Since its approval by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2002 for glabellar wrinkles,\nbotulinum toxin (BTX) has been widely used to correct facial wrinkles. As a result, many consider\nBTX synonymous with cosmetic dermatology. Recent studies indicate that BTX elicits biological\neffects on various skin cell types via the modulation of neurotransmitter release, and it seems that BTX\nhas a wider zone of dermatologic influence than originally understood. Clinicians and researchers\nare now beginning to explore the potential of BTX beyond the amelioration of facial lines and\nencouraging results are seen with BTX in a variety of skin conditions. In this paper, we review novel\ndermatological indications of BTX which includes (but not limited to) scar prevention, facial flushing,\npost-herpetic neuralgia and itch. These areas show great promise, but there is definite need for\nlarger, double-blinded, randomized control trials against established treatments before BTX becomes\na clinical reality.
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