Botox injections can lead to depression, a new study has warned.

The jabs help you get rid of wrinkles by partially freezing muscles but scientists have found that they also stop people from being able to express their feelings visually. 

That leads to them keeping emotions bottled up inside and perceiving the world in a negative way. 

“Suppressing negative emotions is something we do every day to be polite,” the Sun quoted Dr Judith Grub, who led the research in Holland, as saying.

“However, my research shows that paralyzing muscles that help you to express emotion leads to internalizing these feelings,” Grub added.

In the study, 30 people were shown gruesome images. Some were allowed to show their emotions, while others were asked to keep a blank face. 

The researchers found that those who did not show their feelings perceived the world as a worse place, and felt negative emotions for longer. 

“Many people think, ‘Oh, it's just Botox — I can get it in my lunch break.’ But they forget that there may be side-effects,” Grub said.

As with any medication, potential side effects of Botox® do exists, and vary according to injection site, dose, frequency of injections, and the amount of physician expertise. Most side effects— such as pain, tenderness, or bruising at the injection site—are temporary and occur within a few days after treatment. The most common side effects of injections around the eyes and in the face include temporary bruising, eyelid drooping (ptosis), dry eyes, and double vision (diplopia) (Hsiung 2002; Tan 2002), and facial droop can occur with injections into the cheek. It is generally agreed that in the hands of experienced physicians, these side effects are considered rare.

The most common side effects in patients receiving Botox® for cervical dystonia are difficulty swallowing (dysphagia), upper respiratory infection, neck pain, and headache. Potential complications when using Botox® in the face and neck occur when too much toxin is injected or when the right amount is injected into the wrong muscle. Inaccurate injections in the forehead or around the eyes can cause drooping lids; too much injected in the neck can cause muscle weakness and difficulty swallowing. In general, when used at recommended doses by skilled physicians, Botox® is safe and is not known to cause any long-term side effects.

What long-term clinical data exist show a medication with a good record of safety. In a study of 65 patients who received repeated injections for 10 years, side effects were all temporary and mild and decreased after repeated injections (Defazio 2002). Examination of the eye muscles after Botox® has shown that repeated injections do not cause irreversible muscle atrophy (wasting) or any other degenerative changes (Borodic 1992), and muscle function after injection reverts to normal (de Paiva 1999). A large study of 235 patients who received Botox® injections for cervical dystonia, hemifacial spasm, and blepharospasm showed a 75% benefit from treatment for up to 10 years. Although side effects occurred in 27% of study participants at any one time, only 1.3% stopped receiving injections because of intolerable adverse effects (Hsiung 2002).