Science says: with botox you not only look emotionless, you also experience fewer emotions

Botox: by now it's no longer a taboo, right? Personally, I have very little against it, people should mainly do what makes them happy, but the ease with which and the age at which it happens is something I find concerning. It seems like everyone is starting earlier and earlier. Recently, I heard something about the term ‘babybotox’ coming up: botox for twenty-somethings. That seems a bit far-fetched to me. I think I'm still way too young for this (26). Yes, even for babybotox.

But hey, who doesn't get happy from a fresher appearance? I think people can really benefit from it. On the other hand, I also spot people who go completely overboard. I don't think that's what you want. A face that is too tight and emotionless is not necessarily seen as young. And apparently, there are also other downsides associated with it. Aside from your appearance, that large number of injections can actually make you feel fewer emotions. That sounds a bit scary, right? Botox makes wrinkles less visible, but because of that, it can sometimes be harder to tell if someone is happy or angry. The consequence of this is that you actually experience these feelings less. Psychologist Michael Lewis explains: ‘If you use so much that you can no longer frown or laugh with your eyes, it affects your mood.’ Our facial expression is an expression of how we feel and vice versa: as soon as you smile, you become happier, and frowning makes you feel worse. Research by Lewis also showed: those who have their laugh lines flattened experience less pleasure and even more depressive feelings. The women with botox in their frown scored much lower on depression and anxiety, on the other hand.

Mothers also need to be careful with botox. It can influence the emotional development of children. Carolien Rieffe (professor of developmental psychology) says: ‘If you have your forehead, eyes, and cheeks done, your expression flattens. How can a child learn about emotions if the tone and body language of their mother do not match her face? That seems very confusing to me.’ This seems like a crucial point to pay attention to.

Based on this research, I can only think: just leave those laugh lines alone. You'll be happier for it.

Source: Psychologie Magazine