Botox for teens? Finding a prom date and getting accepted into college used to be the biggest concerns facing teenagers. But these days, a lot of teens seem to be more concerned with getting Botox than working hard to get high SAT scores. Yes, Botox for teens is a booming industry. Oh, and the parents do not seem to mind. In fact, some parents are supportive even encouraging their teenage children to get Botox injections.
“I bought my daughter Botox for her 18th birthday,” says Margaret King, who, according to a report, treated her daughter, Jodie, to the shots to get rid of the wrinkles on her forehead in May 2007. Now, two years later, Jodie admits that she has become addicted to the treatments and has spent thousands of dollars. “I can’t stop. So what if I’m a teenage Botox addict?” says Jodie, adding: “I’ll always find a way to pay for Botox.”
Unfortunately, Jodie is not the only teen getting the shots. Doctors reveal that many are visiting their offices in the hope of looking perfect for the prom. The American Society of Plastic Surgery reported a spike of 42 percent in the number of teens seeking filler injections. Amelia, 21, an office assistant in New York, decided to try Botox for the first time at 19, after working in a plastic surgeon’s office. “I had access to it, otherwise I never would have done it,” she says.
But she was happy about the results she got from New York-based plastic surgeon Dr. John Sherman. “I didn’t want a frozen face. It looked natural,” she adds. Sydney, an 18-year-old working model, had her first experience with it at just 17. “I was feeling self-conscious. I had prominent lines whenever I squinted,” she says.
Is it a risky habit? Plastic surgeon Dr. Yan Trokel thinks getting teenagers Botox is a waste of money. “It is acceptable in your late twenties and thirties,” he says. “But a 16-year-old does not need it!” He believes that the young women are trying to emulate their favorite stars – and will not stop with just Botox.
Margaret, who has spent about $73,000 on cosmetic surgery for herself – including a nose job, two breast enlargements, a tummy tuck and a mini face-lift – is already planning to buy her daughter Jodie a nose job for her 21st birthday and has taken her for a breast enlargement consultation. “I can’t think of anything worse than looking old,” says Jodie. [via]