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The 1990s gave Botulinum toxin injections (often referred to as Botox) and dermal fillers a bad reputation.

They became synonymous with frozen foreheads and giant lips.

Who can forget the archetypal ‘woman or man of means’ struggling to show his or her emotions through a face that threatened to never move again?

We’ve come a long way since then. Nowadays, the trend leans more towards a natural look.

The idea behind dermal fillers and botulinum toxin is not to cheat nature but to enhance one’s natural beauty by giving what’s already there a bit of a lift.

It’s all about ageing with grace.

And while you’re ageing with grace, with fewer lines and wrinkles, you might also be interested to learn that a recent study uncovered an unforeseen side effect of getting the treatment.

It was performed at the University of California, San Diego, last year.

Researchers found that people who received Botulinum toxin injections in six sites – not just their face – reported depression far less often than those who didn’t receive the treatment.

“For years, clinicians have observed that Botulinum toxin injected for cosmetic reasons also eases depression for their patients,” said Dr Ruben Abagyan, a professor of pharmacy involved in the study.

Image: Michael Stillwell

“It’s thought that easing severe frown lines in the forehead region disrupts a feedback loop that reinforces negative emotions. But we’ve found here that the mechanism may be more complex, because it doesn’t really matter where the neuromodulator is injected.”

Looking and feeling better in your skin is also a great way to lift your mood.

Apart from taking care of those fine lines and wrinkles, Botox is also a less invasive way to achieve the results of more invasive surgical procedures.

A surgical brow lift, for example, comes with the risk of going under the knife, as well as not liking the results. A liquid brow lift, on the other hand, is non-invasive, very safe, and never permanent, with overwhelmingly positive reviews from those who have had it done.

Botox can also help you to achieve a particular eye shape, or just give you a bit of a lift to brighten your gaze.

More and more men are also opting for non-surgical procedures, including non-surgical nose jobs to take care of one of the perils of getting older – a droopy nose tip.

The way to achieve the best possible results is by ensuring that you use the most effective and up-to-date procedures, performed by experts in the field, who will guide you through your options and ensure that the treatment you’re after is the one that you need.

Make an appointment with a Skin Renewal doctor, and you’ll know you’re in good hands.