'Baby Botox' and the psychology of cosmetic procedures
Botox injections used to be a secret for (largely) women in their 40s and 50s. But growing numbers of (largely) women in their 20s and 30s are turning to 'baby Botox,' or smaller doses that are intended to prevent aging rather than combat it.
Baby Botox is just one intervention that doctors say younger people now frequently seek, and some view the trend with concern. Dr. Michelle Hure, a physician specializing in dermatology and dermatopathology, says younger patients aren't considering the cost of procedures that require lifetime maintenance, and are expressing dissatisfaction with their looks to a degree that borders on the absurd.
Hure traces the demand for 'baby Botox' and other procedures to the start of the pandemic.
'Everyone was basically chronically online,' she told Vox. 'They were on Zoom, they were looking at themselves, and there was the rise of of TikTok and the filters and people were really seeing these perceived flaws that either aren't there or are so minimal and just normal anatomy. And they have really made it front and center where it affects them. It affects their daily life and I really feel that it has become more of a pathological thing.'
Hure spoke to Today, Explained co-host Noel King about the rise of 'baby Botox' and her concerns with the cosmetic dermatology industry. An excerpt of their conversation, edited for length and clarity, is below. There's much more in the full podcast, so listen to Today, Explained wherever you get podcasts, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
You told us about a patient that you saw yesterday, and you said you probably wouldn't keep her on because her mentality really worried you. Would you tell me about that young woman?
I had this patient who was mid-20s, and really a beautiful girl. I [didn't] see a lot of signs of aging on her face, but she was coming in for Botox.
There wasn't a lot for me to treat. And at the end of the session she was asking me, 'So what do you think about my nasolabial folds?'
Basically, it's the fold that goes from the corner of your nose down to the corner of your mouth. It's the barrier between the upper lip and your cheek, and when you smile it kind of folds. Of course, the more you age, the more of the line will be left behind when you're not smiling. And she was pointing to her cheek as if there was something there, but there was nothing there. And so I had to tell her, 'Well, I don't see that, you're perfect.' It's a phantom nasolabial fold. It didn't exist.
That sort of mentality where someone is perceiving a flaw that is absolutely not there — providers need to say no. Unfortunately, they're incentivized not to. Especially if you have a cosmetic office, if you're a med spa, if you have a cosmetic derm or plastic surgery office, of course you're incentivized to do what the patient wants. Well, I'm not going to do that. That's not what I do.
That means you may get paid for seeing her in that visit, but you're not getting paid for putting filler in her face. I think what I hear you saying is other doctors would have done that.
Absolutely. One hundred percent. I know this for a fact because many times those patients will come to my office to get that filler dissolved because they don't like it. In the larger practices or practices that are private equity-owned, which is a huge problem in medicine, you are absolutely meant to sell as many products, as many procedures as possible. Oftentimes I was told to sell as much filler as possible, because every syringe is several hundred dollars. And then if they're there, talk them into a laser. Talk them into this, talk them into that. Then you become a salesman.
For my skin check patients, I'm looking for skin cancer. I'm counseling them on how to take care of their skin. I was told, 'Don't talk to them about using sunscreen, because we want them to get skin cancer and come back.'
I was pulled out of the room by my boss and reprimanded for explaining why it's so important to use sunscreen. And so this is why I couldn't do it anymore. I had to start my own office and be on my own. I can't do that. That goes against everything that I believe in, in my oath. Because there is potential harm on many different levels for cosmetic procedures.
What are the risks to giving someone a cosmetic procedure that they don't really need?
This is a medical procedure. There is always risk for any type of intervention, right? What gets me is, like, Nordstrom is talking about having injections in their stores. This is ridiculous! This is a medical procedure. You can get infection, you can get vascular occlusion that can lead to death of the tissue overlying where you inject. It can lead to blindness. This is a big deal. It's fairly safe if you know what you're doing. But not everyone knows what they're doing and knows how to handle the complications that can come about.
Honestly, I feel like the psychological aspect of it is a big problem. At some point you become dependent, almost, on these procedures to either feel happy or feel good about yourself. And at what point is it not going to be enough?
