The World Newser is World News' daily blog. Here, you'll find our staff's thoughts on the day's news and the way we build our broadcast. Plus, we'll share reports from our team of correspondents in the field, as well as producers behind-the-scenes.
RECENT POSTS
- Going Rogue, Selling High
- What One Man 200 Miles Above Earth is Thankful For Today
- Clem's Chronicles: Toyota Recall/Afghan Speech/State Dinner Crashers
- Charlie Gibson...On this Thanksgiving
- Quotes of the Day: 'It is my intention to finish the job'
- Start Your Shopping Engines
- The Hajj and Women's Dress
- Clem's Chronicles: Afghanistan/WH State Dinner/Holiday Travel
- Photos: White House State Dinners Through the Years
- Are We Becoming A Nation of Know-Nothings?
- Quotes of the Day: 'President Obama has the information he wants... to make his decision'
- Clem's Chronicles: Jobs/Afghanistan/Health Care Reform/Deficit
WORLD NEWSER CATEGORIES
MONTHLY ARCHIVES
« Previous | Main | Next »
Celebrity Feud: Does Botox Work for B.O.?
October 02, 2008 2:25 AM
By Kirk Fernandes, ABC News Medical Unit
Botox for body odor? That malodorous question wafted forth during the latest round of custody proceedings over the 8-year-old son of actress Sharon Stone and her ex-husband, Phil Bronstein.
In San Francisco Superior Court documents, the judge references Stone suggesting that her son get Botox injections to fix a foot odor problem, reports Internet gossip site TMZ.com.
Putting parental perspectives aside, we thought it would be worth taking a look at just how Botox might be used to battle B.O.
Quick refresher. Botox is the trade name for Botulinum Toxin Type A, which comes from the potentially deadly bacterium Clostridium botulinum. When injected into the body in small doses, Botox can decrease nearby muscle activity, thus treating excessive muscle contractions and overactive glands -- including, yes, sweat glands.
Even though sweat doesn't always result in odor, it turns out there is some scientific basis for Stone's belief in Botox as a cure for smelly feet.
Botox is, of course, best known for contributing to the wrinkle-free Hollywood movement, but it was originally approved by the FDA for several medical uses, including the treatment of crossed eyes, excessive blinking and cervical dystonia (a condition characterized by jerky, involuntary neck movements).
In July 2004, the FDA approved Botox for the treatment of severe primary axillary hyperhidrosis -- more easily put as "really sweaty armpits."
But, not only does Botox reduce the amount of armpit sweat, several studies suggest it also reduces armpit odor.
In the aptly named 2007 research paper "Improvement of Olfactory Profile after Botulinum Toxin-A Treatment in Healthy Individuals," German scientists (supported by Pharm-Allergan, the company that makes Botox) report a study that can only be described as scent-illating.
Here's how the research went:
Day 1: 51 volunteers got a special, clean T-shirt to wear. After 24 hours, the researchers cut out the armpit areas of the shirts and froze them in bottles. Then, participants received injections of Botox in one armpit and harmless saltwater injections in the other.
Day 7: Researchers collected a second group of T-shirts and, again, preserved the armpit areas in bottles.
Day 90: A third set of T-shirts; more bottles.
So, how did the scientists determine whether the armpits that received the Botox injections smelled better than the armpits that got the useless saltwater placebo? T-shirt sniff test -- comparing Day 1 to Day 7 and Day 90.
Nine men and nine women, selected for lack of nasal congestion, among other olfactory advantages, came forth to rate the stench of each scrap of T-shirt -- 50 scraps per person, to be exact.
Each rater came up with scores for "odor intensity" and "odor quality."
The study, published by the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, reported that the armpits treated with Botox smelled "less intense" and "better."
While the small study sounds laughable, the research doesn't necessarily stink.
"We really admired this study," said Dr. Timothy Corcoran Flynn, medical director of Cary Skin Center in Cary, N.C., and clinical professor of dermatology at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
You get a reduction in sweating and you get a reduction in odor, said Flynn -- who typically sees patients get the injections every "6-9 months or so."
Others have tried the technique in more delicate areas. For example, researchers in Korea reported success after treating genital odor with Botox in one patient -- who received 40 injections in one session. (I suspect the first injection, at the very least, was a rather tense affair.)
With respect to Botox reducing foot-related sweating and odor, there is far less research on the subject.
Some case studies on the procedure report an improvement in sweatiness, but the tests were done on a small number of people, and even doctors who conducted those studies conclude they would like to see larger research efforts with more participants.
Still, the procedure is available and advertised, as several videos on YouTube illustrate.
As for whether even considering Botox injections for 8-year-olds with smelly feet is a no-no, that issue might have to be left to a judge's discretion for now.
The American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery does not have a position on such use of Botox in kids, but it does have a position on cosmetic use of Botox in teenagers.
"If you were talking about a child having Botox for cosmetic reasons, we would be opposed to that," said AACS spokesman Charlie Baase.
It's not clear if Stone had recommended or encouraged other anti-foot-odor strategies with her son.
I've found a regular wash, socks and comfortable shoes usually do the trick … but I don't think my sweat glands are on overdrive, either.
What do you think of Botox for body odor? Should parents consider such a procedure for their kids?
October 2, 2008 in Health Insider | Permalink | Share | User Comments (23)
You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.
My son had a foot order problem when he was a teen. I tried everything under the sun, including athletes foot sprays, creams and powders. What did (finally) work is having him wear "odor eater" socks and applying baking soda inside of his shoes.
