Botox before 30 - Students are investing in injectables early despite the risks
Young adults in their early twenties are already starting to experiment with Botox procedures despite the potential failures and major risks such as accidental aging and overfilling
For what was once a taboo, Botox and anti-wrinkle injectables have now become a wildly popular trend in 2025, most surprisingly with young women in their late teens and early twenties.
After the 'clean aesthetic' consumed the beauty industry, demand for Botox and anti-wrinkle injections have boomed, with many young adults admitting to beginning treatments as young as 19-years-old in an effort to 'do more to do less'.
Botox forces the muscles in the selected area to relax, forcing creases and deep lines to level out. As reported by Vogue, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons have stated that Botox injections have increased 28 percent for adults in their twenties since 2010. Botox was confirmed the most popular minimally-invasive cosmetic procedure, according to the ASPS's 2020 Plastic Surgery Statistics Report.
One university student shared that she first had Botox done at 21. Now 23, she admitted to getting the injections every five months as they effectively lasted three to five months, resulting in a regular cycle of upkeep before lines on her forehead came back.
Scheduling appointments for when she returned home from university, she highlighted how several local surgeries offering the injections had left her unhappy, and with more wrinkles than she had begun with. She told The Mirror: "These places weren't great, they put four huge injections in and then you're just frozen. I didn't want it frozen, just for them to smooth in fine lines".
Unhappy with early static lines on her forehead, which she began noticing from as early as 16, she was recommended Botox by her lash tech. The Manchester University student said: "I didn't really like wrinkles in my forehead at 20. I knew I'd feel happier without them".
However, she warned: "If you're with an inexperienced practitioner and they do too much, it becomes way worse and you age further. One put so much into my forehead but none near my eyebrows. I got way more wrinkles- horrendous '11's' (vertical lines between a person's brows) within months as they were having to work so hard because the other muscles were paralysed".
"Once you've started getting it, you can't really stop as you notice you're more wrinkly". The source also shared how expensive skincare can be, reasoning that, in the long run, Botox was the "easy, definite fix" that trumped a cycle of replacing products.
Similarly, a 25-year-old man told the Mirror that he began Botox treatments at 19. His main reason was the "cost affordability element". He told us: "I wanted to get it done whilst I knew it was financially viable," the decision felt "more straightforward" with the increase of risk as he aged and that it was about "getting maximum benefit or value for money".
Medical director of Hedox Clinic, Dr Stephen Humble issued a warning over potential side effects such as Botox making its young users actually look older. He also stressed that procedures must be done case-by-case. "I usually decline to treat women below the age of 21," he told The Mirror.
Dr David Jack, medical doctor turned entrepreneur, also told us that the the whole concept of preventative Botox is "somewhat a commercial tact".
He said: "If you prevent the skin from creasing repeatedly in the same place, collagen breakdown is reduced over time. That said, Botox is not a magic bullet - ageing is multifactorial and involves far more than muscle movement. Ironically, the pursuit of 'perfection' has created a kind of artificial ageing - overly filled lips and cheeks, frozen expressions and shiny foreheads.
The 'accidentally aged' look is where a person is assumed to be older than their biological age, due to early cosmetic procedures," says Dr Jack. He says the look is "typically associated with an older person doing treatments to look younger," highlighting the unnatural effect.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Woman 'glues eyelids open' and injects them with Botox after horror morning find
She thought it was just hay fever, but now Tia-Leigh can't see without glue, tape or even Botox injected into her eyes - her rare condition has left her living in fear of losing her sight For 21-year-old Tia-Leigh Streamer from Dorset, her life changed overnight in 2023 when she woke up with a drooping eyelid. At the time, she put it down to seasonal allergies - nothing major. But what started as a small annoyance would later leave her physically taping her eyelids open just to get through the day. The neurological disorder causes abnormal contractions in the eyelid muscles, triggering uncontrollable blinking, twitching, and spasms. It happens when the part of the brain responsible for eyelid movement stops working properly - but in most cases, doctors don't know why. 'I have the same level of sight as a visually impaired person but I've got nothing wrong with my eyesight,' said Tia-Leigh, who was an aspiring trainee accountant. There's currently no cure, but she's been trialling a treatment that many wouldn't expect - Botox injections directly into her eyelids. 'I have them done every eight to 10 weeks at the moment. It was 12 weeks, but I only get about three to five weeks where it actually takes any effect,' she said. Doctors at Royal Bournemouth Hospital started her on the injections in March last year, and since then, she's relied heavily on them - just to open her eyes. When the Botox wears off, she's left physically holding her eyelids open to see. And because that's not sustainable, she's often forced to glue or tape them open - leaving her with bruises from the tape. 