At 3.77 million procedures done in 2013, Botox is by far the most popular injectable cosmetic treatment on the market. That number is expected to continue to rise as it reached 6.6 million in 2014 and then 6.7 million in 2015. As more and more people take part in Botox procedures, most people probably know someone who has used the injections to remove wrinkles and those people might not fit into the preconceived demographic for such a procedure.
Plastic surgeons are seeing an increase in procedures done on men and people under 30. That may come as a shock to many. Why would 20-year-olds need to worry about wrinkles and cosmetic procedures? Well, more and more people in their mid to late 20s are using Botox to prevent wrinkles before they happen or remove early signs of wrinkles. In your 20s you may start to see how your facial expressions may leave their mark when you are older. People as young as 25 are starting to seek and destroy these wrinkles before they show up.
How Botox Works
Botox is the common name for what science calls botulinum toxin A, which you may think sounds like the deadly food poisoning called botulism and you’d be right. Both Botox and botulism come from the bacterium clostridium botulinum. However, in botulism the most serious symptom is paralysis and in Botox that muscle freezing power is harnessed to remove wrinkles and treat other medical issues like diseases that cause muscle spasms.
In fact, it is approved by the FDA for 10 treatments including cosmetic procedures like frown wrinkles between the eyebrows and crow’s feet, as well as medical procedures like uncontrollable blinking, chronic migraines, neck spasms and even excessive sweat.
Why Young People Use It
While wrinkles do often come with age, there are a number of factors that can contribute to early wrinkling. For instance, if a teen has a very animated face, by the time they are in their mid-20s they may start so see wrinkles forming. Though it’s not as common, there are people as young as 18 going in for Botox procedures. While some doctors will encourage very young people to rethink their decision or refuse them altogether, many will treat healthy young people who have expressive faces and may be prone to wrinkles.
It’s Not a Spa Treatment
The danger of Botox comes, not with a certain age, but with the idea that it is some casual spa treatment like a mud bath or a body wrap. Some have even started having Botox parties, where people gather together to casually zap away wrinkles. However, it’s important to realize that Botox injections are a medical procedure and if it is done incorrectly it can have potentially dangerous side effects.
Young people should also keep in mind that Botox, like most non-invasive cosmetic procedures, is a limited remedy. Muscles around wrinkles are injected and they relax which causes the smoothing effect. However, when the toxin wears off wrinkles may return.
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