Botox Cosmetic Alternatives Are Available: Surgical Procedures Offer Solution fo...( PLANO Texas Feb. 12 /- With the r...),Health

PLANO, Texas, Feb. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- With the recent announcement by the United States Food and Drug Administration that there is an ongoing safety review of Botox Cosmetic (botulinum toxin type A), customers are looking for alternatives to treat frown lines between the brows. Botox(R) Cosmetic received FDA approval in 2002 for the temporary treatment of moderate to severe frown lines between the brows in people 18 to 65 years of age. In its recent communication, the FDA reports adverse events associated with Botox, Botox Cosmetic, and Myobloc and has a continuing review of their safety. Botox is the most common cosmetic procedure, with 4.1 million procedures performed in 2006 according the ASAPS survey.

Frown lines between the brows can be seen either at rest or in motion. The lines which appear at rest are usually caused by tethering of the skin to the underlying structures though some formation can be attributed to the resting tone of the underlying muscles. The lines which appear in motion are due to the action of two muscle groups, the procerus and corrugator muscles. Botox Cosmetic acts to reduce these lines by paralyzing the muscles. Even with Botox, these lines may still be present because of tethering of the skin.

Procedures aimed at erasing the lines can be performed. Temporary fillers such as hyaluronic acid can erase the lines by filling in the depression. Like Botox, these are temporary and require repeat injections for the desired results. For a more permanent solution, innovative surgical techniques are available which can erase the lines.

For the lines which are present at rest or are present even after Botox administration, the Surgiwire(TM) procedure is available. In an office-based, local anesthesia procedure, the skin tethering is released and the patient's own body tissue is placed in the depression to prevent scarring and reforming the lines. "This is quite an innovative procedure," says facial plastic surgeon Dr. D
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