Actress Kim Novak, 81, caused quite the stir when she joined Matthew McConaughey on stage to award the Oscar for Best Animated Feature. Many claim they witnessed Novak’s face freeze up while she was presenting. Twitter users, including several news groups and celebrities, cruelly joked about the actress’ face and likely anti-aging routine. “Anybody find the irony in Kim Novak announcing the Oscar win for frozen? #Botox #Oscars,” one user Tweeted. “#AcademyAward for worst plastic surgery: tie between Kim Novak and Goldie Hawn,” The Huffington Post’s Howard Fineman quipped. Donald Trump even added his two cents to impromptu Twitter roast, “Kim should sue her plastic surgeon.”
Few came to the Vertigo’s actress’ defense. “If we weren’t obsessed w/ [sic] advertisers youth craze, Kim Novak may not have had the surgery everyone’s tweeting about. It’s OK to be 81,” one reasonable Tweet read.
Botox, Novak’s alleged go-to product, blocks nerves, weakening — or sometimes even paralyzing — face muscles in the process. Celebrities and many others voluntarily opt for Botox injections to reduce the appearance of wrinkles. Botox’s ever-increasing popularity in Hollywood and across the nation raises important questions like, is it all that bad?
Leading health experts don’t think so. True, Botox helps eliminate the appearance of vertical frown lines and crows feet. The drug also restricts the movement of some facial muscles, ultimately preventing the formation of fine lines and wrinkles. Another popular drug, Dysportt, works in much the same way. What sets Botox apart, however, is that many studies show the drug has benefits beyond improving physical appearances. In fact, researchers concede that Botox puts a significant dent in migraines.
“After patients who received Botox injections reported fewer migraines, studies confirmed that the drug reduced migraine pains – and the procedure became approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. When Botox is injected into the forehead, neck and shoulder, it releases tension in the muscles, relieving strain on the nervous system – which lessens the pain of migraines,” Fox News explains. Botox has also been linked to treatments for arthritis and lazy eye.