One of my colleagues actually coined this term. It's called perception drift. At some point, you will do these little, little, incremental tweaks until you look like a different person. And you might look very abnormal. So even if someone comes to me for something that is legitimate, it's still: Once you start, it's going to be hard for you to stop. If you're barely able to scrimp together enough to pay for that one thing, and you have it done, great. What about all the rest of your life that you're going to want to do something? Are you going to be able to manage it?
I wonder how all of this makes you think about your profession. Most people get into medicine, it has always been my assumption, to be helpful. And you've laid out a world in which procedures are being done that are not only not helpful, they could be dangerous. And you don't seem to like it very much.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Los Angeles Times
10 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
Opinion: A generation plugged in, tuned out
At just nine years old, a child today can hold the world in their hands – yet lose touch with the one around them. For much of Generation Z, this is a reality. Like many kids, I got my first phone not because I needed one, but because peer pressure made it feel like I'd be left behind without it. After countless months of begging my parents, they bought me my first phone. With a brand new iPhone 7 in hand, I felt like I had unlocked the rite of passage. However, once I downloaded popular social media apps – Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok – my life turned around. Social media exposed me to conversations that I wasn't ready for. There comes a point in a child's life when they start to become subject to peer pressure. According to Children's Health , peer pressure begins as early as age ten with the formation of friend groups in elementary school. Peer pressure can come in many different shapes and sizes: what you wear, how you act, and now, whether you own a phone. When it comes to peer pressure caused by phones, it more specifically goes under the category of ' social conformity . ' Social conformity is the tendency for one to adjust their thoughts, beliefs, or lifestyle to align with those in a group or a social norm. The tendency for children or teenagers to succumb to social conformity is becoming more and more prevalent in this day and age. Social media is dangerous. While it isn't physically dangerous, social media has created a culture of comparison and hate speech. According to the Anti-Defamation League's annual survey , up to 22% of Americans reported experiencing hate speech online. For children and teens, especially, this can be harmful. The harm is rooted in a child's maturity level. Now more than ever, before children develop proper emotional and psychological tools, they are shown explicit and harmful content. Instead of connecting and building confidence, kids often find themselves isolated and insecure. In fact, a survey conducted by the Royal Society for Public Health questioned 14-24-year-olds on how UK social media has impacted their health. The results revealed that Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram all led to increased feelings of depression, anxiety, poor body image, and loneliness. As social media platforms continue to shape young minds, it's important to make a change. While it's nearly impossible to disconnect children from social media completely, we can reform these platforms from within. Now, more than ever, it's crucial to enforce extra precautions through stricter content moderation, promoting digital literacy, and holding platforms accountable for the harmful environments they create. Together, we must aim to create a space that fosters well-being and connection rather than harm and isolation. Related
Newsweek
10 hours ago
- Newsweek
Chimpanzee Communication Patterns Shaped by Mothers, Study Finds
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Human's closest living relatives, Chimpanzees, primarily learn their communicative patterns from their mothers and maternal relatives, according to a new study. Newsweek has reached out to the study's lead author for comment via email on Saturday. Why It Matters Humans and chimpanzees share an overwhelming majority of their DNA, a similarity that makes chimpanzees important for studying human biology, evolution, and behavior. The study finds that key aspects of chimpanzees' communication are shaped by social learning and interactions rather than strictly genetics, emphasizing the power of maternal influence. Since humans also learn communication behaviors from those they interact with most, the study's findings suggest this trait may date back to the common ancestor of both species nearly 8 million years ago. What To Know A study published this month in the PLOS Biology journal, found that young chimps mainly learn various vocal and visual patterns of communication from their mothers and maternal relatives. Over months, researchers observed around 60 chimps in Kibale National Park in Uganda. Chimpanzee mothers are the primary caregivers for their young until about age 10, providing what researchers describe as a "social template." The study found "variation in the number of vocal–visual combinations produced per communicative event in chimpanzees is predicted by maternal kinship, with individuals from the same matriline producing similar numbers of vocal–visual combinations to each other," noting that their patterns were not explained by their fathers or any paternal family members. A study last November found that chimp's social behavior is "contagious," meaning they are likely to mimic behavior of those around them. Studies often show how closely linked chimps and humans are, with a May study reporting on wild chimps self-medicating their wounds with plants as well as providing medical aid to other chimps in need. Several chimpanzees at the Barcelona Zoo are seen on August 5. Several chimpanzees at the Barcelona Zoo are seen on August 5. Europa Press via AP What People Are Saying Joseph Mine, lead researcher and a biologist at the University of Rennes in France, told NPR: "This fact that we acquire parts of our communication socially seems to be potentially a very ancient trait — a feature of our lineage for several million years." Cat Hobaiter, a primatologist at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, told NPR: "We're seeing such similarities across the ape species. My bet is that we would see something similar in gorillas and orangutans. Then we're talking about something that might be 16, 17 million years old — so long before humans were human, apes were learning socially from each other."
