When is too young for ‘Baby Botox’ and Fillers?

For people who grew up in the 90s and 2000s, plastic surgery of any kind was still very much in the “silent” era. While there was enormous pressure to never age, it was still taboo to admit to receiving any kind of medical enhancements.

But things are different in the 2020s, the age of TikTok.

Now, celebrities and influencers are more open about anti-aging treatments. On the one hand, this sheds some valuable insight into why so many famous people seem to age differently than the rest of us. But the greater awareness surrounding these procedures has also normalized them, leaving many viewers wondering: “Do I do you have to do this procedure too?’ And it’s affecting people at younger and younger ages. (Ever heard of “baby Botox”?)

So, are these treatments and procedures right for everyone? Considering that so many followers of beauty-focused social media accounts are under the age of 25, could these young users be influenced to take anti-aging treatments that are harmful in the long run?

We asked four dermatologists if they think their younger patients should consider baby Botox and other trendy antiaging procedures.

“‘Baby Botox’ refers to the use of targeted neuromodulators (such as Botox)… at lower doses than traditional dosing.” he said Dr. Ahuva Cices, cosmetic dermatologist and assistant professor of dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. “This allows for finer, smoother results.”

Essentially, this smaller amount of neurotoxin creates less of the “frozen” look that results from the muscle paralysis effect of Botox.

“When patients first get Botox, it’s very common for them to hint, ‘Don’t give me too much.’ I still want to be able to show my expressions and smile and emote,” she said Dr. Teo Soleymania California-based, dual board certified dermatologist.

With the lower doses of baby Botox, patients can enjoy the best of both worlds.

“Instead of 30 to 40 units for muscle groups, 10 to 20 units are used.” he said Dr. Elaine Kungcertified dermatologist, aassistant professor of dermatology at Presbyterian-Weill Cornell Hospital, New York; and its founder Future Bright Dermatology. “Baby Botox prevents the deepening of lines while preserving facial expression in people who are younger.”

But these lower doses of Botox may not be right for all patients. If you already have visible lines, even a full dose of Botox will only do so much.

“We found it [Botox] doesn’t do much for [deep] wrinkles that have already formed,” Soleymani said. “What we found is that [Botox] it is much better at paralyzing muscles that form dynamic lines or lines that appear during movement.”

That’s why many dermatologists recommend that patients interested in Botox begin treatment as early as their 20s or 30s – whenever they first notice wrinkles and lines starting to form when their face is in calm.

“The best way to deal with a wrinkle is to treat it early before it becomes permanent or prevent it from developing at all,” he said Dr. Joshua Zeichner, board-certified dermatologist based in New York and associate professor at the Icahn School of Medicine.

But if you don’t see the first signs of wrinkles yet, dermatologists suggest skipping baby Botox. “If a patient doesn’t have lines, then I don’t recommend getting Botox,” Zeichner said.

It is difficult for medical professionals to determine which muscles should receive Botox if there are no lines to show where long-term wrinkles could have developed in the first place. It’s also important to remember that the facial structure you have in your teens and early 20s may not be the same you have later in life.

“If your facial muscle mass and anatomy is still developing, which is in your teenage years, then I think [Botox] it is premature,” Soleimani said.

“There is a trend among younger patients who follow various aesthetic and beauty accounts on TikTok and Instagram to request more invasive and advanced treatments,” said Cices. But the dermatologists we spoke to all warned against getting the following procedures at a young age.

Most of us know, to some extent, that many beauty standards are cyclical—the pencil-thin brows of the 90s and 2000s gave way to the bushy brows of the mid-2010s before laminated eyebrows took the point as the current eyebrow trend.

The fact that many hyaluronic fillers are supposed to dissolve naturally or could be dissolved with hyaluronidase injections, it gave many people peace of mind that fillers would be a ‘reversible’ procedure when the fleshy lip trend was ‘off’.

However, Soleymani pointed out that while these fillers may be reabsorbed and dissolved to some extent, The filler residues may remain at the injection sites.

“There are a lot of people that I’ve operated on and taken filler out of their cheek, their face or their lips and they haven’t had an injection for five, six, seven years,” Soleimani said.

He also noted that getting fillers too early and too often can potentially change the structure of our facial features as we inject more and more over time, as evidenced by the famous “duck lips.”

“Over time, the weight of that filler stays on the rim, and then you get elongation and that duck bill that happens,” Soleymani said. “Trying to fix them is a lot harder than not doing it too early in the first place.”

It’s safe to say that the current beauty trends are more “mature”, with a dramatic, angular, “grabbed” look. And many people undergo procedures such as cat and fox eye surgeries, brow lifts and mini and liposuction to achieve this aesthetic.

However, younger patients should be cautious with these surgeries – especially liposuction – as their faces are not yet fully developed.

“Adolescence is a rollercoaster of hormonal and physical changes, often bringing weight fluctuations. These variations can dramatically affect the size and location of oral fat pads, making surgeries premature and unpredictable,” Kung said. “Think of it like trying to fit a suit before you’ve finished developing – you might end up with a bad look later.”

It can be tempting to think, “I can fix these problems later down the line with more surgeries.” But it’s important to remember that surgery has limitations. Every time you go under the knife, you risk further complications and the development of scar tissue.

“Every time you manipulate something, you’re going to leave long-term, permanent traces in its place,” Soleimani said. “Obviously, there’s only so much leather that can be sewn and cut.”

So if you’re new and there’s a certain feature you’re unsure about or something you’d like to change, sometimes the best thing you can do for yourself is wait.

“Generally, the rule of thumb is anything you want to do that might change the appearance or structure of your face or skin, you should do it when your body reaches a more static period in your life, when you’re not constantly growing or [changing]Soleimani said.

With the rise of social media and the various filters that make our favorite influencers look flawless 24/7, as well as the increased amount of time we spend staring at our faces on video calls, our standards of beauty have been warped.

“I had far fewer patients in their early 20s asking for fillers three years ago than I do now. Many of them complained about the way they look on Zoom or on video conferences,” Soleymani said. “They had more time to spend in front of Zoom, with virtual meetings, virtual work settings, and more time just sitting around, which resulted in more control over their appearance.”

Before you rush into surgery, it might be a good idea to evaluate your relationship with social media and Zoom. (Rest assured, no one looks good on Zoom.)

And if you decide to go ahead with getting any kind of treatment or procedure, remember that what worked for your friend or favorite influencer may not be right for you.

“It is important to recognize that each patient is unique and may benefit from an individualized approach before receiving any cosmetic treatment,” said Cices. “When patients come in for cosmetic checkups, we discuss treatment goals and assess what can be done to achieve those long-term results.”