Criticism and controversy did nothing to prevent Botox from gaining ground every year, and instead managed to seduce the younger generation. Botulinum toxin injection is currently the most popular aesthetic procedure in the world, representing no less than 43% of all procedures, far from hyaluronic acid injection (28%), according to figures presented by IMCAS at its latest annual conference.
Injections – of all types – are so popular that the annual growth rate is now estimated at 8.9% in the period 2019 to 2025. And given the youthful enthusiasm for this aesthetic procedure, the phenomenon shows no signs of slowing down.
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Five billion views
Contrary to popular belief, Botulinum toxin injections are not the exclusive domain of people in their thirties, forties and fifties. On the contrary, young people – i.e. generations Y and Z – prefer this cosmetic procedure, which is also very popular with their favorite influencers.
As a result, the hashtag #botox is now the source of no less than five billion views on TikTok. The scale of the phenomenon is such that some countries, such as England, prohibit the administration of Botox and other cosmetic fillers to minors. This is a way to avoid young people for “false injectors”, people who do not have the authority to do the injections and are especially active in social networks.
If the craze surrounding Botox never subsided despite the controversy, other anti-aging techniques have been gaining popularity among young people in recent months.
Called Baby Botox, it is an alternative that is considered lighter than its predecessor, and promises more natural results. Here too, a glance at the Chinese social network is enough to measure the success of this considered new method, which has gained more than 100 million views and – once again – promoted by many influencers.
What is Baby Botox?
Clearly, Baby Botox is not revolutionary, because the products injected are the same as those used for regular Botox.
It’s just a matter of limiting the amount, to remove wrinkles and fine lines without creating the ‘frozen’ face effect that regular injections can cause – and it can affect some people. It’s a kind of booster, in short, that leaves signs of facial expression intact. The result seems more natural, in line with the current trend that favors authenticity – or at least the illusion – over all that is fake.
It seems that this technique is preferred by people whose wrinkles have not set in, including 20-to30-year-olds, although this obviously depends on the individual. Some specialists even suggest that Baby Botox can be used for preventive purposes. For example, the website of the Paris-based Clinique des Champs-Elysées says that “this technique … is used to prevent fine lines or lines of expression in the future. It is logical to think that, if the muscle strength related to expression is reduced at the age of 20 or 25, wrinkles will not be visible or become obvious later”.
Like Botox, Baby Botox results are reported to be visible within days of injection, and disappear after four months. Interviewed by the British edition of Harper’s Bazaar, plastic surgeon, Dr. Ashwin Soni, explained: “Each patient metabolizes Botox at a different rate, so it depends on when it starts to disappear, which is when you notice some wrinkles start to return. I have some patients who just see three months, and then I have other patients who experience longer results. On average, it lasts about three to four months, which is about the same as my experience with traditional Botox treatments.
But when it comes to Baby Botox, don’t expect to pay baby prices. The UK-based specialist charges £400 (or about $495) for forehead and crow’s feet injections. This is more or less in line with the average price found in many clinics.
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