"About 90 per cent of Botox customers are women aged between 23 and 70. The product is quite popular among businesswomen, actresses, hostesses and members of high society, who use Botox for wrinkle reduction," said Klinpaka Vongpanich, marketing and sales manager of Allergan Thailand.

"Our research conducted on 150 women found that 90 per cent recognised Botox but 82

per cent were scared of side effects. The survey showed many people don't understand the

product and its benefits," Klinpaka said.

She said the company wanted to promote awareness of Botox, 80 per cent of which was used to treat clients with dermatological problems rather than the high-society cosmetic treatment depicted in the popular US television series "Nip/Tuck".

Under a year-long strategy, the company plans to refresh the Botox brand and promote the injectable neurotoxin as a beauty and health product.

About 20 per cent of Botox clients have suffered spasms to one side of the face, Klinpaka

said.

She said the potential benefits to health and beauty were key to the Botox campaign, demonstrating how it could help with "life-extension therapy" so patients could look and feel good and be at their peak in whatever they tried to do.

Klinpaka said the company would help up to 15 beauty clinics to manage their clients and promote loyalty.

The company last month organised a Botox health-and-beauty party to explain how to get the most out of the product, and there will be a Botox pavilion at the Health, Beauty and Diet Festival at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre in August.

"With aggressive marketing strategies, we aim to boost Botox sales by 30 per cent this year and to double sales in the next three years," Klinpaka said.

Kwanchai Rungfapaisarn

The Nation