Botox Injection Studies: Drug Improves Skin Pliability & Elasticity For 4 Months, Helps Battle Depression

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Botox injections, a popular facial anti-wrinkle treatment can do more than just temporarily reduce smile lines and crow's feet, it can battle depression, a new research shows.

Botox, also known as botulinim toxin type A, is a drug extracted from botulism bacteria. According to Drugs.com, botulinum toxin temporarily paralyzes muscle activity and is used to treat neck, arm, and hand muscle spasms, migraine headaches, and eye muscle conditions. The most common form known by the public is the Botox cosmetic which is known to reduce facial wrinkles.

Wrinkles are a natural product of age and the effectiveness of Botox for ironing out aging skin could be because it increases the pliability and elasticity of the skin for up to 4 months.

Wrinkles are a natural product of age and the effectiveness of Botox for ironing out aging skin is because it increases the pliability and elasticity of the skin for up to 4 months. The study was headed by Dr. Bonaparte and Dr. Ellis and analyzed the information of around 50 women who got Botox injections.

"This study found an increase in skin pliability and elasticity with a corresponding reduction in the UV after treatment of facial wrinkling with onabotulinum toxin A.

The changes occurring in patients' skin appear to be the opposite of those associated with the aging process and UV radiation exposure and inflammation. This study also suggests that the duration of effect of these changes mimics the duration of effect of the medication," the researchers said according to Medical News Today. The study was published in the journal JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery.

In another research that was presented at the American Psychiatric Association's annual meeting, Botox was found to help against depression, notes the report by Medical Daily.

Dr. Ajay Parsaik from the University of Texas and his colleagues researched the effectiveness of Botox for depression by analyzing studies of its effects. Searching in over 600 articles, they were able to find evidence of Botox to have more value than its cosmetic benefits on patients. They were able to find that patients who received Botox injections were less depressed compared to those who did not.

"This study suggests that botulinum toxin A causes significant improvement in depressive symptoms and is a safe adjunctive treatment for depression," Parsaik and his colleagues noted.

A research published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research  by Swiss and German scientists showed that "botulinum toxin may shortly accomplish a strong and sustained alleviation of depression in patients, who did not improve sufficiently on previous medication. It supports the concept, that the facial musculature not only expresses, but also regulates mood states."

Although the researchers do not know how Botox exactly improves depression, they believe that looking back at a happier face in the mirror and being complimented on improved features may enhance the mood.