Breakup Botox

We all have our post-breakup rituals, whether it’s binge eating the foods you swore off while in domestic bliss or banishing your blues with an exercise induced endorphin high. And, let's not forget about overhauling your hair with a major cut or color change. This New York Post feature adds another strategy that newly single New Yorkers are using to cope with splits and get back in the dating game: Botox. New York Dermatologist, Dr. Anne Chapas, attributed the popularity of the trend to the psychological effects of temporarily paralyzed muscle movements. Quite simply, because Botox prevents your face from frowning, you don't feel as sad. While studies, like this one published by Scientfic American, have found that Botox can decrease feelings of depression, Dr. Gervaise Gerstner gave a different explanation for her clients' post-breakup boosts. Gerstner said, “It’s all about compliments. Hearing ‘You’re beautiful’ is something women take very seriously in New York. We pride ourselves on vanity, and that’s OK!”

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But, it’s not just women who are making a new start with the help of anti-aging injections. New York City plastic surgeon, Dr. Robert Schwarcz, reported that a combination of men and women make up the 15% of his patients who candidly reported that they elected to receive treatments because of a breakup. His clients' motivations, however, were decidedly different based on their sex. Schwarcz said that his female clients get Botox to make themselves happy, "like buying a new pair of expensive shoes." Men, however, are looking to increase their chances of success in the dating pool. Whatever the motivations, these New York singles have the right attitude about grinning and bearing it. One woman said of her injections, “It felt like nothing compared to the breakup.” We’re guessing, it wasn’t as toxic, either.