Medical expert of the article
New publications
Botox can save you from depression
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.
We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.
Everyone knows that Botox injections help get rid of wrinkles and smooth out the skin. But, as it turns out, Botox has another useful property - it can help in the treatment of mental illnesses.
In a state of depression, a person is depressed, apathetic and experiences deep emotional experiences. Even the patient's face expresses suffering and torment.
The facial wrinkles and the parts of the brain that regulate our emotions are interconnected, and this connection is called the limbic system. Even a thought that flashes through your head is transmitted to the facial muscles through nerve impulses.
New research suggests that cosmetic procedures may help ease depression.
Dr. Eric Finzi, a plastic surgeon and director of a cosmetic center in Maryland, has conducted research that has shown that the physical expression of emotion affects how a person feels.
It is for this reason that Dr. Finzi believes that botulinum toxin injections, by smoothing out wrinkles, can actually improve the mood and well-being of people suffering from clinical depression.
For example, citing his latest research, Dr. Finzi argues that frowning habits can make an already depressed mood worse, while smiling, even if not cheerfully, can temporarily increase feelings of happiness.
The current study is the second of its kind, but like the first, Dr. Finzi comes to similar conclusions.
In the first study, the doctor suggested that Botox injections reduce the number of negative emotions in people, meaning that the brain does not receive signals about a bad mood. This process occurs because Botox blocks neuromuscular transmission.
The new study involved 84 people with severe depression, which lasted an average of two years. Most patients had not been helped by antidepressant treatment.
All study participants received injections, but one group received Botox and the rest received placebo injections. Results were assessed after three and six weeks.
By the end of the study, 27% of those who received Botox injections reported significant improvement in their condition and felt almost cured. Of the placebo group, only 7% reported improvement.
"This study shows that suppressing negative emotions can significantly improve the condition of a person suffering from depression and lead to remission," says Dr. Finzi.
However, botulinum toxin has a wider range of medical uses: it helps in the treatment of spasms, migraines and even in patients with Parkinson's disease, who can thus more easily control their movements.
It paralyzes the work of small muscle groups and they relax, blocking pathological impulses that cause spasms.
In addition, experts have recently discovered that Botox can help fight cancer by increasing the effectiveness of chemotherapy and catalyzing the destruction of tumor cells.