Buzz Feed
15 hours ago
- Buzz Feed
35 Fast Problem-Solving Products For No-Nonsense Humans
A delightfully affordable instant foot peeling spray so you can go full YEEHAW!! on an at-home pedicure without the big salon price tag. This not only helps gently remove dead skin, but moisturizes dry and cracked heels, so you'll really get some refreshing bang for your buck. A teensy two-in-one nausea relief inhaler designed to help with spontaneous nausea, motion sickness, morning sickness, and general queasiness (having a human body is hard). You can either use it as a scent inhaler or rub it directly on the tip of your nose for relief. Summer road trips and cruises just got a HECK of a lot more bearable. A "spray and go" enzyme-based laundry stain remover — all you do is spray the offending spot, rub it into the fabric, and leave it in your hamper until the next wash. It'll get the stain out during the washer cycle with NO other effort from you, and works on everything from discolored dried sweat to oil stains to grass stains to mud. A super effective and strangely whimsical foaming drain cleaner for anyone who wants to make cleaning a whole aesthetic. This gentle but powerful foam will pull up gunk and clean out drains in sinks, bathtubs, and floor drains, helping prevent plumbing issues and making everything smell ~squeaky clean~. A vacuum-free space-saving compression bag so easy to use that all you'll have to do is stick your clothes inside, zip up the bag, roll the bag, and watch all the excess air get squished out of them until your clothes magically shrink. Yes, maybe it's only a weekend trip, but some of us need OPTIONS!! A set of fast-acting Keurig cleaner pods you can simply put through a cycle on the machine to get rid of all the crusted-on grinds and residue that are *definitely* affecting the taste of your coffee, even if you haven't noticed over time. A painless, mint-flavored teeth-whitening pen reviewers swear by as an alternative to pricey professional treatments and strips, like the $45 Crest White Strips. This gets results from the very first use, lightening up years' worth of stains from coffee, tea, wine, or just, you know, existing as a human with teeth. A hairbrush cleaning tool designed with a pointy end to easily rake hair out of your beloved brush in one go, plus bristles to get rid of all the build-up left behind. Now you just have to deal with that giant hairball when it tries to reincarnate as a Furby. Lumify Eye Drops, a product so beloved by TikTok that despite being more $$ than other brands, it's the number one selling brand on Amazon right now. Reviewers swear by this for instant reduction in redness in their eyes, with visible differences within a minute of use. A jewelry-cleaning stick with cleansing solution on a brush designed specifically to get in the nooks and crannies of your jewelry, so you can dig out all the grime that's accumulated over the years on the cheap instead of taking it to the jeweler. A set of heavy duty Tub O Towels wipes that are most definitely not here to play — they're basically the paper towel version of The Rock and can lift up stains on anything from grease to permanent marker to nail polish. Bonus: they're tough on stains, but the aloe vera in them makes them super gentle on skin! A drain snake you can funnel into your shower or sink drain that honestly works a little *too* well at unclogging hair in older sinks and bath tubs, pulling it up in one (semi-horrifying) go before you have to resort to potentially pipe-damaging traditional drain cleaners. A portable car vacuum that will let you explore the great outdoors or enjoy a particularly messy snack without worrying about it all piling up until you have to get an expensive deep car clean. With this easy-peasy gadget, you can scoop it all up and leave your interiors looking brand spanking new. A foaming garbage disposal cleaner you can plop into your sink, run a little water on, and let its blue magic fizz its way up to the top while clearing out all the gunk from your culinary adventures in one go. A reviewer-beloved veggie chopper that'll get you uniform, oh-so-satisfyingly cut veggies instead of buying the expensive precut ones at the store. This gadget juliennes, chops, spiralizes, and slices vegetables in an instant and has a built-in storage container to hold the chopped veggies so you can pour them into a pan or dish without any mess. A pack of dual-sided SneakErasers designed so that one side of them cleans scuffs, dirt stains, and grime, and the other side whitens them, restoring your sneakers and their soles to their former glory. Take THAT, passage of time. A set of kid-friendly hydrocolloid mosquito itch