For many beauty-conscious women, Botox injections are the go-to choice for anti-aging. But beware—it may make you less sensitive. Recent Swiss research examined brain responses after facial Botox injections, revealing that the toxin not only paralyzes facial nerves but also weakens the brain's reaction to hand contact.
According to the Tribune de Genève, a team from the University of Zurich's Institute of Neuroinformatics and ETH Zurich, led by Professor Arko Ghosh, conducted this botulinum toxin study. They recruited 15 volunteers, first injecting botulinum toxin into their foreheads, then measuring brain waves at the front and back of the head.After six weeks, researchers observed diminished responses in the relevant brain regions to hand contact.
This phenomenon arises because the brain areas processing facial and hand nerve signals are adjacent within the somatosensory cortex. In extreme cases, this proximity explains why some individuals who have undergone hand amputation report sensations in their missing limbs when their face is touched.
Researchers continue to investigate participants' hand sensations, though plastic surgeons note that clinical practice and numerous studies show no proven link between facial Botox injections and altered hand sensation. Professor Gao Xu asserts that the belief Botox injections do not alter the brain is mistaken. Botox injections modify how the brain processes sensory impressions, and the extent of muscle movement impairment varies by injection site.