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Botox Side Effect: Emotional Paralysis

Botox needle syringe The sting of Botox jokes can really get to anyone who's had the procedure done--or can it?

Two studies released this month suggest that this sting may be lessened--because Botox may actually inhibit the ability to feel emotions like anger, sadness and happiness.

In a study published in Psychological Science, University of Wisconsin researchers used a language-based model to examine the effects of Botox on 41 first-time Botox recipients. Prior to receiving the injections, subjects read happy, sad and angry sentences, pressing a button to show how fast they had understood the meaning of each one. When they repeated the task two weeks after the procedure, responses to the sentences were slowed, suggesting that emotional-language processing was impeded.

In a second study by published in Emotion, Barnard College researchers compared individuals who had Botox injections with those who received Restylane, a filler that does not cause facial paralysis. Before and after the procedures, subjects watched emotionally charged video clips and rated their responses. Although individuals who had Botox injections still reacted to the videos, they had "an overall significant decrease in the strength of emotional experience."

Both sets of findings support the controversial Facial Feedback Hypothesis (FFH). Dating back to the ideas of Charles Darwin and pioneering psychologist William James, facial feedback theories of emotion suggest emotions are tied to changes in facial muscles: smiling produces happiness, while frowning produces sadness.

Of course, both of these actions may also produce something else: wrinkles.