We tend to think of botox as an injectable to erase wrinkles from the face -- but it's actually doing a lot more in today's medical world, even beyond cosmetic dermatology. If you're looking at different kinds of plastic surgery or other treatments, read on to discover a few ways that doctors are now using botox to treat a variety of conditions, or for different cosmetic results.

Excessive Sweating

Did you know that botox can help people with excessive sweating? With strategic injections, the element in botox that freezes tissues in place can also help to inhibit the function of the sweat glands, to reduce embarrassing sweating problems. It's often applied locally in different areas of the body for this purpose. However, qualified doctors also point out that people can get similar results with the antiperspirants found in over-the-counter products. Many doctors also do not recommend impairing the sweat glands, because they are working for a reason. Get qualified medical advice before choosing this or any other use of botox.

Keep Your Hair Looking Good

Another related way that people are using botox has to do with sweat around the scalp, and how our hair comes out of its carefully coiffed positions over time. Although it's still in the early phases, there has been some consideration of using botox to "keep hairdos in place" or otherwise promote a great-looking head of hair.

Change Your Smile

Some researchers are also looking at how botox could be used to change a person's smile. Our lip and facial muscles determine what our smiles look like, and some people just aren't happy with theirs. Using botox can help to change the muscle results, for movement of the upper lip in ways that can make a difference in what it looks like when someone breaks out in a toothy grin.

Lifting Breasts

Botox can also be used for any type of modern-day "breast procedure" where doctors seek to lift the breasts and change their position relative to the body. This doesn't change the size or shape, but just provides a physical lift that can alter a person's body contours.

It's important to know that these last two new uses of botox are not FDA approved, and so they have not met the full rigor of standards put in place by U.S. regulators. But these interesting types of treatments show how doctors are looking beyond the wrinkle regimen, to apply botox to different kinds of therapeutic or cosmetic procedures.