Botox Applications for Jawline Reduction and Sweaty Palms Increase in Popularity at San Francisco Plastic Surgery & Laser Center

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, January 27, 2011 (Press-News.org) Since becoming FDA-approved for treating wrinkles and lines in the skin, Botox has become a household name in the US: most people know what it is, and they also know what it's used for. That is, they know one of the things it's used for. Doctors are continually discovering new applications for Botox, however, applications that have nothing to do with eliminating frown lines and crow's feet many of which the general public is still unfamiliar with.

Two Botox applications that skilled plastic surgeons like Dr. Usha Rajagopal are increasingly utilizing are jawline reduction and sweaty palm (palmar hyperhidrosis) treatments. These two cosmetic innovations have found many fans since their inception, primarily people who are unhappy with their facial appearance (jawline reduction), and people whose lives are made difficult by their condition (sweaty palms).

In the past, the only option available to those who wished to reduce an overly bulky or round jaw was to undergo invasive surgery to trim the jawbone. Today, Botox allows plastic surgeons to change the shape of the face with a procedure that is noninvasive, less expensive than surgery, and requires no downtime afterward.

Botox works to reduce the jawline by blocking the impulses sent by the nerves to the masseter muscles "the chewing muscles of the jaw" essentially paralyzing them, which prevents them from tensing and bulging out. This creates a slimming effect, and by carefully placing the injections a surgeon can contour the jaw to the shape desired. The pain experienced during the procedure is minimal "not even a local anesthetic is required "and after treatment (usually around one to two treatments are required), the results can last for as long as two to three years before requiring further attention. Future treatments are eventually necessary because the masseter muscle is exercised every time food is consumed, which means that the muscle eventually builds up again; this effect can be minimized (and the life of the results lengthened), however, by avoiding tough foods or chewing gum.

Botox treatment for sweaty palms is less about aesthetics, and more about day-to-day functionality and comfort. Excessive sweating of the palms affects an estimated 8 million Americans today, and for those who suffer from it, it is frequently embarrassing "and always inconvenient. Antiperspirant is not a viable answer: the hands are used too often, and anything applied topically will rub off quickly. Botox injections, however, go below the skin's surface, blocking the acetylcholine receptors that activate your sweat glands and preventing the nerve signals that tell the skin to sweat from delivering their message.

Generally it takes less than half an hour to complete a Botox treatment for sweaty palms; in some cases, two or three treatment sessions may be required before achieving the desired results, but the effects can last for as long as twelve months afterward. The palms have numerous nerve endings, so the injections can be painful, but this is tempered by the tiny size of the needles used and the nerve blocks that, if necessary, can be employed to numb the hands prior to the injections. Studies have found that the majority of patients who receive Botox treatments for sweaty palms are exceptionally satisfied with the results, reporting both significant reductions in their physical symptoms and marked improvements in their interpersonal relations and their overall self-confidence.

The positive feedback from patients who have undergone jaw reduction and sweaty palm treatment suggest that these two vastly different applications of Botox will only increase in popularity in the years to come. For now, however, they are still relatively new; perhaps the most important thing to know about either of these techniques is that when it comes time to find a doctor, it's crucial to choose one with experience and recorded success with the treatment being performed.

Dr. Usha Rajagopal is a board certified plastic surgeon with over 15 years of experience performing cosmetic surgery on men and women in the San Francisco Bay Area. For more information please contact the San Francisco Plastic Surgery & Laser Center at (415) 392-3333.

Website: http://www.sfcosmeticsurgery.com