If you’re feeling anxious or stressed, there may be an option you never considered. New medical research suggests that Botox can help improve your mental health.
Researchers at the University of California, San Diego analyzed a Food and Drug Administration database of nearly 40,000 patients and found that anxiety levels among people who had Botox were 20 to 70 percent lower.
The study included those who used the drug for cosmetic purposes to smooth wrinkles and those who received Botox to treat migraines.
“The mental health effects of Botox have really come to the fore as a really positive side effect of cosmetic treatments,” said Dr. Michael Reilly, a facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon at Medstar Georgetown University Hospital in DC.
The reason behind the increase in mental health isn’t entirely clear, but doctors believe it has to do with our facial expressions and the part of our brain that processes emotions.
Reilly said he has seen the benefits of Botox firsthand.
“When you can’t frown or show the emotions of worry, fear or panic, there’s probably a calming effect on the nerve pathways that feed back into your brain and then allow you to not feel that emotion as much. ” he said.
But it is only a temporary solution.
“You will probably only have the Botox effect as long as the Botox is functional, which is usually about three months,” Reilly said.
The UC San Diego research team published a separate study showing that Botox patients also reported feeling less depressed, compared to others who underwent different treatments for the same condition.
Some say that science could change the way we treat mental health disorders and how these types of cosmetic treatments are covered by health insurance.
“I think it’s going to change the perspective through which a lot of us view Botox and how people respond to it,” Reilly said.
The researchers say that more clinical trials are needed to determine the best site and dosage to administer Botox specifically for anxiety.
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