Botox Treatments Affect Teens’ Ability to Understand Emotional Cues: Study

Teens who take Botox treatments suffer from impaired emotional growth, according to a study.

Botox is the most sought after beauty treatment that smoothens wrinkles by numbing facial muscles. The cosmetic procedure restricts flexibility and elasticity of facial skin and muscles. This can hinder one's ability to express emotional reactions completely.

A research led by Helen Collier, Nurse practitioner at Musselburgh, near Edinburgh, said that British teens and youths are influenced by celebrities and reality shows and sporting an ice-cold, expressionless face can affect the way they perceive and understand emotional cues. Using a renowned psychological theory, she explained expressions like frowning and smiling are not just the release of emotions but also the experiences of dealing with a  wide variety of mental reactions. Adolescents and young adults tend to imitate facial reactions and expression they see on others.

"As a human being our ability to demonstrate a wide range of emotions is very dependent on facial expressions. Emotions such as empathy and sympathy help us to survive and grow into confident and communicative adults. If you wipe those expressions out, this might stunt their emotional and social development," Collier said, reports the BBC news.

The findings urge cosmetic surgeons and doctor to reconsider their decision to give Botox treatments to young patients. Collier also advises therapists and plastic surgeons to counsel youngsters to feel confident about their physical appearances instead of seeking expensive medical anti-aging treatments to look good.

"Though most of the effects of the toxin are temporary, research suggests the muscles don't fully recover from injections. We really need to understand the consequences of starting treatments too soon," added Collier, reports the Yahoo News.

"Injecting teenagers with Botox for cosmetic purposes is morally wrong and something that no ethical practitioner would do. This can only exacerbate body image issues at a vulnerable time," said Rajiv Grover, president of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, reports Yahoo News.

More research is available online in the Journal of Aesthetic Medicine.