“Boytox” = Botox for Men
October 7th, 2013
Botulinum Toxin Type A or Botox ® remained the #1 non-surgical procedure last year. According to a recent report by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) 3,257,913 of these procedures were performed in the United States. Their survey found men’s injections of Botox rose to 342,048 in 2012, showing a slight increase. This growing market has coined two new terms, ‘Boytox’ (male Botox) and ‘Sweatox’ (anti-sweat Botox).
American men now represent about 10% of the patients having Botox procedures overall. In Europe, The Harley Medical Group, the UK’s largest cosmetic surgery provider, also saw a continued rise in the number of male patients having Botox injections. However men in the UK now account for 18% of the total patients having the anti-wrinkle procedures, which are slightly higher than in the US.
As we reported last month, Botox ® has now been approved by the FDA for additional usage to treat the eye wrinkles, that commonly referred to as “Crow’s Feet.†I expect the numbers of patients requesting the anti-wrinkle treatments to continue to swell, as the tsunami of American baby-boomers heads toward retirement at the rate of an estimated 10,000 baby boomers turning 65 years old every day for the next 20 years!
FROTOX = FROZEN + Botox ®
October 2nd, 2013
A new procedure being tested in the UK may give Botox ® some stiff competition. The procedure uses patented Focused Cold Therapy by Iovera, which lends itself to the nickname Fro-tox, is developed and designed by Myoscience, a Silicon Valley medical tech company. The new technique uses pressurized liquid nitrous oxide that travels at very high speeds down a fine 27G closed-end needle. Precise placement is aimed at making the nerves controlling wrinkles to become paralyzed. There is a degree of uncertainty with this procedure, because success depends on hitting the right nerves to achieve the desired result. It is not approved by the FDA in the US and while Botox ® has been around for more than 30 years and has a proven track record, the recent scientific innovations in the realm of anti-aging treatments is promising.
Last month, the FDA granted additional approval to Botox ® to be used for the temporary treatment of wrinkles around the eyes. Treatments last from 4-6 months and must be repeated for results to be ongoing. Currently, the only permanent remedy for wrinkle reduction and facial rejuvenation are fat graft injections. This procedure utilizes a patient’s own liposuctioned fat cells, that are injected into wrinkles to minimize them. This technique is similar to using injectable fillers, without the artificial compounds. I have found that my patients appreciate a having a natural option when addressing facial aging. The added benefit of the regenerative properties of fat grating methods makes it a desirable choice for my patients.
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