Injections of Botox work by slightly freezing muscles to smooth out wrinkles. The "emotionless" face that can sometimes result is often the center of many jokes. But can this emotionless face, along with creating an unpleasant blank-faced effect, actually cause depression?
Researchers in Holland wanted to find out, so they performed a study in which 30 people were presented with pictures of unsettling images. One part of the group was encouraged to show their emotions and the other part of the group was asked to keep their emotions at bay. The researchers discovered that the group who remained neutral-faced actually felt more upset in the long run. But why? Find out when you read more.
"Suppressing negative emotions is something we do every day to be polite," research leader Dr. Judith Grub told The Sun. "However, my research shows that paralyzing muscles that help you to express emotion leads to internalizing these feelings," she added. Of course, there's the flip side. Other doctors will tell you that Botox does not create paralyzing effects in the first place. So, what do you think of this Botox and depression theory? Are the researchers onto something or is there just not enough evidence to prove their claims?