7 Surprising Places You Can Get BOTOX® Injections

A household name that has become practically synonymous with “wrinkle relaxer,” BOTOX is best known as a treatment for forehead wrinkles, frown lines and crow’s feet. Beauty enthusiasts are familiar with its many other anti-aging benefits: it can lift the brows, enhance the lips and reduce chin dimples.

But what many don’t know is that BOTOX isn’t just for the face or solely for cosmetic enhancement. 

This injectable was originally developed as a treatment for strabismus and blepharospasm, which are conditions affecting eye muscles. While testing the drug, researchers noticed that it reduces wrinkles between the eyes. Soon after, it was licensed by Allergan as BOTOX® for medical uses and BOTOX® Cosmetic for aesthetic uses. Here are just seven of those less-known uses of BOTOX explained. 

1. Lower Face 

BOTOX Cosmetic is FDA-approved as a treatment for wrinkles in the upper face, specifically for forehead lines, crow’s feet and glabellar lines between the brows. But that doesn’t mean it can’t work on lower areas of the face. Many practices have found creative off-label uses of BOTOX in the lower third of the face with great success. 

One such off-label use is the injection of BOTOX into the depressor anguli oris (DAO) muscles to treat a downturned smile. These muscles tend to sag with age, creating the appearance of a downturned mouth. Injecting BOTOX can temporarily improve this area for a younger-looking smile.

Another use of BOTOX is for temporomandibular joint disorders, called TMJ or TMD. These conditions affect the joints and muscles that control jaw movement, causing clenching that can be very painful and debilitating. BOTOX injected into these muscles can help relax the jaw when conservative approaches and medications fail to provide relief.

2. Scalp 

The scalp is another surprising area that can benefit from BOTOX injections. But you may be wondering: how and why, exactly?

Besides being used as a wrinkle and muscle relaxer, BOTOX is also approved for hyperhidrosis or excessive sweating. BOTOX works by blocking nerve signals in muscles. These same nerve signals instruct sweat glands to become active. Injecting BOTOX into the skin selectively targets sweat glands and can reduce sweating by as much as 82-87%, according to the International Hyperhidrosis Society. 

A sweaty scalp can be inconvenient if you’re a gym-goer or it can ruin your blowouts. And if it is too excessive and happens even when you’re not physically active or in hot environments, BOTOX injections can help you feel better and prevent scalp problems.

As a bonus, those who get their scalp injected with BOTOX may notice that it is also less oily and healthier overall. 

3. Armpits

Axillary hyperhidrosis, which is hyperhidrosis of the armpit region, accounts for half of all hyperhidrosis cases. The condition affects around 3% of people in the US and can hurt a person’s physical and emotional health and make it hard for them to function normally. You can develop skin infections, for example, and feel embarrassed about body odor and sweat-soaked clothes so much that it prevents you from working or socializing.

When other measures like antiperspirants, prescription wipes, prescription medicine and Iontophoresis don’t help improve the condition, your doctor may suggest BOTOX injections. Tiny amounts are injected directly into different areas of underarm skin. While this may sound painful, there’s little pain or discomfort involved. The effects last up between three and six months, and in some cases even longer.

4. Hands and Feet 

The hands and feet are two other areas that hyperhidrosis can affect. Up to 30% of hyperhidrosis cases affect the hands, while palm hyperhidrosis accounts for 25% of all cases. In such cases, the condition can increase a person’s risk of athlete’s foot and other skin infections. It can lead to functional problems with handgrip and lead to social embarrassment. 

Luckily, BOTOX can prevent all that by blocking nerve signals that control sweating. Like in the above cases, treatment involves injecting BOTOX into the skin affected by hyperhidrosis. It can take two to four days for the sweating to diminish and up to two weeks for you to notice the full effect. After that, the results can last between three and six months and need to be repeated regularly to maintain dry hands and feet.

5. Neck 

Like your face, your neck is one of the most exposed areas of your body, making it prone to early signs of aging. 

One of these signs is platysma bands, which are those vertical cords on the front sides of the neck that become more prominent in your 40s. The platysma muscles are superficial muscles lining your neck. When the skin overlying them weakens and begins to sag, they can become more noticeable. The muscles themselves weaken with age, further contributing to the appearance of sagging skin and neck creases.

BOTOX can be safely injected into these superficial muscles, preventing them from contracting and creating a pronounced appearance. 

6. Traps, AKA “Barbie BOTOX”

Many have seen the Barbie movie, which came out in theaters summer 2023. And one of the things that caught a lot of people’s attention is that Barbie has a slim and elongated neck and shoulder area. This has caused a rise in Barbie BOTOX or “TrapTox,” which is BOTOX injected into the trapezius muscle. 

The trapezius muscle is a large superficial back muscle that looks like a trapezoid. When BOTOX is injected into this muscle, it reduces the muscle appearance and creates a more delicate-looking neck and shoulder area. But there are other benefits to this treatment. Relaxing these muscles with the help of BOTOX can relieve tension in the shoulder area and reduce neck stiffness. It can also improve posture and reduce headache frequency.  

7. Legs (calves)

While some people desire strong and toned calves, others would like their lower legs to appear slimmer. Having disproportionately large calf muscles can make your legs look short and stocky. You may avoid certain outfits and prefer hiding your legs because you are self-conscious about their appearance.

Calf-slimming BOTOX can help by causing these muscles to relax and atrophy. Because these muscles are large compared to facial muscles, your provider will need to use a larger amount of BOTOX to achieve noticeable results. But your calves will continue to function as usual despite this, so there’s no need to worry.

If you want to learn more about the different uses of BOTOX and how this treatment can help, feel free to contact Vitahl and book your free consultation with us today!