Botox is supposed to preserve youth, but for Gen Z, it accelerates the aging process.
Botulinum toxin – intended to reduce the appearance and worsening of fine lines and wrinkles – makes Zoomers look older than they are, as an influx of young patients seek preventative treatments such as “baby Botox”.
“It’s usually unnecessary and just a real source of stress,” said board-certified dermatologist Dr. Brooke Jeffery. USA Today. “They often move their face and we don’t even see wrinkles, but that’s what they fear.”
In 2022, 75% of plastic surgeons will see an increase in patients under the age of 30, according to data from the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, and while some doctors are excited by the prospect of younger people taking better care of themselves, others argue that it is too early to get injections.
“The right time [to get Botox] is when someone really starts to see a faint, solid line, meaning they see it there when their face isn’t moving,” Jeffy explained.
Because of how often Botox injections are needed to maintain smooth skin—about every three to six months—it’s “a very long way to go when you start in your 20s,” she added.
“There’s a bit of a misconception among some of my patients that I’ve talked to who just think, ‘Oh, you kind of do it once and then you don’t have to think about it again.’
Starting too young can also change the appearance of certain facial features and make 20-somethings look decades older than they actually are.
The ‘Love Island’ effect, For example, it was a cheeky term coined by fans of the reality series to refer to the cast’s plastic surgery that made them look much more mature than they were.
“It can change the shape of their brows and almost make them look bigger, because they can’t move anymore and they look almost robotic,” said board-certified dermatologist Dr. Anthony Rossi on Botox injections in USA Today.
“Unfortunately, we’ve only seen a lot of bad Botox from untrained people or people doing it who don’t really have an aesthetic eye.”
And, not to mention, the only thing Botox at the beginning of life could be zero – the body can become resistant to the effects of Botox with increased exposure.
“I’ve seen it happen and that’s why I’m very careful,” Rossi continued. “They may think more is more, but it really isn’t.”
