Teens using Botox are upsetting but rare
Teens in the United States got about 12,000 Botox treatments last year.
It’s a disturbing statistic, but not as upsetting as it seems at first glance, although the New York Times cited “outrage” after 18-year-old celebrity, Charice, recently had a Botox treatment, which apparently was for both cosmetic and medical reasons. Even celebrity watcher Perez Hilton called that treatment “sick.”
As a wrinkle-fighting drug, Botox seemingly makes little sense except for older faces. But some cosmetic doctors disagree. For example, plastic surgeon Dr. Joseph Bivens of Newport Beach said that, with Botox injections, the area between the eyebrows “of the teenage face will certainly benefit from muscle relaxation and improvement of frown lines.”
“The use of Botox in teenagers is a growing phenomenon,” he said. “We are certainly getting many more inquiries into the use of Botox by teenagers, mostly girls. Much of this is due to the fact that the mothers and fathers of the teens are using the product in greater and greater numbers.”
His observation is more believable than the semi-accurate report by ABC News that “more teens than ever before are getting Botox injections.” The basis for ABC’s statement is shaky — an estimated 2 percent increase from 2008 to 2009 in the number of Botox treatments for patients aged 13 to 19, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. The society calculated that increase from surveys that are accurate to within plus or minus 4 percent, so it would be more valid to say that the change in teens’ Botox use from 2008 to 2009 might be anywhere from a 2 percent drop to a 6 percent increase.
With the exception of Bivens’ observations at the Cosmeticare clinic in Newport Beach, the deeper you look at this topic, the less worrisome it appears.
“I have never been asked by a teen or parent for this. Might be more of a news story than a real trend,” said plastic surgeon Dr. Val Lambros of Newport Beach, whose office is about a mile from Bivens’s.
Although surveys conducted by two major professional societies of plastic surgeons agree on the 12,000 figure, it’s misleading nevertheless. Those surveys count separately each “anatomical site” injected with Botox or the similar wrinkle-fighter Dysport. In other words, a teenage girl could rack up four treatments if she’s injected between the eyebrows, in the forehead and in crow’s feet to left and right. If she returns every three months for more injections when the effect wears off, she could account for 16 treatments in a year.
That means the estimated 12,000 Botox treatments could be tallied by just 750 patients.
Furthermore, it’s difficult to count cosmetic Botox injections without mixing in therapeutic shots too. Charice’s treatments illustrate that. Her injections apparently were aimed at easing pain in her jaw but also sought to make her lower face thinner. That’s a frequent goal of Asian patients, according to plastic surgeon Dr. Val Lambros of Newport Beach and many other cosmetic doctors. “Big jaws,” he said, are “a desirable look in Anglos but to Asians and rounder-faced people it is considered a negative culturally.”
Other cosmetic doctors tell of other therapeutic and semi-therapeutic uses for Botox with their young patients.
“The only teenagers that I personally feel it appropriate to inject Botox or Dysport into are those with hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating) in their underarms or palms of the hands. Excessive sweating impacts these teens during the most formative years of their lives. The treatment helps them socially as well as in school,” said plastic surgeon Dr. Michael Persky of Encino.
Dermatologist Dr. Vince Afsahi of Newport Beach also uses Botox to treat excessive sweating in teenagers — with “excellent results,” he said. “One patient who plays guitar in a band was treated for his sweaty palms before going on a world tour. He had a very successful outcome.”
Dermatologic surgeon Dr. David Sire of Fullerton injects teenagers with Botox if they suffer from migraine headaches. That’s an off-label use for Botox that the Food and Drug Administration is currently considering turning into an officially approved treatment.
Many people are wary about the risks of Botox, which is FDA-approved as a cosmetic treatment only for patients age 18 to 65, but cosmetic doctors typically do not share those concerns.
“Clinically there is no problem using Botox in teens,” Bivens said. “The only issue is whether the result of its use is worth the money spent. Facial wrinkles are not very prevalent in the teenage face and therefore may not produce a significant improvement.”
Plastic surgeon Dr. Marcel Daniels of Long Beach noted that the few teenagers who seek Botox injections are hoping to avoid future wrinkles, not remove existing ones.
“It is rare that I see someone this young using Botox to smooth wrinkles. It is definitely for preventative reasons,” he said.
Plastic surgeon Dr. Edward Domanskis of Newport Beach agrees. “I really do not see much demand for Botox in the teenage population. Probably the main reason is that they have not developed lines from frowning at that young age yet or crow’s feet and forehead creases.”
Persky added, “In general, it is inappropriate to inject teens with Botox for facial cosmetic reasons. The young should enjoy their youth while they have it, and let unethical injectors make their dollars elsewhere.”
Source: by COLIN STEWART cstewart@ocregister.com at http://www.ocregister.com/articles/align-262353-style-botox.html
