"Five years ago, I never would have admitted that I got Botox. I was kind of saying, isn't it interesting how I now go online and see all my television colleagues, friends, all actively saying that they have Botox. It just became that everyone was like, there's nothing to hide, why are we embarrassed to talk about it?"
Barbie Botox, also referred to as Traptox, has become a sensation on social media platforms, particularly TikTok, where it has garnered millions of views over the last three years.
Patients automatically trust practitioners of Harley Street and assume they will provide high quality surgery. In reality, many of the practitioners with Harley Street stamped on their business cards are no more than medical imposters.
I'm 65, so I'm not pretending I'm young, but I felt there were things about my face - the bags under my eyes, the skin under my chin, the wrinkles - that were making me look older than I actually felt. I'm very busy. I have a lot of energy. I work out, I'm into health, and I'm very active. What I was seeing in the mirror didn't match how I felt inside.
Federal regulators have issued warnings that unapproved exosomes could leave customers with severe skin infections. As procedures like exosome therapy become more popular, they draw attention to the potential threat to consumer health posed in some Florida med spas. In their rush to obtain the newest, buzziest treatments, customers may be injected with unapproved, mislabeled or even outright toxic substances.
Lotus sprout extract is derived from the young shoots of the lotus plant, which are rich in antioxidants and protective phytonutrients. Because sprouts are in an active growth phase, they contain concentrated bioactive compounds that help defend the skin against environmental stressors.
Consultant dermatologist Dr Aiza Jamil says facial puffiness is usually caused by fluid retention and common triggers include high salt and alcohol intake, allergies and lack of sleep. Dr Tina Tian, also a consultant dermatologist explains most viral hacks fall into three categories - cold exposure, massage and temporary tightening effects. They can "genuinely reduce visible swelling and provide relief but the key word is temporary - they won't permanently change facial structure".
I am familiar with this feeling. Breadcrumb trails of heat lead to pain that's called minor, pressure that's called surprising. Rooms like this-the salon where my scalp scalds as my curls burn away or the aesthetician's office where I lie as vulnerable as I might in a hospital bed-are drenched in anxiety's musk, scented with antibacterial spray. The women who leave me their warmth are like older sisters, evidence files, guinea pigs, role models, comrades, and competition.
Two women, probably in their sixties, were debating whether to stick with their usual brands or try something new. "I've been using the same foundation for twenty years," one said, "but it just sits in my wrinkles now." Her friend nodded knowingly. "Mine makes me look like I'm wearing a mask." This got me thinking about how the beauty industry has evolved, yet somehow the biggest names-Revlon, Maybelline, CoverGirl-haven't quite caught up with what mature skin actually needs.
It's a watershed moment in aesthetic medicine, resonating across age groups. "Younger people are coming in with concerns about texture, tone, inflammation, early laxity, and how their skin behaves under stress," observes Dr. David Jack, an aesthetic doctor renowned for his light touch. "While more mature patients - many of whom have already had filler - are increasingly aware that volume alone does not age well if the architecture beneath it continues to degrade."
You know those people who make you do a double-take when they mention their age? The ones who casually drop they're 52 but look like they could be in their mid-thirties? I met someone like this at a coffee shop last week. She mentioned her adult son was turning 30, and I nearly choked on my drink. I would've guessed she was maybe 40, tops. When I asked about her workout routine, she laughed and said she hadn't been to a gym in years.
There's a strange moment that happens the first time you watch botox kick in. One day you're squinting at your reflection and see the familiar lines crease across your forehead. A few days later, you raise your eyebrows andnothing. The skin stays put. It's subtle, even anticlimactic, but it's also the clearest proof that the world's most famous anti-wrinkle injection isn't magic or mystery.
Demand for beauty treatments is soaring. The global aesthetics market is projected to reach €22.9bn by 2028, according to analytics company Clarivate, driven by the development of more natural-looking results and the influence of social media. But how much are Irish women actually spending on such treatments? "It's very hard to find statistics, because they're all private enterprises, so they don't need to release them," says Liz Dwyer (@lizdwyerbeauty), co-founder of the Future Beauty and Health Show, which returns to the RDS on March 21-22 with a line-up of Irish and international experts in aesthetics and longevity.
'Stem cell-based' treatments and just the latest aesthetic treatment marketed to those seeking to maintain or obtain youthful skin, but what exactly is involved and what's the evidence that they work It's hard to keep track of the number of scientifically based beauty treatments on offer these days. Most are aimed at middle-aged females with disposable incomes, who are willing to splash large amounts of money on their skin to counter the effects of time.
I am not a vain person, per se, but watching your face slowly (OK, kinda freakishly rapidly) change will make even the most self-assured woman feel like crap. I'm 43 years old, a mom of two kids, and a busy, working person. And in the past, oh, six months, I've noticed that when I frown - or generally show any emotion with my face - my upper eyelids kinda look like... a vagina? Imagine a midly confusing Georgia O'Keeffe painting... on my face.
"As we get older, the immune system is shifting away from good inflammation," which is the body's short-term, acute response to fend off injury or infection and promote healing, explains Dr. Thomas Marron, one of the researchers leading the new study. Marron directs early phase clinical trials at The Tisch Cancer Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.