The truth about the dangerous influence social media influencers are having on botox and filler injectors.
I am well aware that this entire article, blog, rant or whatever you’d like to call it, may age me. But I don’t care because this needs to be said.
Filters, particularly those used on social media and derived from Photoshop techniques of magazines, are dangerous. We have a full generation of young people, women in particular but also men, who believe they should look like their filtered self. Personally, I have made a pact with myself to never use filters (unless it’s for the purpose of making a point in a TikTok…).
While once cosmetic injections were taboo, now they are commonplace. And I love that the stigma of botox and fillers has diminished—I am a big advocate of sharing my “beauty secret” to anyone who asks. But when did it become normalized for young twenty-year-olds to ask for full syringes of lip filler every three months? To feel they should use filler to alter the shape of their noses? To feel the need to create cheekbones higher than Mount Seymour?
The lengths Generation Z is going for beauty across the board is actually astounding; never did I think we’d go back to face taping as a beauty hack. That being said, I don’t mind the round rollers trend coming back (sometimes our parents really do know what’s best). I don’t want to target Generation Z in any sense, but I do believe it’s important to focus on those who haven’t fully matured—and by matured, I mean physically developed.
While facial growth is complete at around 17 years old for women and 22 years old for men, your face won’t stop “changing” until approximately the age of 25. At 25, both men and women will likely notice their faces becoming slimmer as the subcutaneous fat (the fat below the surface of your skin) begins to lose volume. I typically recommend patients start seeing me at age 30 or whenever they begin to see signs of aging.
Side note: I have had a couple people hesitant to reach out to me because they are 27, but would like to try cosmetic injections—please contact me! I do accept patients under the age of 30 who have noticed signs of aging and would like to use cosmetic injections as a preventive measure (highly recommended).
Where I see social media being more problematic for young people considering/using cosmetic injections is when it comes to fillers, not as much botox. There are filters and editing software that instantly and unrealistically plump lips, exaggerate cheekbones, and stretch the eyes—and now, cosmetic injectors are being asked to replicate the look in real life.
As a general rule of thumb, filler brands claim that their fillers last anywhere between 6 and 18 months, depending on the type. However, fillers do not all dissolve the way they are supposed to. Recent studies and articles show that using MRI scans, filler can be detected for 10+ years after it was originally injected. This woman shares her MRI scan which was taken four years after her last filler injections and was shocked to find that she had 35 ml dispersed across her cheeks, lips, under eyes and areas she didn’t originally treat. The most shocking part? 35 ml is equivalent or more than the amount of filler she has ever received, meaning none of the filler had actually dissolved with time.
I share this not to steer you away from a cosmetic treatment that I believe everyone is entitled to decide if it is right for them, but to give you an idea of the long-term considerations that need to be made—especially for those younger and newer to cosmetic injections. When we build up and maintain filler conservatively, we are more likely to have a better understanding of how much filler is “leftover” from previous treatments and therefore, how much is actually needed to maintain your desired, natural look.
I believe, as an industry and society, we need to go back to not glorifying what is an invention with side effects and consequences. There is a growing misconception of what filler and botox are actually meant for. I have no interest in changing people’s faces, that is not my injection style. I believe by being conservative with injections, I can help people enhance and appreciate their natural beauty now, but also for decades to come. Afterall, if we all strive to look like one celebrity, one facial type, it would become pretty difficult to remember people’s names, wouldn’t it?
Beauty trends will always come and go, but trends should have no place in cosmetic injections. Such unrealistic expectations of exaggerated facial features can be dangerous and if you aren’t choosing the right cosmetic injector, you may be allowed or even encouraged to go for it.
I have watched bell bottom jeans be out of style, be cool, be back out, and now be back in again. I have followed the low-rise, the high-rise, the mid-rise trends and regretted donating my jeans from 15 years ago that are now trendier than ever. Just like your jeans, beauty trends will come and go, but your filler won’t (unless you have it dissolved, which is a controversial topic for another time). While bigger-than-life lips and cheekbones may be the thing right now, they may not be in 20 years when you still have remnants from your younger self’s decisions. Trends will always come and go, you will always get older; the only thing that doesn’t change is your natural beauty. I’m here to help you embrace that at every age.
If you’re new here, hi! What an introduction you just had reading my rant. A little about me, I am a Naturopathic Doctor turned cosmetic injector based on Vancouver Island and making regular visits to Langley, BC. I offer cosmetic injections (botox, filler, Belkyra, mesotherapy) at three locations: Elegance Sculpting in Parksville; Xpose Salon in Nanaimo; and Avenue 42 in Langley. All appointments with me include a consultation, and only if you are 100 percent comfortable will we go through with the actual injections. You can learn more about me here and book online anytime here.
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