Botox Reduces Facial Scarring
A common treatment for wrinkles, Botox is now being used as an acne scar therapy. Botox, which is a drug that is a derivative of Botulism bacterium, is being shown to reduce the appearance of facial pits caused by acne. It does this by causing the muscles around the scars to relax.
According to Monash University’s Greg Goodman, “If it happens to be that… Botox can help to… relax that area so it doesn’t have so much stress on the existing scar tissue.” He also stated that Botox is generally used in conjunction with dermal fillers. These fillers are injected into a person’s skin after the Botox treatment to smooth the scar tissues.
Professor Goodman also found that while he was reviewing the use of Botox in the treatment of acne scars, that the Botox did indeed help to reduce the look of acne scars. He has published these findings in the Journal of Cutaneous Aesthetic Surgery.
Since Botox was introduced in 1999, it has been widely used to assist in the treatment of wrinkles. It has since been found to help lessen excessive sweating, help those afflicted with cerebral palsy to relieve their muscle spasms, and to aid chronic migraine sufferers with their pain. In 2009, cosmetic surgeons began to use Botox as an acne treatment after determining it could prevent excess oil and sebum production in skin pores. This excess build-up is a primary cause for the appearance of acne on your skin.
Botox works by obstructing the brains signals from the nervous system to the muscles, thus making them relax. This relaxation of the muscles is what reduces wrinkles and acne scarring. There are side effects of the drug, as with most any other. According to the Therapeutic Goods Administration, there have been 40 cases of unfavourable side effects in those who received the Botox treatment. Among those side effects, the most commonly reported were vomiting and fatigue. As with any cosmetic treatments, it is imperative that you discuss it at length with your doctor, to avoid complications and minimize the chances of adverse effects of treatment.
