The Face of Emotion: How Botox Affects Our Moods and Relationships. This item is unavailable.The Face of Emotion: How Botox Affects Our Moods and Relationships

William Shakespeare famously wrote that "a face is like a book," and common wisdom has it that our faces reveal our deep-seated emotions. But what if the reverse were also true? What if our facial expressions set our moods instead of revealing them? What if there were actual science to support the exhortation, "smile, be happy?" Dermatologic surgeon Eric Finzi has been studying that question for nearly two decades, and in this ground breaking book he marshals evidence suggesting that our facial expressions are not secondary to, but rather a central driving force of, our emotions. Based on clinical experience and original research, Dr. Finzi shows how changing a person's face not only affects their relationships with others but also with themselves. In his studies using Botox, he has shown how inhibiting the frown of clinically depressed patients leads many to experience relief. This work is a dramatic departure from the neuroscience-based thinking on emotions that tends to view emotions solely as the result of neurotransmitters in the brain. Part absorbing medical narrative, part think piece on the nature of emotion, this is a bold call for us to rethink the causes of unhappiness.

Eric Finzi, MD, is the medical director and president of two dermatology practices in the DC area. He has authored over 20 research publications and has been on the faculty of the Dermatology department at Johns Hopkins Medical Center. He is an active member of The American Academy of Dermatology, The American Society of Dermatologic Surgery, and The Washington Dermatologic Society. Dr. Finzi has been featured on Good Morning America, The Today Show, and A&E, and has contributed to articles in The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and US News & World Report, among others.