relief patches you can wear at the beach, pool, bath, or shower without worrying about them sliding off. Reviewers swear by these not just for helping prevent itching, but to reduce the redness and swelling faster. A bunch of Miracle-Gro "food spikes" that can bring plants as sad as the tree from A Charlie Brown Christmas back from the brink of death, and then will continuously feed them for 30–60 days as a bonus. Sprayway Glass Cleaner, a reviewer-beloved cleaning staple that did *not* come here to play. This streak-free, fast-acting foam is so effective at cleaning surfaces that a lot of businesses and offices swear by it for that oh-so-squeaky-clean look. A pack of unscented SweatBlock wipes that will work for up to *seven days* after application — perfect for those of us whose underarms are a little, uh, enthusiastic, to say the least. Reviewers especially swear by this for events that might bring on nervous sweating! A ring can opener, because holy SMOKES can those be annoying to open. Reviewers swear by this for getting a quick and easy grip without wrecking their nails or cutting themselves on the edges of the lid. It's also a super handy tool for people with arthritis and joint pain. An oral rinse that'll pack a powerful punch despite its mild mint flavor — this formula fights bad breath for a full 24 hours and can combat those sour, bitter, and metallic tastes you can sometimes get in your mouth. A set of Bottle Bright tablets so you can tackle all the sludge caked on your automatic kettle, coffee maker, or favorite ceramic mugs instead of replacing them for a pretty penny. Elephant Ear Washer Bottle System for anyone whose ear wax situation has their primary care doctor going, "Yiiiiikes." Now you can take care of it at home easily, gently, and a little too effectively — the bits of wax this dislodges out of reviewer's ears are truly leaving them in shock! A set of "wine wands" to remove sulfates and histamines from your beloved cheap Pinots in as little as three minutes, basically making "not getting a hangover" your new superpower. The internet-famous Revlon oil-absorbing volcanic face roller that will swipe over your face like a magic wand to make excess oil disappear — super convenient and *way* less wasteful than using blotting strips and less time wasting than fancy powders that need a ton of blending work. A reusable, *delightfully* portable gel lint roller for quick lil' touch-ups, because you just plain never know when you're going to experience the full-body serotonin of a furry friend pouncing on you. Not only is this little sphere cute as a button, but all you have to do to restore its stickiness is wash the interior. A bottle of wood polish that will make all your scuffed-up cabinets and hardwood floors look brand spanking new in mere seconds, even if you're pretty sure the damage is older than you are. A set of paint touch-up pens to quickly deal with lil' scuff and scratch marks that pop up on your walls without having to do the whole song and dance of whipping out a giant roller brush. (Ah, we love the fresh smell of "getting my deposit back" in the morning.) A set of washing machine–cleaning tablets that'll tackle that weird mold + mildew smell in one cycle. Your laundry will come out so fresh that you'll hold your nose up to it like you're auditioning to play "Human in Scented Detergent Commercial." And a set of dishwasher-cleaning tablets you can pop into a cycle with your dirty dishes to wipe out all the extra grime and that funky smell you can never seem to get rid of no matter how hard you try. You don't even need to scrub — these do all the work for you! A sleek one-button electric wine bottle opener because TBH, nobody has time to lament a cork getting stuck in their bottle and google a bunch of hacks to fix it anymore. This rechargeable beauty will safely pop it open without any of the hassle. A blind duster with microfiber sleeves so you can dig in deep and pick up an oh-so-satisfying amount of dust without wasting an oh-so-annoying amount of time like you usually do. Bonus: It comes with five clean sleeves, so you can tackle a bunch of windows at once. A hair identifier spray to make shaving or dermaplaning *that* much more efficient — this not only highlights where your hair is so you don't miss a spot, but also moisturizes and protects skin while you're shaving. This is also a great way to ensure you aren't *over*-shaving areas, since you'll know right away if the hair is taken care of! A power scrubber brush you can attach to a DRILL (!!) that basically does all of the hard grime busting for you, so you don't have to have sore arms for a week just because you dared to wipe down the shower.
