. 

And then there's the men... 

Even though there are the plastic-fantastic Bruce Jenners and Nicholas Cages of the world, there are also the George's and the Johnny's that only seem to get better NATURALLY with age.  

In my humble opinion, George Clooney looks a million times hotter now than he did 20 years ago, gray hair, wrinkles, and all. 

 

While Johnny Depp's dirty, scruffy aesthetic is not my taste, there is no denying that his face looks only minutely different than it did 20 years ago. Since he has never cared about following the conventions of society, he is someone that I really do think is aging naturally. All I can say is-- his children are lucky to have those genes.

It was only while watching "It's Complicated" on TV the other day that I noticed how lovely something is about Meryl Streep. She is definitely not classically pretty, and even though it is my job to look at and improve skin all day, everyday, I couldn't help noticing how beautiful her skin looked despite the fine lines and wrinkles. When she smiled, the skin underneath her cheekbones crinkled and wrinkled, and on her I thought it looked beautiful; delicate, feminine, and the antithesis of what I strive for everyday. Weird. 

Meryl looks great for her age, and if she's doing anything cosmetic it appears to be the barest minimum. (Yet again, note her paleness.)

 

Susan Sarandon is another example of a woman that allows aging to occur, and looks great.

Nicole Kidman was so angelically pretty. 

Maybe I've just been looking at this picture for too long at this point, because although she usually does have the plasticky, fish lipped, too-much-Botox look, I think she looks pretty here? 

 

The celebrities featured here are all people whose livelihoods depend on their faces, and therefore I am not passing judgment on any treatments they may elect to have done. 

If anything, looking at pictures like this is inspiring because it shows that with the proper taste level, skill, and resources, it is possible to advance in age and still look like yourself... fabulously. 

P.S. Not to kick a dead horse here, but if you look closely at all the pictures, George Clooney and Jennifer Aniston seem to be only ones sporting natural looking tans. (Cindy and Nicole look like recipients of a good spray tan.) Practicing good sun health is clearly the easiest, do-it-yourself way to stave off premature aging for as long as possible. 

Botox "frequent-flyer-miles"

Not that I needed any sort of incentive to keep up with my Botox, but leave it to the geniuses at Allergan to concoct a way to incentivize us to stay on top of our Botox treatments, anyway! (Even though it's a bit hard to discern feelings in print, I am not being sarcastic at all. They really are very smart marketers!)

Allergan recently launched a rewards program, dubbed "Brilliant Distinctions". Akin to a "frequent flyer mile" situation, you are rewarded for every Botox/Juvederm treatment. 

Here's how it works; upon signing-up for the program, you are awarded "points" for every Botox or Juvederm treatment you receive. It doesn't matter how much of either consumable you use, just going through the act of the treatment qualifies you for points, so you are rewarded for frequency, not size. 

The points you are awarded translate into a dollar amount (200 points equals approximately $25.00) which can be saved up, or applied piece-meal to each treatment moving forward. (All of the legal fine-print and specific details can be found on the Brilliant Distinctions website.)

Although points are only given for Botox or Juvederm, the points can be redeemed on any Allergan product; including of course Botox or Juvederm, but also Latisse, or any Vivite skin care product. 

Depending on the timing, either Botox of Juvederm can be on special promotions where double or triple points are awarded for getting a treatment. 

Considering that Botox and Juvederm injections are treatments that are needed repeatedly, it is smart of Allergan to develop ways to incentivize  people to keep up with it.

Botox... the next quick way to lose weight?

When it comes to weight-loss, everyone loves a quick fix.

The idea of Thermage is usually a big tease in this arena. People looking to lose weight hear about this new laser treatment that promises to "tighten skin" and "contour the body" and they hopefully assume that this treatment is a way to easily drop a couple pounds. 

But...it's not. 

Thermage tightens skin that is loose for a variety of reasons (significant weight loss, pregnancy*, aging, etc.) but Thermage only affects the skin, it cannot do anything to the fat underneath it. A lot of excited would-be Thermage patients leave the office very disappointed when they hear this reality... 

The latest fly-by-night weight-loss solution that might actually just be the golden ticket,  comes from our very good friend, Botox. 

Although this concept is still in the very early stages of study and experimentation, research suggests that if Botox is injected into the stomach walls, the appetite can be significantly suppressed, resulting in decreased weight. (Is there anything Botox can't do?!) 

For the testing of this, patients are sedated before the injection so that the doctors can endoscopically view the patient's stomach to see the best points to inject. Upon injection, the Botox “temporarily relaxes the muscles of the stomach so that it can’t contract as vigorously, and you feel full faster and you eat less food,” explains Gastroenterologist Dr. Robynne Chutkan, founder of the Digestive Center for Women, on a recent episode of The Doctors. 

Clinical trials showed that stomachs treated with Botox retain the food longer, delaying emptying time and cutting the amount of food and liquid it takes a person to feel full, in half. Just like other Botox injections, it takes about two weeks for the botulinum toxin to reach its peak effect.

This study is in it's infancy though, as only ten patients so far have received this treatment. Dr. Chutkan, who tested this procedure on herself, admits that the feeling  “[is] subtle, but you definitely feel full faster.” She also  noted during this experiment, she lost seven pounds in three weeks. (A little higher than the recommended weight loss rate of 2lbs. per week, max.)

Botox is already being used off-label to solve a wide variety of physical problems including migraines, hair loss, vocal cord problems, hyper-sweating, and even an overly gummy smile.

The great thing about Botox is that it can be experimented with safely, because any effect it has is temporary. 

If weight-loss turns out to be another solution Botox can provide, I may need to snap up some Allergan stock asap. Here's to better living through chemistry...

*Picture shows a Thermage "before & after", where the female patient was done having children, and no amount of diet or exercise would shrink her skin back into shape. 

Stomach Botox injections for weight loss: