After two years of treatment at recommended intervals, patients can potentially cut the frequency, and thus the cost, of their Botox treatments by half, according to recent research presented by Roger A. Dailey, MD, FACS, professor and Lester Jones Endowed Chair of oculofacial plastic surgery in the OHSU School of Medicine.
The results of Dailey’s work were presented at the annual American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeon (ASAPS) Meeting on April 24, 2010, in Washington, DC. The research was sponsored by a grant from Allergen Inc, the maker of Botox Cosmetic.
The Botox research effort also demonstrated that the injections have a wrinkle preventing — or prophylactic — effect. Patients who begin receiving injections between their 30s and 50s are able to prevent wrinkles from forming and eliminate existing wrinkles, says Dailey.
Based on previous studies, doctors advised patients who wished to reduce wrinkles in the glabellar region that they needed to have Botox Cosmetic injections every three months to maintain the cosmetic wrinkle-smoothing benefits. Such frequent treatment, however, deterred some patients, Dailey says.
Dailey studied 50 women ages 30 to 50, who received regular Botox injections for two years. "We found that after the patient receives Botox Cosmetic injections every four months for two years, the frequency of the injections can be changed to every six months and still achieve good results," he says. "This demonstrates patients have the ability to achieve good results with broader treatment schedules and ultimately at a lower overall treatment cost."
[Source: Oregon Health & Science University]
