Can Botox Make You Sad?

As you have likely heard, when you bite down on a pen, something interesting happens--you become happier.
There has been a lot of discussion about it over the years, but the premise is simple...when your mouth makes the shape of a smile, your body thinks you are happy, so it produces chemicals within the body that promote happiness.
So if you want to be happier, one trick is to put a pencil in your mouth to make the smile and internally, you will begin to feel happier. Scientists refer to this as "the facial feedback theory" of emotion.

What scientists have found is that the opposite is also true! In Dr. Wiseman's book, "The Act As If Principle," he discusses a large study of women who had Botox injections. 

What they found is that the women could not make all of the normal facial patterns. Not being able to make all of their joyful facial expressions tricked their bodies into thinking they were not as happy, and began to produce the chemicals in their bodies as if they were sad or depressed.

The scientists in the study believed that the women did not have access to the full spectrum of emotions because they couldn't make the expressions with their muscles.
I am not sure about you, but learning about this has been mind-blowing! Not only are their potential health issues connected to Botox, but there certainly could be emotional consequences from a simple injection.

Wild!
I share this with you, not to guilt or shame any woman about Botox, injections or surgery, but it is good to make fully-educated decisions about your physical and mental health. When you understand all the facts, you can make the best decisions for yourself.