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Research presented at the British Association of Cosmetic Doctors Annual Conference reveals that Botox cosmetic therapy creates a more positive mood.

BOTOX® cosmetic injections for frown lines and wrinkles can alleviate depression, according to a new study by Michael B Lewis PhD, School of Psychology, Cardiff University UK and Dr Patrick Bowler Court House Clinic, London UK. Published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology this new research shows that relaxation of the corrugator (frown) muscles leads to less facial feedback for negative emotions. Consequently a negative mood is harder to maintain and so the person has a more positive mood.

Dr Patrick Bowler, Medical Director of Court House Clinics is unsurprised by the results of the study, and reveals that this may be one of the reasons patients are less likely to give up Botox treatments during an economic downturn.

“For many years I have noted the positive effect of Botox cosmetic treatments on my clients, including some who have been suffering from mild depression. Despite the current recession we have not seen a decline in the demand for Botox in our clinics. We now have proof that alongside the ‘feel good’ factor that a cosmetic treatment can provide, there are also psychological mechanisms at work that show treatments such as Botox that prevent frowning correlate with a more positive mood.”

Localized facial muscular paralysis is a consequence of the use of Botulinum toxin A (BTX-A; e.g. Botox® or Dysport®) for cosmetic dermatology. Treatment involves injections into the frown muscles, relaxing them for up to 6 months. The cosmetic effect of this treatment is a smoother, less-lined forehead. As well as being responsible for frown lines, the frown muscles are universally important in the expression of negative emotions including sadness, fear, anger and distress.

The relaxation of these muscles means that the ability to form facial expressions of these emotions is reduced. Indeed, it has been demonstrated that people who have received Botox treatments for frown lines are rated as showing less negative facial expressions. The facial feedback effect suggests that the paralysis of muscles associated with negative emotions may have effects beyond the outward appearance of emotion.

In order to test this mechanism, the mood of 25 patients who had received Botox treatment for glabellar frown lines at Court House Clinics was measured and compared with patients who had received other cosmetic treatments. The patients treated with Botox showed a significantly less negative mood.

“The results support the facial feedback view that frowning can make people unhappy.” says Bowler.

Dr Patrick Bowler is the founder and Medical Director of Court House Clinics, co founder and fellow of the British Association of Cosmetic Doctors, a not-for-profit organization, established for the advancement, education and practice of cosmetic dermatology in the UK. Members are fully GMC registered; undergo thorough background screening, training and certification. Information about specific procedures and doctors contact details can be found at www.cosmeticdoctors.co.uk

If you are a medical professional and would like to learn how to inject botox, Aesthetic VideoSource has a Botox Training DVD.

Botox Injection Technique

Despite the financial pressures brought about by the recession, it seems that patients are still keen to keep up their beauty regime with regular doses of Botox as a top UK clinic reveals it was the most popular treatment of 2009.

Bookings for Botox-type treatments including Azzalure® and Botox® were up 43% compared to 2008 at the multi-award winning Riverbanks Clinic in Harpenden, with other common treatments such as Fillers, used to treat fine lines in the face increasing by 11% as well as the demand for Skin Care prescriptions rising by 26%.

Dr Jain, Medical Director at Riverbanks Clinic believes that their latest figures reflect a rising trend and a new breed of patient who puts skin health as their top priority, recognizing that a less invasive but more frequent maintenance program of treatments can provide much better, long term results.

“Many patients are now beginning to see the real benefits of combining good skin care with regular maintenance treatments for creating a long lasting, natural and radiant appearance. I’ve been telling patients for years that less is more when it comes to cosmetic treatments and the true mark of success is not when friends and family say ‘Wow you look great, whose your surgeon’, but ‘Wow you look so well, have you been on holiday? If administered correctly, Botox and fillers are an ideal way to make subtle changes to the face whilst retaining a natural look,” says Dr Jain.

Botox is the most popular name for botulinum toxin A, however there are a number of brands currently on offer at clinics including Dysport, Vistabel as well as the British derived Azzalure. All work in the same way, by blocking the signal from the nerve to the muscle and each surgeon tends to have their preferred brands of Botox.

However, Dr Jain is keen to remind people looking to invest in cosmetic treatments in 2010 that beauty isn’t just skin deep, but requires improvements in other areas too such as from maintaining a health diet and exercising regularly to really maximize results. According to the multi-award winning specialist, the two most important beauty tips for achieving soft, supple and revitalized skin are usually the ones that are forgotten by the majority of patients.

“Botox and Fillers can only go so far and patients must always remember to keep hydrated if they want to achieve the very best from their treatments and skin care routines. Many are surprised to learn that the skin requires more hydration in the winter because the combination of indoor heating and cold weather can dry out the skin. Also, everyone should be wearing sun cream everyday, both in winter and the summer, a minimum of SPF30 should be worn come rain or shine, even in the snow, to prevent harmful rays from damaging the skin’s surface. The less damaged the skin is, the less work we need to do,” says Dr Jain.

If you are in the medical profession and would like to learn about Botox Injection Techniques and Dermal Filler Injections, Aesthetic VideoSource has step-by-step training DVDs that teach the techniques.

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