Dr. Patti Flint

BOTOX®

It has recently been in the news that an 18-year-old actress on the hit TV show Glee had BOTOX® injections and an anti-aging treatment called Thermage® prior to starting on the show. This led to a firestorm of articles on the appropriateness of teenagers receiving anti-aging treatments.

Teenagers do not exhibit facial aging and should not be undergoing these types of procedures. I definitely support being pro-active about maintaining a youthful appearance, but BOTOX® does not prevent aging, it merely paralyzes facial muscles. Teenagers should be encouraged to start a healthy skin care program and avoid tanning.

Invasive treatments with wrinkle fillers should be reserved for adults who can truly benefit from them. In my opinion, paralyzed facial muscles that occur with BOTOX® treatments do not look natural or good on anyone, but particularly not a teenager. Even in adults, I use BOTOX® in modest doses to avoid a paralyzed look.

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