So now they tell us that Botox may spread to the brain. No kidding. As if some of us didn’t always wonder whether injecting botulism into our faces to take away wrinkles was really safe medicine. Not that I’m a doctor, but this little piece of information would certainly give me pause.

On April 2, the Journal of Neuroscience reported that scientists injected rats’ whiskers muscles—hard to imagine a rat with a saggy face, but bear with me—with Botulism toxin and found that the toxin which causes a “muscle-weakening illness” had spread to their brains. Of course, the results aren’t conclusive. The researchers didn’t use the FDA approved Botox specifically and previous studies have shown Botox to be safe. An Allergan spokeswoman—they make Botox—said, “The authors used a laboratory preparation of botulinum toxin and did not use Botox, and data suggest that different preparations of botulinum toxin react differently in both the laboratory and in clinical practice.”

Regardless, I think this latest study should make us all think twice about the potential price we’re willing to pay just to make our faces look younger, if not expressionless.

Read more about the study here

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