A Smile is a Curve That Sets Everything Straight: Could Botox Jabs be the Answer to Clinical Depression?

Could Botox jabs be the latest weapon in treating severe depression? According to a recent Daily Mail article, US scientists believe so…
The article, which featured in last week’s Daily Mail, revealed that the treatment physically stops people frowning, something which can trigger negative emotions. During the US trial, the procedure relieved symptoms in more than a quarter of patients – compared to just seven per cent of those given a placebo.
For this reason, medical director at the Chevy Chase Cosmetic Centre in Maryland, believes that smoothing out frown lines using Botox can actually improve the mood of people with clinical depression.

For the most recent study, Dr Finzi worked with 84 people with severe depression that lasted for an average of two years, and which had not fully responded to treatment with antidepressants.
The patients all received either Botox treatment to smooth out frown lines, or a placebo injection into the same facial region. They were then assessed three and six weeks later.
By the end of the study, 27 per cent of those receiving Botox reported nearly complete remission of their depression compared to just 7 per cent of those who received the placebo.
Dr Finzi said: ‘This trial shows that inhibition of frowning can lead to remission in depression.”
Botox, the brand name for botulinum toxin, is a treatment used to treat fine lines and wrinkles. Once injected into a given area, Botox blocks the impulses from nerves to the small facial muscles that are used every time we laugh, smile or frown. The muscles cannot contract or move well enough and therefore tend to relax, leaving lines and wrinkles smoothed out.
The skin treatment is the most effective procedure for subtly tackling the appearance of deep lines and wrinkles. It also prevents new lines forming by relaxing the facial muscles and reducing excessive facial muscles.
For more information about the treatment, please visit our website