'When I glue or tape them open I can't blink at all. The doctors have said the longer I do that for then I've got more chance of actually damaging my eyes and then possibly losing my sight, which I don't want to do,' she said. 'It's hard, because I've either got no sight or one hand essentially.' Even with the Botox, her eyes can shut from things as simple as sunlight, headlights, or a computer screen. 'I know it's neurological but they don't know what causes it, which makes it worse for me,' she said. 'If they could say it's caused by this, I think it would make me feel slightly less in the dark.' 'To be told I've got this for the rest of my life and not know why is a hard thing to deal with.' Before her diagnosis, Tia-Leigh was training to become an accountant - a career that relied on her being behind a computer screen. She was told that would no longer be possible. 'It was awful to be honest. I had everything planned out,' she said. 'I was training to do that and I was saving to move out and get married and have children and it was all taken away from me.' Halfway through treatment, she was prescribed antidepressants to cope with the emotional toll. 'I tried therapy, I've tried hypnotherapy but nothing was helping,' she said. 'The longer it's gone on I've gotten used to it but there are still days where I get really down about it. Especially as the Botox runs out.' She also fears her body might get used to the injections and they could eventually stop working. While the condition has impacted every part of her life, her biggest struggle is the loss of independence. Tia-Leigh now avoids going out alone, in case she suddenly can't see. 'I'm basically inside most of the time,' she said. 'It stops me doing things I enjoy. I used to do a lot of crocheting, but you need two hands to do that - so I can't even do it at home.' Even making food is difficult. With only one hand free, she often relies on her family to prepare meals - and sometimes even has to ask them to cut it up. 'It's like I'm going back to being a child again because I can't use a knife and fork and see what I'm doing,' she said. Tia-Leigh got married in December last year - but even her wedding day had to be planned around her Botox injections. 'I wanted to make sure that I had the Botox two weeks before my wedding because it takes my eyes about a week to open after I've had it done,' she explained. 'It was a scary day and I think that's one of the reasons that prompted us to get married so quickly.' While the wedding went smoothly, she has one big fear she still can't shake - having a baby in the future. 'Night-time is the worst. They just won't open at all,' she said. 'I have nightmares about a baby next to me and it's crying and I can't wake my husband up and I can't get around to help because of my eyes.' She added that she knows blind parents exist and thrive - but the fear will remain until she one day becomes a mum herself. Right now, her treatment plan is trial and error. Her doctor is adjusting the amount of Botox in her top and bottom eyelids, hoping for longer-lasting results. 'He might change slightly where he puts the injections and he's going to be monitoring it and seeing how long it lasts,' she said. 'It's about hoping he'll be able to find a better balance so we can have some longer effects out of the Botox.' Tia-Leigh has been sharing her journey online and now has more than 3,000 followers on TikTok.
Times
3 days ago
- Times
I spent £4,000 on my smile — and yes, a good smile beats Botox
'Ooh, your teeth!' said a friend I hadn't seen for a while recently. 'They look lovely.' I beamed and flashed my pearly whites a bit more. I am vainly proud of my newly straight, newly whitened teeth. But they have come at a cost: about four grand, to be precise. Which is why I was ruefully amused to learn that smiling is considered a cheap alternative to Botox when it comes to looking more attractive. A recent study found that the perceived attractiveness of people receiving Botox or dermal fillers increased, on average, by just 0.07 points on a seven-point scale — so if you were rated a 4 out of 7 before it, you'd be a 4.07 afterwards. Smiling, by contrast, improves attractiveness by 0.4 points on the same scale — an effect nearly six times greater than Botox.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Daily Mail
Woman, 21, forced to 'glue eyelids open' just so she can see due to rare condition - but doctors say there's no cure
A woman who thought she had bad hayfever was diagnosed with a rare condition that means she sometimes has to use glue and tape just to keep her eyes open. Tia-Leigh Streamer, 21, from Dorset was baffled when she woke up in May 2023 with a drooping eyelid. Initially assuming it was seasonal allergies, it wasn't until months later that she was revealed to suffer with a disorder - blepharospasm - which causes muscles around the eyelids develop an involuntary spasm and cause the lids to twitch, flutter or blink uncontrollably. Doctors at Royal Bournemouth hospital trialled Botox injections in her eyelids in March last year, and since then she hasn't been able to open her eyes without the jabs. When the Botox wears off, the only way she can see is by taping and gluing her eyelids or holding her eyes open with her hands. Even when the jabs are effective, sunlight, car headlights and computer screens can trigger Tia-Leigh's eyes to close. In severe cases sufferers may be unable to open their eyes due to excessive eyelid spasm. Doctors do not have a cure but are continuing to trial different volumes of Botox in her eyelids. 