People with Botox are seen as one-night stands rather than long-term partners, study finds

It was once seen as a taboo subject. 

But a new study is finally lifting the lid on Botox – and how it impacts your desirability.

Researchers from Tilburg University showed over 2,700 participants photos of people with and without the treatment, and asked them to rate them across a number of measures. 

Their results showed that people with Botox were rated as slightly more attractive, younger and healthier. 

‘This difference was rather small: a 0.07-point change in our 7-point attractiveness scale on average,’ explained Dr Bastian Jaeger, co-author of the study. 

‘This means that on average, a person who was rated a 4 out of 7 on attractiveness before the treatment might be rated a 4.07 out of 7 after treatment.’

However, it’s bad news for Botox fans looking for love. 

The researchers found that the treatment signifcantly increased people’s desirability as a short-term lover and a platonic friend – but not as a long-term partner. 

It was once seen as a taboo subject. But a new study is finally lifting the lid on Botox – and how it impacts your desirability (stock image) 

Botox is a treatment that uses a neurotoxin called botulinum toxin to temporarily paralyse muscles. 

The treatment has a range of medical uses, including to prevent headaches, treat overactive bladders, and treat muscle stiffness. 

However, it’s best known for its cosmetic uses.  

‘Botox Cosmetic is a prescription medicine that is injected into muscles and used to temporarily improve the look of moderate to severe forehead lines, crow’s feet lines, frown lines between the eyebrows in adults, and vertical bands connecting the jaw and neck (platysma bands) in adults,’ Botox explains on its website. 

Botox has only been used for cosmetic purposes since the 1980s, meaning there’s limited research on its impact. 

‘We wanted to test if people who undergo facial aesthetic treatment, with botox or dermal fillers, are perceived more positively by others,’ Dr Jaeger explained. 

‘For example, are they seen as more attractive, more competent, or more friendly? 

‘One reason why we were interested in this is that these treatments have become much more popular in recent years in the UK, the US, the Netherlands, and many other countries. 

Researchers from Tilburg University showed over 2,700 participants photos of people with and without the treatment, and asked them to rate them across a number of measures. Pictured: face regions of four different individuals merged to protect anonymity

Several celebrities have turned their backs on Botox – including Courtney Cox, Molly-Mae Hague, and Megan McKenna

‘Another reason was that a lot of existing research on the effectiveness of these treatments is not very strong.’

In the first part of the study, 2,720 participants were asked to rate pictures of 114 people before and after treatment.

The results revealed that a single treatment increased attractiveness – but not by much. 

‘There are several things that people can do that boost their perceived attractiveness more than a single session of minimally invasive facial aesthetic treatment,’ Dr Jaeger said. 

‘For example, other studies found that makeup can boost attractiveness by ca. 0.6 points, whereas a smile (vs. looking neutral) can boost it by 0.4 points. 

‘These effects are much larger than the effects we found, a 0.09-point increase.’

In the second part of the study, 481 participants were shown photos of 81 people before and after treatment, and asked to rate them for desirability. 

The results showed that Botox boosted desirability for one-night-stands – but not long-term relationships. 

In the first part of the study, 2,720 participants were asked to rate pictures of 114 people before and after treatment. The results revealed that a single treatment increased attractiveness – but not by much

‘We [also] did not see any benefits of treatment on how competent, intelligent, charismatic, friendly, or trustworthy people were perceived to be,’ Dr Jaeger added. 

The researchers describe the findings as ‘perhaps surprising’, given why most people opt for these treatments.  

‘Many people do so because they want to be seen as more attractive or more charismatic by others,’ Dr Jaeger said. 

‘What I find even more interesting is that many people report that, after treatment, they find it easier to make friends and that they make a better impression on others. 

‘Our results do not really support these conclusions. 

‘It is plausible that people have more success socially, not because they look different and people treat them differently, but because they think they do and act more confidently around others (sort of a self-fulfilling prophecy).’