For years, Botox has been used to reduce wrinkles, tighten skin, and help people look as young as possible. While Botox has commonly been used among middle-aged adults, there seems to be a growing trend of millennials getting preventative Botox.
Preventative Botox is a procedure that treats the facial muscles that are used more often in order to prevent wrinkles from forming. Statistics from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons report that the number of Botox procedures among 20- to 29-year olds increased 28% since 2010.
According to Dr. Paul Jarrod Frank, celebrity cosmetic dermatologist and founder of PFRANKMD and PFRANKMD Skin Salon in New York City, millennials in their late 20s and early 30s are one of the fastest growing demographics for this type of procedure.
“These days, it’s just another form of grooming (like getting waxed, coloring your hair, getting facials, etc),” Dr. Frank explained.
In today’s appearance-driven society, it’s no surprise that millennials are doing everything they can to ensure they look Instagram-perfect at all times. Millennials are one of the biggest age groups who put a heavy focus on appearance and following trends. In fact, the 2015 Harris Poll showed that 47% of millennials had at least one tattoo, and the numbers are sure to have gone up since then.
Botox is basically a “selective muscle relaxer” that helps reduce formation and appearance of wrinkles on the skin. It’s made up of a protein created by a generally recognized microorganism that temporarily paralyzes the selected muscle. Because of the way Botox has evolved over time, cosmetic surgeons can now customize the Botox procedure for each individual patient.
While there is no wrong or right age to start Botox treatments, experts like Dr. Frank suggest the treatments work best if they’re started soon after signs of aging begin to show. This is why Botox is generally popular among middle-aged adults, as they’re beginning to show signs of aging. However, it is possible for millennials to start showing signs of aging at a younger age. But even if wrinkles aren’t present, it looks like millennials are jumping on the Botox train anyways to ensure their picture-perfect skin stays that way.
Even though Botox is most commonly used for cosmetic purposes, there are also medical benefits of the procedure as well. One increasingly popular use for Botox is the treatment of migraines. People who suffer from chronic migraines often try multiple treatment options for their pain with no relief. This is a problem, especially seeing as how about 59% of people who suffer from chronic pain say they have a lessened overall enjoyment of life. Fortunately, developments with Botox treatments have been quite successful over the past few years.
According to Dr. Bradford Talcott M.D., Headache Specialist, and Neurologist, “One of the newer and more exciting treatments is actually Botox therapy. People know about it from different cosmetic things and it turns out the Botox is probably our most effective way to manage a chronic migraine.”
So whether it’s to treat migraines or prevent wrinkles, the use of Botox is on the rise. And with more millennials now getting more Botox procedures, developments in the Botox field are sure to continue.