CAN BOTOX TREAT DEPRESSION?

My mother and countless others subscribe to the adage that if you look good, you feel better. I tend to be a bit skeptical. However a recent pilot study led by Maryland dermatologist and cosmetic surgeon Eric FinziM.D.,Phd, in which Botox injections were used as a treatment for depression suggests they might just be right.

Ten women all of who met the standards for ongoing major depression, based on their responses to standardized depression surveys, received five Botox injections into their frown muscles. According to Dr Finzi, the injections prevented the patients from frowning and in turn helped to lift their depression.

Now before you jump to the conclusion that it was their improved reflection in the mirror that lifted their spirits, hold on. Dr. Finzi asserts that there is a direct feedback between the frown muscles and the depression center of the brain. He told WebMD "If you can prevent the negative signals that occur when someone frowns, the brain interprets this as meaning that things are better." As one who has wrestled with depression on and off since menopause, it sounds good to me but many in the medical community are skeptical saying that the sample was too small and that the survey didn't follow all the usual scientific guidelines to make it a valid study.

Still I'm encouraged. Just imagine a time when instead of going to the pharmacy to renew your Zoloft, you just pop by the dermatologist for a shot of Bot0x. Now there's a triple winner; insurance pays, depression is alleviated and you look good besides. It's a perscription that would make a beauty addict almost giddy.

Cheers,

Barb