Botox is the most requested non-surgical procedure in this country for both women and men, and there is no sign of that changing anytime soon. Patients love the ease and effectiveness of Botox for turning-back-the-clock. Because of it’s success, many younger patients are even starting to come in for Botox injections as a preventative measure. The thinking is if you soften the dynamic wrinkles between the eyes, for example, it can actually stop a wrinkle from forming in the first place, or at least delay its on-set. That said, is it ethical to inject Botox into young patients?
A surgeon in Ireland thinks it is not. He has called for a ban on Botox for any patient under the age of 25. On Episode 71 of No Spin Live, board certified plastic surgeons Dr. Jason Pozner of Boca Raton, Dr. Peter Fodor of Aspen, and Dr. Bill Kortesis of Charlotte join host Dr. William P. Adams Jr. of Dallas to discuss.
Moderation with Botox is Essential
A plastic surgeon in Ireland has recently called for a ban on Botox for any patient under the age of 25. Is this a good idea or not? Dr. Fodor supports the idea of practicing some moderation in terms of patient selection with both Botox and other injectables, like fillers, but this does not mean that he agrees with this surgeon’s rationale for why patients need to wait until they are older to get Botox.
The Irish surgeon claims that a patient’s face is not fully grown until 25, and that injecting Botox can damage these growth centers on the face. This is just not true, according to Dr. Fodor. Furthermore, he doesn’t believe that using a needle on the face will adversely affect these growth centers in any way.
Should Not be About Age, but About Discretion
Dr. Kortesis thinks “the age limit is completely arbitrary. We are doctors and we need to treat the patient.” This may include Botox, if that’s what the answer is. Ethical medicine and moral standards dictate what is right for the patient. It should not be about age; it is about practicing discretion.
Dr. Adams asks his colleagues whether or not they treat a lot of 20 year olds, since this article gives the impression that all plastic surgeons are wildly injecting fillers in younger patients. Dr. Pozner can not remember the last neurotoxins or fillers patient that he treated who was under 30. Furthermore, when someone does come in for injectables who is under 30, “it’s for lip injections, or they need some neuro-modulator because they really need it,” he shares.
Some Younger Patients Do Need Botox
Bottom line, some younger patients actually have hyperactive dynamic muscles. This can result in early fine lines and wrinkles, and thus could benefit from Botox. Not treating them because of some arbitrary age limit is not the right course of action. Dr. Pozner agrees with Dr. Fodor that needles in the face are not going to interfere with the growth centers or that you need to wait for the face to stop growing. “That’s a bunch of crap,” he says. “This guy was just talking out of his butt.”