Why Women Are Injecting Botox Under Their Hair

Women know what a workout can do to their 'do—and now dermatologists have a treatment for it. Called "Blowtox" by some, it's really a bunch of Botox injections in the scalp that prevent sweating and have the pleasant side-effect of keeping blow-dried or straightened hair from going all frizzy, Fast Company reports. "It's common for SoulCycle people," says New York City dermatologist Dr. Patricia Wexler. "SoulCycle is infamous for killing the hair." Sound weird? Well, Botox may be known for smoothing wrinkles, but one of its "off-label' uses is to counteract "severe underarm sweating," reports Shape, which also observes that "while it sounds crazy to inject something into your head," Botox is FDA-approved to treat adults with chronic migraines, who get such injections in their scalp. And as one dermatologist puts it to Shape, the Blowtox is "definitely a trend."

In some circles, $1,500 for a Blowtox treatment that lasts up to nine months actually makes financial sense. After all, over that period, two $40 blow drys a week at an urban salon adds up to $2,880. The procedure itself takes roughly 20 minutes and involves about 150 to 200 injections (one every square centimeter) throughout the scalp, NYC dermatologist Dr. Dendy Engelman tells Yahoo Beauty. (For comparison's sake, de-wrinkling the forehead typically requires no more than a dozen injections.) Shape notes that the needle used is thinner than a piece of hair; since the scalp is light on nerve endings, pain is extremely minimal. Fast Company suggests that Blowtox could make life easier for American women, who apparently spend 55 minutes daily on their appearance; Shape observes that it can help women maintain "their professionalism" while squeezing in workday workouts. (The FDA has OKed a shot to zap your double chin.)