|
|
|
|
|
Digital Lifestyle makes for worry lines? Botox may be the answer?
Some interesting information coming out of the UK, where it is claimed that
Botox use has increased in an increasingly younger age group. No longer is Botox
the province of the middle-aged matrons, it is claimed. And the reason is put
down to squinting at computer and other LCD screens.
Medical experts at Court House Clinics in the UK believe the number of women in
their 20’s seeking Botox treatments is in part due to the rise of daily computer
use and smart phone technology.
They base some of this on the sales of smart phones. They state the analytics
company IDC has reported smart phone shipments of 144.9 million in Q1 of 2012
compared to 101.7 million units in Q1 in 2011. These figures, they say, along
with societal pressure to look eternally young has led to a massive increase in
the number of young women seeking Botox treatment. The increase being touted is
410 percent!
Dr Patrick Bowler - Medical Director Court House Clinics, says, “We have to
accept that our lifestyles are changing as fast as the technology boom is
altering our lives. Look around and we see people immersed in their mobiles.
Also most people now work with computer screens. When you look at people using
these devices they are concentrating hard. The natural reaction of the face when
concentrating is the “frown” or screwing up of the eyes. If you over use any
part of your face lines will develop. This can be seen with, for example,
smokers where the lip area becomes more lined and creased. The new generation of
young women are spending more time on these devices with the resultant
consequences. Women are now more aware that they can help prevent these lines
deepening with the use of treatments like Botox. It’s not about age, it’s about
treating the individual and what is happening to their face and there has been a
noted increase in younger women troubled by static frown lines in the last five
years.” Constantly peering down at a small screen such as the ones found on an
iPhone, Blackberry or other handheld device has caused more facial wrinkles to
appear in young women, he says.
Dr Bowler’s theory is one supported by Dr Sebagh of the US who amongst other
things has been responsible for treating celebrities like Cindy Crawford for
wrinkles. “The phenomenon of increased facial wrinkles can be seen on anyone who
has and regularly checks a Blackberry or iPhone,” said Dr Sebagh last year.
So what exactly is Botox? It is a prescription-only medical product that
contains tiny amounts of highly purified botulinum toxin protein refined from
the bacterium, Clostridium botulinum. Botox has a unique, protected molecular
structure that stabilizes the core toxin from degradation. When injected at
FDA-approved and labeled doses into a specific muscle or gland, the Botox
neurotoxin diffuses locally to produce a safe and effective result by producing
a localized and temporary reduction in the overacting muscle or gland, usually
lasting up to approximately three to ten months depending on the indication and
on the individual patient.
However, it should not be thought that Botox is purely for people with wrinkles.
According to the manufacturer Allergan, “Patients should receive their
treatments in an appropriate medical setting from people who are well trained.
We heavily discourage - we even mandate - that our sales people don’t go to
places like spas. We will supply to anyone who can establish their credentials
as a medical professional. If it’s someone new, we make sure they have a valid
license through a state medical society.”
Non-cosmetic use of Botox includes bladder treatment, for example. Researchers
at the University of Pittsburgh have found that injections of the Botulinum
toxin can help treat people who suffer from an overactive bladder. The patients
suffered from a variety of conditions, including multiple sclerosis, spinal cord
injury and stroke. Professor Michael Chancellor, an expert in urology and
gynecology at the University of Pittsburgh, said, “Bladder dysfunction affects a
staggering number of people worldwide. The use of Botox injections can offer
many of these patients a safe, but temporary, solution to this embarrassing
problem.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|