'I have the same level of sight as a visually impaired person but I've got nothing wrong with my eyesight,' Tia-Leigh, who was an aspiring trainee accountant, explained. 'I know it's neurological but they don't know what causes it which makes it worse for me, because if they could say it's caused from this, I think it would make me feel slightly less in the dark. 'To be told I've got this for the rest of my life and not know why is a hard thing to deal with.' She admitted she's 'not been coping very well' and was prescribed antidepressants half-way through the ordeal. 'I didn't get along with them,' she continued. 'I tried therapy, I've tried hypnotherapy but nothing was helping. 'The longer it's gone on I've gotten used to it but there are still days where I get really down about it. Especially as the Botox runs out.' Tia-Leigh added that the longer she grapples with the condition, the more her body will get used to the injections and 'it won't work anymore'. 'I have them done every eight to 10 weeks at the moment. It was 12 weeks. But I only get about three to five weeks where it actually takes any effect,' she remarked. 'The rest of the time I have to physically hold my eyelids open to be able to see anything. 'When I glue or tape them open I can't blink at all. The doctors have said the longer I do that for then I've got more chance of actually damaging my eyes and then possibly losing my sight, which I don't want to do.' Tia-Leigh has even had bruises on her eyelids from the tape before. 'It's hard,' she admitted. 'Because I've either got no sight or one hand essentially.' Tia-Leigh was training to become an accountant, but has had to stop working because of her condition - ruining the plans she had for her life. 'As soon as I got ill I was basically told that this was something that I could never do because of the computer screens,' she explained. 'It was awful to be honest, I had everything planned out. I was training to do that and I was saving to move out and get married and have children and it was all taken away from me. What is blepharospasm? According to the National Eye Institute, blepharospasm (also called benign essential blepharospasm) is 'blinking or other eyelid movements, like twitching, that you can't control'. 'Eyelid twitching usually goes away on its own. But people with benign essential blepharospasm can develop severe and chronic (long-term) eyelid twitching,' the site explained. Symptoms usually start with 'small eyelid twitches that happen every once in a while'. This can increase overtime and often cause the eyes to close completely. In some cases, people also get twitches in other parts of their face. It added: 'Blepharospasm happens when the part of the brain that controls your eyelid muscles stops working correctly. 'Sometimes blepharospasm runs in families, and women ages 40 to 60 are more likely to develop it. But in most cases, doctors aren't sure what causes it.' Treatment options include Botox injections and in some cases a surgery called a myectomy - where muscle nerve tissue is removed from the eyelid - can be recommended to alleviate symptoms. The NEI recommends seeing an eye doctor if: Source: NEI 'It's the stress of it as well that makes it worse. Anytime I'm really stressed it will make my eyes closed and accounting, I found it really stressful.' For her, the biggest struggle is loss of freedom and independence. She can't go out by herself if her eyes are closed, unless someone can drop her off. Tia-Leigh avoids solo outings because she gets 'too anxious not being able to see it'. 'I'm basically inside most of the time,' she said. 'It stops me doing things I enjoy. I used to do a lot of crocheting but you need to have two hands to do that so I can't do that even when I'm at home. 'I can't go down and make my dinner because I've got one hand so I'm restricted to what I can and can't make.' Furthermore, she gas to ask her family to make her meals, and sometimes cut her food up for her. 'It's like I'm going back to being a child again because I can't use a knife and fork and see what I'm doing,' the 20-year-old added. Tia-Leigh got married in December 2024 and had to time her Botox injections to ensure she could see on her wedding day. 'I wanted to make sure that I had the Botox two weeks before my wedding because it takes my eyes about a week to open after I've had it done,' she explained. 'It was a scary day and I think that's one of the reasons that prompted us to get married so quickly. 'I wanted to make sure I was going to be able to get married and be able to have my eyes open to see what's going on.' Another future concern is having a baby in the future. 'I often have nightmares about it to be honest because even when I have Botox done, at night-time my eyes don't open,' she continued. 'Night-time is the worst, they just won't open at all. I have nightmares about a baby next to me and it's crying and I can't wake my husband up and I can't get around to help because of my eyes. 'I do know now there are things that can be put in place to help because obviously people who are blind all the time still have children.' The current solution relies on a trial and error year plan from her doctor. 'He's going to change the volume of the Botox in the top and bottom lid of my eyes,' Tia-Leigh said. 'He might change slightly where he puts the injections and he's going to be monitoring it and seeing how long it lasts. 'It's about hoping he'll be able to find a better balance so we can have some longer effects out of the Botox.' She has been documenting her experiences on TikTok, where Tia-Leigh has more than 3,700 followers.
