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Botox boosts sagging breasts

Ontario doctor says muscle injections lift chest by improving posture
Injections of Botox into the chest can give new life to sagging breasts, says an Ontario dermatologist.

Botox, also known as botulinum toxin type A, is a powerful muscle paralyzer used to treat conditions as varied as facial wrinkles, eyelid twitching and excessive sweating.

Dr. Kevin Smith, a dermatologist in private practice in Niagara Falls, Ont., has found it can also produce a better bust, at least for a few months.

It's all a matter of improving posture by changing the balance of muscles between the chest and back.

He injects the toxin into the pectoralis minor muscles in the chest. When these muscles contract, they pull the shoulders down and in, making the breasts sag. The Botox forces the muscles to relax, which allows the rhomboid muscles of the back to keep the shoulders erect and lift the breasts.

The effect of the Botox lasts for two to three months, but the improvement in posture can extend to about six months.

Smith uses a very thin needle to inject the Botox at three different spots in both pectoralis minor muscles, about two centimetres deep.

The needle can sometimes go too deep, hitting a rib or the pleura, the inner lining of the chest, which causes coughing. Smith says this is more of a nuisance than an actual problem.

A side-effect of the treatment, according to some women, is the three to four weeks of nipple erection. This may happen because Botox blocks the release of certain chemical messengers, or neurotransmitters, in the area of the nipple.

The best candidates for a Botox breast lift seem to be women age 30 to 55 years, with an A or B size breast.

Smith is an instructor, investigator, consultant and a speaker for Allergan, which makes Botox. However, his work on this treatment is unrelated to the company.

http://www.medicalposting.ca/women/article.jsp?content=20040211_091829_5264&topStory=y

Botox could prove to be a bosom buddy

Injections lead to better posture -- and perky breasts, dermatologist says

By PAUL TAYLOR
Monday, February 23, 2004 - Page A3

Some claim it is a posture improvement, others say it is a bust booster. Call it what you will, the use of Botox to make a woman's breasts stand out has arrived in Canada.

"It's a new, emerging use for Botox and we are still refining our techniques," said Kevin Smith, a dermatologist in Niagara Falls, Ont.

Dr. Smith and other physicians are now injecting Botox -- commonly used to smooth facial wrinkles -- into chest muscles. The net effect is a better posture.

"By standing up straighter, the body naturally lifts the breasts," Dr. Smith said. "They are just a little more perky."

Patients seem pleased with the results. "It makes me feel better about myself," said Rose, a 40-year-old mother of four children, who asked that her last name not be used. "Friends have said I look larger, but that's because they [the breasts] are lifted up a bit."

Dr. Smith believes the new use for Botox will become highly popular.

However, some of the doctors trying out the new technique are reluctant to promote Botox as a treatment for sagging breasts. "I think the best part of the procedure is the posture improvement," said Sheetal Sapra, a dermatologist in Oakville, Ont. "We are basically both doing the same thing, but he [Dr. Smith] is looking at it from the front and I am looking at it from the back."

Dr. Sapra believes the treatment could appeal to women and men who want better posture. Dr. Smith has his doubts. "If I talked about improving someone's posture . . . everyone would yawn and it would never attract attention," he said. "I don't have men coming in [my office] asking for it, but ladies do -- and it looks good and they are happy."

Botox first gained notoriety because the drug is a form of botulinum toxin -- derived from the same bacteria that causes potentially deadly botulism food poisoning. The toxin attacks the endings of motor nerves to paralyze muscles.

The drug, which contains only a small amount of the purified toxin, has a wide range of cosmetic and medical applications because it can be used to paralyze selected groups of muscles -- including those responsible for unwanted wrinkles. The effect of the drug wears off in a couple of months.

For the breast-lift procedure, Dr. Smith does a series of Botox injections in the pectoralis minor muscles in the chest. These are the muscles that tend to roll the shoulders forward. "When you hunch forward . . . the breasts will droop," he said.

And when the pectoral muscles are taken out of action by the Botox, it becomes much easier for the rhomboid muscles, attached to the shoulder blades, to do their job. "The shoulders rotate out and backwards -- and the breasts present in a more attractive manner," he said.

The injections also tend to make the nipples semi-erect. Dr. Smith believes that Botox is blocking the action of neurotransmitters, or chemical messengers, which would normally retract the nipples.

He says the procedure isn't for everyone. It works best on women between the ages of 30 and 55 whose breast size is either an A or B cup. "It's a nice effect and people are happy with it. But it's not magic and it's not like having a breast lift done by a plastic surgeon." The improved posture lasts for about four months and additional injections are needed to maintain the effect.

Dr. Smith started performing breast lifts last year after a friend had the procedure done in Los Angeles. "I already injected Botox into the chest . . . to treat muscle strains," he said. "It wasn't a very big leap for me."

He says he is one of the biggest users of Botox in Canada. At his Niagara Falls clinic, problems he treats with the injections range from excessive sweating to chronic pain.

A Mexican research team, headed by Francisco Perez, is conducting a clinical study on the best way to perform a Botox breast lift, Dr. Smith said. "We will probably learn quite a lot from their experience once they publish it."

Dr. Smith said the procedure is quick and relatively painless. "The worst thing about Botox is that it could thin out your wallet," he said. "I would charge $500 for the treatment and there are other people who would charge considerably more."

Rose, who had her first treatment in May and a second in October, expects many women will try a Botox breast lift. "I probably look younger and more fit," she said. "And if they don't like it, the Botox eventually wears off."

http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20040223/BOTOX23/TPHealth/