Why I started getting anti-wrinkle injections at 23

A young woman began anti-wrinkle injections after her mother noticed a frown line; by 25 she had botox and lip filler and reports increased confidence. Her mother, a plastic surgeon, administers small botox doses to reduce muscle contraction and prevent deeper lines later. Preventative botox targets creases before they become wrinkles and attracts growing numbers of 18–34-year-olds. Around 900,000 botox injections occur annually in the UK. The practice raises questions about spending on cosmetic treatments versus natural ageing and concern over an industry profiting from insecurities. Experts and users express differing views on benefits and ethics.

Now 25, Sydney has had both botox and lip filler. She is happy with her decision, and says she and her friends will do "whatever it takes" to feel more confident and "look their best". Sydney's mum, Dr Hayley Brown, an award-winning plastic surgeon based in Las Vegas, regularly injects small amounts of botox into her daughter's forehead. She says her daughter looks less tired, feels more confident and, Dr Brown believes, won't need more invasive surgery to smooth out deeper lines later in life.

Using anti-wrinkle injections in the way Sydney does is known as "preventative botox". Botox users in their 20s and early 30s hope to prevent lines forming in the first place, or to target a crease before it becomes a wrinkle. The ageing process is inevitable, but are preventative cosmetic treatments a savvy way of holding on to our youth? Or are we just injecting thousands of pounds into an industry that's profiting from our insecurities?

The less you contract your muscle, the less your skin creases, reducing the appearance of wrinkles. But what was once reserved for the ageing wealthy, or the elusive world of celebrities, has now reached the foreheads of 20-somethings across the UK. Around 900,000 botox injections are carried out in the UK every year. Worldwide, the percentage of 18 to 34-year-olds opting for cosmetic tweaks is growing, making up nearly a quarter of the clientele.

Read at www.bbc.com