'I'm a beauty writer for a magazine.'
What do you think the biggest reaction to the above is? Perhaps a question about the beauty products of the moment, or how I feel about Bella Hadid's latest perfume venture might spring to mind. Or maybe: 'Is this [insert product name] worth the money? Do I actually have to wear SPF everyday?' (Yes, you do!)
From friends' mums, I might get the occasional Q&A on remedying crows feet or how I feel about a certain viral make-up brand. But lately, revealing my job title has aroused only one kind of response from every single age group: 'Do you think I need to get botox yet?'
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The question, or rather statement, seems to follow me everywhere these days. 'I desperately need to get botox, but only a little bit to stop the wrinkles starting,' they tell me. Whether it's a colleague pointing to a fine line (from my experience, this will be invisible to the human eye) or a friend quizzing me on whether their ultra-strength retinol serum will be enough to outweigh cosmetic intervention, conversations about preventative tweakments are more prevalent in my life than ever before.
The most unexpected part? I'm predominantly having these discussions with women aged 24 and under, with questions about ageing angled from men, women and children as young as 12 years old. But why are we growing progressively concerned about preventative tweakments at a younger and younger age and what is causing these sliding scales?
What is preventative botox and at what age 'should' you start getting tweakments?
'Preventative botulinum toxin (Botox) is the use of the toxin to prevent fine lines and wrinkles from forming, rather than treating and improving existing lines and wrinkles,' explains dermatologist and Joonbyrd founder Dr Alexis Granite. 'When it comes to Botox treatments, there tends to be a Goldilocks period when you first start to see lines at rest (without furrowing your brow, smiling or raising your eyebrows for example), but before lines are etched very deeply into the skin. This is a long period over years and during this time, correction of lines can be achieved with natural-looking results while also having the benefit of preventing and in some cases even reversing lines and wrinkles.'
However, Celebrity Aesthetic Doctor Dr Rasha Rakhshani notes that preventative botox is best suited to individuals in their late twenties or early thirties looking to address crow’s feet, forehead wrinkles, and fine lines before they become more prominent, as opposed to the rising crowd of young people opting for the earliest possible intervention.
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Why are preventative tweakments on the rise among young people?
According to a recent report investigating the impact of body image anxiety on young people in the UK, 36% of adolescents said they would do ‘whatever it takes’ to look good, with a further 10% saying they’d consider cosmetic procedures in the future. In 2020, the Department of Health estimated that as many as 41,000 Botox procedures were carried out on under 18s in the UK, leading to a consequent ban of cosmetic Botox and lip fillers in the age group. Despite the ban, discourse around tweakments has been more prevalent online than ever, from Kylie Jenner’s post-filler ‘pillow’ face at Jean Paul Gaultier x Simone Rocha runway show to the star-studded ozempic face and buccal fat removal epidemics last year. Not to mention, the rise of the so-called Sephora kids.
'Young people are experiencing high levels of appearance related concerns,' says Dr Alia Ahmed, Consultant Dermatologist and Psychodermatologist at GetHarley. 'This stems from several core issues: increased use of social media and being "on show", comparison to celebrities and filtered images, accessibility of cosmetic procedures (pricing, non-invasive options, seemingly a procedure for every skin or appearance related concern imaginable), use of video conferencing/calling (essentially looking at oneself for excessive amounts of times is fuelling facial analysis). There is also almost a stereotypical portrayal of the perfect face - contoured, wide eyed, pouted lips, snatched jawlines and under eyes), which people can try to achieve through procedures rather than make-up.'
While preventative tweakments such as 'Baby Botox' have risen in popularity in the last few years, many practitioners are cautious of beginning cosmetic intervention too early.
‘I am not an advocate of preventative tweakments per se or botulinum toxin solely as a preventative,’ says Dr Granite. ‘It seems that young females show the most interest in preventative tweakments. For the majority of people there is no need to start these types of treatments in your twenties or before the development of fine lines and wrinkles. I actually think doing these types of tweakments at a very young age can cause you to look older, or perhaps even worse, slightly ageless.’
In terms of physical cons, Dr. Rakhshani adds that if you receive too much Botox over many years your muscles will get weaker and flatter and can also cause skin to appear thinner and looser. And that's without counting in the financial side of cosmetic upkeep. With botox injections estimated to last around 3 or 4 months (and priced between £100-£350 a session in the UK), the cost of maintaining preventative botox is no small feat, especially for an adult in their mid-early twenties.
What are the alternatives?
While few dermatologists will liken to power of skincare to any in-clinic professional treatment, our concerns around prevention are much better placed with the other factors impacting skin ageing. If you're reading this prior to developing any form of resting lines, please note that preventative botox is not going to stop the development of wrinkles altogether. Other factors such as genetics, sun exposure, and lifestyle habits also play significant role, says Dr. Rakhshani.
'Great skincare, sun protection and good health habits are to me what prevention is all about,' concludes Dr Granite. 'When you're young, enjoy being young. Take this time to optimise your skincare routine and develop sun-safe habits and save your money for other pursuits.'
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