FDA announced on Wednesday that cosmetic botox is now a drug treatment option for lateral canthal lines, or crow’s feet.
The said drug is called onabotulinumtoxinA which can be used for temporary enhancement in the appearance of moderate to severe lateral canthal lines – known as “crow’s feet” – in adults.
Botox cosmetic keeps muscles from tightening so wrinkles will be less obvious. It is administered via injecting intramuscularly.
Dr. Susan Walker, director of the Dermatology and Dental Products Division in the FDA’s Drug Evaluation and Research Center said in the press release, “This additional indication will provide people with a new FDA approved treatment option for those seeking a smoother appearance by temporarily minimizing the appearance of crow’s feet at the sides of the eyes.”
The effectiveness and safety of this treatment for temporarily healing lateral canthal lines were formulated in a couple of clinical safety and efficacy studies.
The participants of the study included 833 adults having moderate to severe lateral canthal lines. The participants were randomly assigned to receive placebo or Botox. The results say that those treated with placebo showed little improvement in the appearance of their “crow’s feet,” in contrast to the participants who received Botox treatment who displayed great improvement.
However, there are side effects observed in the Botox treatment. One of the most common reactions with the Botox treatment of lateral canthal lines is eyelid edema – a condition in which eyelids swell and contain unnecessary fluid.
The FDA approved onabotulinumtoxinA is the Botox treatment usually used to treat severe underarm sweating, chronic migraine, strabismus (misalignment of the eyes) and blepharospasm (spasm of the eyelids). Botox and Botox cosmetic, however, warn consumers that the effects of the botulinum toxin may extend from the origin of injection to other parts of the body, causing botulism-like symptoms. The symptoms consist of breathing and swallowing difficulties that can be fatal. Though, there are no reported cases of toxin spread when the treatment is carried out properly basing on the FDA recommended dose.
