WASHINGTON — Botox is becoming increasingly popular for a variety of things: from keeping wrinkles at bay to helping with migraines even stopping excessive sweating. Now, more Black women are using it to prevent their edges from sweating out, thus making their hairstyles last even longer.
Hyperhidrosis is the technical term for excessive sweating. Doctors say people have been getting Botox injected in areas where they sweat a lot for years – their hands, feet, underarms, but now the latest trend includes edges.
Edges are the baby hairs that border a person's face. Typically, Black or brown women will gel and brush them so they lay down. However, once they sweat, they hair will usually curl up again.
Wendy Pittman has been getting Botox injected into her hairline for three years. She says it's been a game-changer for her.
"The thing that was keeping me away from the gym were the fly aways and the frizz. It is a life changing treatment."
Dermatologist Dr. Jeanine Downie says the treatment is becoming more popular in the Black community. She's even done it herself.
"At the beginning, I started doing this for myself…it's really taken off in the past year, Black and brown women have been coming in. This is for people that have the lace front weaves. This is for people that want real edge control with their natural hair, and this is for people that just want to stop sweating so much in the front of their hair," said Dr. Downie.
Dr. Downie is coining this treatment "the real edge control." Small doses of Botox are injected directly into the hairline.
“I do 'micro box' so I do about - it depends on how big your head is I unfortunately have a big head - but I do somewhere between 25 to 40 units in the edges of the scalp,” said Dr. Downie.
Can Botox injections in the scalp area cause hair loss?
Botox reduces the amount of sweat and oil your sweat glands produce. The neurotoxin is FDA approved for treating hyperhidrosis in the underarms, however it is not FDA approved for treating excessive sweating in the hands or feet, other areas on the body where doctors say people are receiving injections.
The FDA has not approved Botox as a treatment for sweat prevention in the hairline.
Is there a link between injecting neurotoxins and developing a neuromuscular disease?
WUSA9 asked Pittman if she was concerned about the procedure since it hasn't gotten approval from the FDA.
"I was not. I worked for Allergan, the creator of Botox cosmetics for nearly 20 years. I am extremely comfortable with that protein and how it works," Pittman said.
The treatment can last anywhere from three to six months and cost around $600 or more depending on where you go and how many units you need, but it's an investment Pittman says is well worth it.
“I want to look and feel my best and I just want my outside to mirror my inside”