Botox Cosmetic approved by the FDA for treatment of forehead lines

15 years after Botox was first approved for the treatment of glabellar lines (frown lines), it’s also been FDA approved to treat forehead lines.

Since their arrival into the cosmetic world we have seen injectables become increasingly popular. Whilst lip and wrinkle fillers have been gaining popularity recently, botulinum toxin injections still hold the top spot. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, 7 Million injections were given last year which is almost three times the amount of soft tissue fillers.

Whilst many have used the neurotoxin, also known as onabotulinumtoxinA, to treat forehead lines anyway; the FDA approval makes Botox Cosmetic the only injection of its kind with approval for three facial uses (frown lines, crow’s feet and forehead lines).

“Allergan recognizes that forehead lines are a top area of concern for patients,” says David Nicholson, chief research and development officer at Allergan. “Our goal in pursuing a third indication for Botox Cosmetic for the temporary improvement in the appearance of moderate to severe forehead lines was based on our desire to study the patient selection, dosing and injection pattern to help provide optimal treatment outcomes,” he added. Read the full statement from Allergan, Botox’s manufacturer here.

In clinical trials, Allergen found that Botox Cosmetic was found to be more effective for the reduction of forehead lines than using a placebo, and over 500 scientific and medical journals have deemed BOTOX Cosmetic for this use safe.

Although the treatment has been approved it is not suitable for everyone. If you are interested in using BOTOX as a treatment, always have an in-depth consultation with your doctor before proceeding and ensure you are seeing an experienced practitioner, even for FDA-approved uses.