Botox helps fight depression: Study

Brighton, April 2: Botox injections help fight depressiondefine by freezing the forehead muscles that in turn prevent people from frowning, suggests a new study.

The research by Dr Michael Lewis of Cardiff University was presented in the yearly meeting of the British Psychological Society in Brighton.

His team of scientists studied 25 people. Out of these, 12 were given botox injections and the rest were given some alternative treatments. They filled a mood questionnaire after a fortnight. The results showed that Botox treated individuals were less depressed than the rest.

“This research may help the development of a new treatment for depressive illnesses. Unlike other treatments for depressiondefine, which have significant negative side effects, the main side effect of a Botox-based treatment would be a younger-looking face,” said Dr Lewis.

Eric Finzi, a dermatologist at the Chevy Chase Cosmetic Center in Maryland, conducted a similar study a few months back. He instigated a small pilot test to verify whether blocking frowning could help in recovering from depression. But he stressed that this is not a permanent solution for depression and more research is needed to prove it.

Dr Lewis agrees, “As the cosmetic effect of botox is temporary, so will be the emotional effect. As the effect of the botox wears off, one's mood is likely to return to normal levels.”

But a researcher Dr Judith Grub from Holland has a different tale to tell. “My research shows that paralyzing muscles that help you to express emotion leads to internalizing these feelings that lead to more depression eventually.”

Lack of assessment, self-report of depressive indications and the small sample size studied by Dr Lewis make the findings fallible. Only more research can help in arriving at concrete results.

Till then, for those looking for short term relief from depression, botox may be an option.