Botox 101: Waging war on more than just wrinkles

More than five million women across the globe had Botox last year. The interesting thing is, however, it isn’t just being used on those of us with more ‘life experience’ on our faces. A whole host of new uses have been discovered since its introduction into the world of aesthetics and they have proven to be hugely successful too. Here are some of the weird and quite wonderful uses:

• Excessive Sweating: Otherwise known as Hyperhidrosis. Whilst most people can produce around a litre of sweat per day; someone afflicted with Hyperhidrosis can produce up to ten times as much! The sweating can occur absolutely anywhere on the body and the Botox works by blocking the nerve messages that stimulate the sweat production; the result? No more perspiration faster than you can say sweaty Betty!
• ‘The Loub Job’ cleverly named after the perilously high and famously hard to walk in red soled shoes. Botox is injected in the areas that can become painful after long periods of wearing high heels and creates a sort of internal padding akin to a cushioned sole. The upshot is the superhuman ability to wear ridiculously high or painful shoes without experiencing the common unpleasant side effects. Side fact: Alleged Cosmetic surgery aficionado Kim Kardashian reportedly had the procedure done before walking down the aisle with Kanye.
• Depression: Supported by the belief that emotions are partly created by the expressions you make with your face; the Botox inhibits the nerve so the muscle can’t fire. Simply put, if you can’t frown, you won’t feel down!
• Gummy Smile: Said to be a celebrity secret weapon for a perfect pearly grin; a jab of Botox administered to the upper lip can correct an overabundance of gum. A  Hollywood smile could be yours in minutes!
• Overactive Bladder: A normal bladder relaxes whilst it fills up and contracts to empty around seven times a day; an overactive one can contract up to 30 times in the same period. That’s a whole lot of ‘Bladder the size of a walnut’ comments to contend with… A simple injection of Botox into the bladder blocks the muscles and nerves that lead to this feeling of urgently needing to urinate therefore allowing the bladder to function more normally.
• Migraines: a combination of pain, nausea, sensitivity to light, migraines aren’t much fun and to top it all off; are notoriously difficult treat. The required dosage is a whopping 31 injections into seven areas, which isn’t the most appealing of prospects but the effects are predicted to last up to 15 months, which, I’m sure, if you’ve ever had a migraine, is well worth the sacrifice.
• Perkier Breasts: If you feel like you are in need of a bit of a ‘lift,’ and aren’t prepared to go under the knife, you could consider a Botox boob job. Inserted into the pectoralis minor, you can expect to see your bosom lifted by up to two centimetres as well as increasing in volume by 10%.