You might think of wrinkle relaxation and imagine muscle being paralyzed when Botox is mentioned. It actually works by temporarily blocking nerves from commanding muscles, so they can stay in their default relaxed state. Injecting Botox into sweat or salivary glands will have a similar effect, resulting in the glands secreting less.

Botox has an extensive history of safe use in medicine. Specialists use it to reduce squinting and excessive blinking. In surgery, it is used to achieve relaxation in the esophagus and rectum. In neurology, it treats various muscle spasms and headaches. In urology, it is injected into the bladder to relax it and reduce incontinence.

Below are five Botox treatments you might not be aware of:

Botox is an effective, long-lasting treatment for excessive sweating. Hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating) is a condition that can affect your body as a whole, or be local to a certain area. Side effects of hyperhidrosis, such as increased body odour, can cause psychological issues. Botox treatments last six to nine months, on average. This means you can go worry-free everyday, without daily treatments.

Excessive drooling (hypersalivation), as seen in people living with Parkinson’s, recovering from strokes, or dealing with other conditions, can also be effectively managed with Botox. Just like with excessive sweating, Botox placed directly into the major salivary glands will result in less salivation by blocking stimulation of the nerve.

Botox can relieve the variety of hard-to-live-with symptoms caused by muscle tightness around the jaw. Severe cases of muscle tightness can cause aches around the jaw or temple, squaring of the jaw, excessive clenching (bruxism) causing cracking and teeth erosion, or even arthritis in the jaw joint. Botox doesn’t only relieve the symptoms of bruxism. It also slims the jawline, restoring youthful looks to your face.

Most people only expose their teeth while smiling. With gummy smile, the whole teeth and gums are exposed because the muscle that lifts the lip is too short or overactive. Botox is now an established non-surgical option for treating gummy smile.

Botox injections can help correct mild to moderate brow droop, a common sign of aging caused by gravity and repeated facial movements leading to an imbalance between muscles lifting and lowering the brow. Botox works by temporarily relaxing the muscles causing droop, restoring balance and providing a lifted, rejuvenated brow appearance.

There continue to be evolving medical-treatment options with Botox.