Posted by: mary anne | Oct 2, 2008 3:53:03 AM
Having unfortunately inherited the problem of foot odor from my father, I have found that several things work. Wearing socks that are a cotton base, not going sockless in shoes, and the baking soda in the shoes does help or you can stuff newpaper in your shoes and let them sit for several days to absorb the odor. Another tried and true method..soak your feet in Listerine, just remember not to reuse for mouthwashing!
Posted by: Terri | Oct 2, 2008 4:07:02 AM
Where a child is concerned, giving them injections of botox, anywhere, is abuse. There are lots of alternatives and I know that no one likes the smell of BO, but you don't give a young child botox.
Posted by: samhiguchi | Oct 2, 2008 5:17:11 AM
As the article correctly points out, Botox was initially developed and received approval as a treatment for medical problems including excessive sweating. Use of Botox as a cosmetic treatment was started as an off-label use.
Posted by: Ron | Oct 2, 2008 5:20:46 AM
I think she was trying to be a good mom and find a solution to the problem. I am sure a doctor recommended it or suggested it. I cant believe a judge would use that against her and claim she is over protective. I dont think you can be over protective of an 8 year old. Having a 10 year old...I would do anything possible to help my child. It is not abuse, its not like she was using it to eliminate wrinkles or whatever. It was a medical use, which was around before people were using it to plump up lips and get rid of wrinkles.
Posted by: porschegt | Oct 2, 2008 5:34:05 AM
I agree with Ron. It's not like she pulled this treatment out of thin air. I wish they had known about this treatment back in the 70's when my brother had the nastiest feet. My mom and dad tried everything. He also showered and wore clean socks everyday. He even tried using antipersperant/deodorant spray on his feet, but nothing worked. If someone is going to be embarrassed by B.O., especially a child, then there is nothing wrong with getting treatment. Her Ex is just bitter and trying to be a jerk. If he truly cared about his son he would not be dragging his mom into court over this.
Posted by: Denise | Oct 2, 2008 5:55:28 AM
both my kids inherited their grannies foot order problem
we are talking about having to keep the kids shoes outside in the summer time ...its that bad
their pits dont smell that great either, even though both bathe every day and both use deodorants (daughter even uses body spray)
if my kids asked if they could get this done, and I was rich, I'd prob say yes, as no one wants to be a social outcast because of something they can not control
Posted by: bina edwards | Oct 2, 2008 6:10:55 AM
There is a product called Certain Dri that controls excessive sweating. You only have to use it once every three days.
Posted by: Terri | Oct 2, 2008 6:30:32 AM
To posters Bina Edwards and Mary Anne:
It's foot ODOR, not ORDER! You sound like idiots!
Posted by: Sheri | Oct 2, 2008 6:35:15 AM
To poster SHERI...it's called a TYPO!!! Everyone has them at some time or another. Get off your high horse and get a life instead of coming in here to criticize other peoples little typing mistakes. I can't stand idiots like you!! GET A LIFE!
Posted by: Adrianne | Oct 2, 2008 7:06:52 AM
actually the best way to get rid of foot odor is to pee on you feet do it while you are in the shower then wash them. sounds gross i know but it works. my dh has always had horrible foot odor and he went to a foot doctor and they told him to start peeing on his feet when he showered and it worked
Posted by: meli | Oct 2, 2008 8:08:02 AM
My bad Sheri... a typo. Thanks Adrianne! I guess SOME of us are not human!
Posted by: mary anne | Oct 2, 2008 8:59:49 AM
Wow! If it weren't for celebrities, ABC Health News wouldn't have much to print, would it? Oh, I forgot the other staples of ABC Health News: human oddities and women's beauty info.
Posted by: Iatros68 | Oct 2, 2008 12:53:13 PM
Sheri: YOU sound like the idiot. Quit being such a control freak. People make mistakes.
Posted by: Denise | Oct 2, 2008 3:32:24 PM
Sharon Stone sounds like a nut if she wants to give Botox for her son's foot odor. The child is only 8, of course he is going to be smelly, most little boys are. Just give the kid a bath, make sure to wash carefully around his toes, dry them off very well, and use odor eaters in his sneakers. You can also wash his shoes as well, but don't be injecting crap into your child.
Posted by: Louise | Oct 2, 2008 5:59:28 PM
Sharon Stone sounds like a nut if she wants to give Botox for her son's foot odor. The child is only 8, of course he is going to be smelly, most little boys are. Just give the kid a bath, make sure to wash carefully around his toes, dry them off very well, and use odor eaters in his sneakers. You can also wash his shoes as well, but don't be injecting crap into your child.
Posted by: Louise | Oct 2, 2008 6:00:18 PM
Sharon Stone sounds like a nut if she wants to give Botox for her son's foot odor. The child is only 8, of course he is going to be smelly, most little boys are. Just give the kid a bath, make sure to wash carefully around his toes, dry them off very well, and use odor eaters in his sneakers. You can also wash his shoes as well, but don't be injecting crap into your child.
Posted by: Louise | Oct 2, 2008 6:07:48 PM
Botox for an 8 year old!
Should'nt a potentially dangerous procedure be the avenue of last resort... and made when the kids is an adult?
This is bolulin for goodness sakes!
Posted by: Diamond Lou | Oct 2, 2008 7:57:31 PM
she's just doing everything for his son
Posted by: gem | Oct 2, 2008 8:19:17 PM
Just drop a dryer sheet (i.e., Bounce, Downey, etc.) in each shoe every night and presto . . . no more foot odor! It not only keeps the shoes smelling sweet, it seems to keep the foot odor down as well. (I got this tip from a "101 things to do with dryer sheets" article a couple of years ago.) My 19 year old NEVER suffers from rank shoes any more.
C'mon Ms. Stone . . . use a little common sense with your child, will you?
Posted by: AmendmentOne | Oct 3, 2008 1:55:53 PM
Post a comment
