Most of us know of Botox as a temporary reprieve from aging, but it might be able to serve a larger purpose than simply keeping wrinkles at bay. Dermatologic surgeon and artist Eric Finzi claims, in The Face of Emotion, that Botox may even be a salve against negative facial displays of emotion.
Finzi's interest in Botox is personal. His mother suffered from a debilitating form of depression; as an adolescent, Finzi became all too familiar with the looks of despair and sadness worn by the clinically depressed. As a surgeon, he experienced the drug's effectiveness in dermatologic restoration and also uncovered studies pointing to its success treating migraines and Parkinson's disease symptoms.
What if facial expressions direct, rather than reflect, our emotions? Finzi devotes considerable time on explaining the underlying neurological and physical mechanisms behind emotional awareness, communicated by a turn of the mouth or the knitting of a brow, before circling back to his advocacy of Botox (and smile therapy) as a deterrent to negative emotion. Because Botox can freeze frown lines, he writes, it reduces emotional negativity.
The smile and frown may be the yin and yang of facial expressions, but it is the frown that serves as the exclamation point for emotional revelation. Still, despite Finzi's enthusiasm, while it is true that Botox (when used in moderation) is harmless compared to many drugs, additional research is needed before it becomes the next big breakthrough for the clinically depressed. --Nancy Powell, freelance writer and technical consultant