Intradermal Injection of Botulinum Toxin A in Oily Skin

Abstract

Oily skin or seborrhea is a common cosmetic problem that occurswhen oversized sebaceous glands produce excessiveamounts of sebum giving the appearance of shiny andgreasy skin. Sebum overproductionis an important causative factor in a variety of dermatologicdiseases and may be related to seborrheic dermatitis and acne,thus oil control is an important part of the therapeutic regimen for these conditions. A variety of skin resurfacing modalities has been described to reduce sebum overproduction, but results have been mixed and inconsistent. One potential reason for this limitation is that the location of the sebaceous gland is in the deeper portion of the dermis, a difficult area to reach by resurfacing modalities.Isotretinoin, chemical peels, topically applied medications have been tried, but each has its drawbacks. Aesthetic injection ofbotulinum toxin is themost common cosmetic procedure performed in the world today. It has proven to be one ofthe most versatile agents used in the aestheticfield, and has also been used for numerous medical applications. Botulinum toxin is a naturally occurring neurotoxin protein produced by the bacteria Clostridium botulinum. Botulinum toxin has seven distinct serologic types “A to G”; only serotypes A and B are used therapeutically, with type A being the most neurotoxic.