Local researcher shows Botox clears up Acne!

The muscle relaxer Botox has now been shown to positively affect
the skin as well. "Botox definitely clears up acne," says Anil Shah M.D.
The Chicago plastic surgeon is one of the only doctors worldwide using
Botox in an entirely new way. He injects the muscle relaxer directly into
the skin to eliminate large pores, oil production, and acne breakouts.

Acne is caused when the skin's sebaceous glands release too much oil,
or sebum, into the skin's pores. Bacteria use the sebum as food, multiply,
and cause the pore to became inflamed leading to formation of a pimple.
"Botox," says Dr. Shah, "stops the production of sebum and deprives
those bacteria of food."

The plastic surgeon has treated about 100 patients like
Sanjay Nannapaneni. The 35-year-old Chicago resident has had oily
skin and constant breakouts all his life. "It's discouraging." he says.
"I tried everything: Accutane, light therapy, antibiotics, nothing worked.
Then I came across Botox for acne on the Internet. It sounded crazy
but I was willing to try anything."

Last August Dr. Shah injected tiny amounts of Botox throughout the
dermis of Sanjay's face. The procedure is rare because it's technically
difficult. The muscle paralyze has to be injected directly into a layer
of skin just 1/25th of an inch thick. If it's injected too deeply it can alter
the patient's facial expressions. "Experience here is really essential,"
says Dr. Shah. The plastic surgeon recently moved his practice from
New York back home to Chicago.

And the results of Sanjay's treatment? "I haven't had a large breakout
since," he says. "I've had random small pimples here and there, but
that's it. My skin's less oily and my pores look smaller."

Dr. Shah recently published the only study ever done showing that intradermal Botox lowers the skin's oil production [1]

The plastic surgeon believes Botox works by blocking the chemical
acetylcholine in the skin's dermis. Acetylcholine is known to increase
the skin's sebum production. In addition, the treatment literally paralyzes
the tiny erector pili muscles that surround the skin's pores and
cause them to expand.

While other treatments have been used for serious acne, none has been
acceptable until now. The medication Accutane decreases oil production
but side effects can include liver damage, bleeding in the mouth, birth
defects, and even suicide. Laser treatments can't reach the skin's deep
sebaceous glands

Still, Dr. Shah cautions the treatment isn't for everyone.
He says most teen-agers won't need the procedure because their skin
will clear up with time anyway. "I only treat patients over 20-years-old,"
he says. "Their hormonal changes are likely permanent.
For them Botox is now the safest most effective treatment we have."

"I'd definitely recommend this to anyone else," says Sanjay "I've gone
almost a year without breaking out. You have no idea how good that feels."

[1] Use of intradermal botulinum toxin to reduce sebum production and
facial pore size. Shah, Anil R., Journal of Drugs in Dermatology 9/1/2008.
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Source: MedicalNewsToday