Researchers are worried Botox is changing key human behaviour - and there's science behind it

An estimated 11 million people worldwide have used Botox, making it one of the most common nonsurgical cosmetic procedures - whether it's for anti-ageing purposes, or even prescribed as part of treatment for migraines or hyperhidrosis.

However, while we can see the visible effects of Botox, questions are being raised about what it does beneath the surface, with old research being brought back into the spotlight thanks to TikTok.

A study from 2011 published in Social Psychological and Personality Science found that users of Botox may have difficulty empathizing with others - and Gen Z say it explains a lot.

“People who use Botox are less able to read others’ emotions,” USC psychology professor David Neal, who was involved in the study at the time says.

He says that a large part of empathy comes from mimicking the facial expressions of others - and when you can't do that, you can't connect to them as well.

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“When you mimic you get a window into their inner world,” Neal adds. “When we can’t mimic, as with Botox, that window is a little darker.”

Botox (the short name for Botulinum toxin), is administered via injections into the facial muscles, and works by preventing the release of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine from axon endings at the neuromuscular junction - or in simpler terms - temporarily paralyses the muscles, causing restrictive movement.

While it's commonly used to give you a more youthful appearance, it can also prevent you from making the facial expressions that caused the lines you were concerned about in the first place; in particular preventing the forehead from frowning, and smile lines around the mouth.

“It’s somewhat ironic — people use Botox to function better in social situations,” Neal notes. “You may look better but you could suffer because you can’t read other people’s emotions as well.

“When you eliminate a slice of information — whether by communicating through email and Twitter or by paralyzing your own facial muscles — it can be the difference between successful communication and failure.”

TikTok has caught wind of the study, and naturally, they have their thoughts.

"I'm a super sensitive person and extremely expressive, so yeah a little Botox in my forehead actually helps me chill out", one person wrote.

"I’ve been having it 12 years and I felt sorry for a lone carrier bag on the self service area yesterday", another joked, rejecting the idea that using Botox causes you to lack empathy.

"I’ve always said this, I can’t frown or scowl so I can’t get as sad or anxious as I used to", someone else testified.

While there's still a lot of research to be done in this area, it could turn out that our empathy and our foreheads are more closely-linked than we thought - still there, just… slightly frozen.

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