Boston University Medical Researchers Find
Expanding Use of Botox® for Facial Wrinkles

Study targets crow’s feet and wrinkling of the lower eyelids

Boston, MA – Researchers from the department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have discovered that Botox® might safely be used in the treatment of lower eyelid wrinkles.

The findings were recently presented at the Spring Meeting of the American Academy of Facial Plastic Surgery in Phoenix, AZ.

A purified protein, BotoxCosmetic (Allergan Inc), has enjoyed wide publicity and usage after being approved by the FDA for use to improve the appearance of glabellar rhytids (vertical wrinkles between the eyebrows). To achieve FDA approval, a medication must undergo extensive safety testing. However, some dermatologists and plastic surgeons have been using Botox in an “off-label” fashion to treat wrinkles of the forehead, eyelids, or neck. Botox works by selectively weakening the muscle it is injected into thus allowing the overlying skin to smooth out. If an unintended muscle encounters the medication it too may relax leading to unintended complications such as a droopy upper eyelid or corner of the mouth.

A team led by facial plastic surgeon Jeffrey Spiegel, MD, an assistant professor at BUSM, recently announced the results of a careful laboratory evaluation of the facial muscles producing crow’s feet and wrinkling of the lower eyelids. Spiegel and the research team dissected dozens of faces and measured the specific locations of small muscle groups in and around the eyelids in order to determine if Botox could be safely and effectively used to treat facial wrinkles in this area.

“The result is a set of anatomical guidelines that show fellow plastic surgeons precisely how and where to use Botox in these areas in order to get the best wrinkle reduction without any unintended complications,” said Spiegel.