Botox Could Dampen Certain Emotions?
Botox injections may affect your ability to feel certain emotions, according to a recent study by a New York academic.
“For at least some emotions, if you take away some part of the facial expression, you take away some of the emotional experience,” says Joshua Ian Davis, a PhD and a term assistant professor in the department of psychology at Bernard College in New York City.
“Whether this is a benefit or a detriment depends on your goals.” The study findings were published in the journal Emotions.
According to statistics compiled by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, Botox injections – No. 1 non-surgical cosmetic procedure performed in 2009 -- smooth wrinkles by paralyzing the underlying muscles.
In the study, participants who received Botox in injections self-reported less emotional response to some emotional video clips. This contrasts with the reaction of other participants who received treatment with a wrinkle filler called Restylane, which does not paralyze muscles. Instead, Restylane rstores volume to facial folds and wrinkles.
“We have not had the chance to specifically isolate each muscle group and determine how they relate to specific emotions,” said Davis.
The kinds of things that would be interesting to follow up on would be to look more closely at specific emotions and specific muscles such as frown lines, crows’ feet and smile lines.
Stephen H. Day, MD, clinical assistant professor of facial plastic surgery at the University of Illinois in Chicago, cautions against drawing significant conclusions from this data.
“There’s evidence showing that a mild adjustment of the face such as raising eyebrows with Botox can make a person look friendlier, happier or nicer, they probably feel that way as well.”
