Emotions in the Botox era

When we see smiling, we too smile, often imperceptibly and automatically, as we try to interpret that expression. If some of our mimic muscles are treated with excessive doses of Botox, then according to some researchers, the process of understanding the emotional expression of the other may prove to be more difficult to decipher. Injections of Botox into the facial muscles, in addition to relaxing expression lines and making the skin appear younger, also have the ability to modify the negative expressions of worry or anger that our face can express towards others. This consequence, as the scientists of SISSA (International School of Advanced Studies of Trieste) explain in a new research, depends on a temporary reduction of proprioceptive feedback, a process that helps us understand the emotions of others by reproducing them on our body. We have been accustomed for years to seeing the positive results of Botox treatment on Italian and international celebrities, but in reality the market for cosmetic treatments that exploit the positive effects of Botulinum toxin type A is enormously vast and involves a large number of individuals. . To give an idea, about 450,000 procedures have been done in Italy in the last period. One of the most interesting consequences concerns the success with these treatments, to reduce the evidence of expressions resulting from states of anxiety or worry or unpleasant frowns on the face. Botox allows, within certain limits, to obtain a dominion over the perception from the outside of the negative emotional information conveyed by facial expressions. The expressions observed are present but less intense in people who have had the treatment. It was noted that for very intense emotional stimuli the difference in facial expression is not significant, while the more modest stimuli were more masked thanks to the Botox effect. The result of this research suggests that the influence of Botox can manifest itself precisely in situations where hiding one’s negative feelings provides an important help in social life. This suggests that it is not the treatment with Botox in itself that is positive or negative but its use correctly both for the dosages and for the sites in which it is carried out. Any abuse must be prevented and the choices made by experienced specialists who know the anatomy and physiology of the facial muscles in detail.