But is there any harm to this? Is the way people are using social media affecting their desire to seek out botox, dermal filler or any other form of skin clinic treatment?

A report in the Guardian looked at the amount of cosmetic dental treatments conducted in the UK in 2016. The report said:

According to data from the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS), the number of cosmetic operations conducted last year fell 40% to a near-decade low from a record-breaking high in 2015.

And yet, at the same time, market research agency Mintel has found that up to 31% of 25 – 34 year-olds have had this form of treatment compared with just 21% compared to the whole nation.

So treatment with fillers and injectables are definitely on the increase, but is this down to social media use?

One extremely important point to note is that there are medical uses for botulinum toxin (Botox), including hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating) and gummy smiles, we don’t know if the actual use of these treatments was taken into account in any of these studies, this could skew the figures if it was not.

a study undertaken by the Nuffield Council on Bioethics In June of 2017 came to the conclusion that:

New developments and marketing have made an increasing range of surgical and non-surgical cosmetic procedures – including botox, dermal fillers, implants, and skin lightening, as well as newer techniques such as ‘fat freezing’ and ‘vampire’ treatments – big business and widely accessible

In their study they reported that they were shocked by some of the evidence they saw, particularly of mobile phone apps focusing on gains targeting girls as young as nine, encouraging them to modify their faces with cosmetic surgery on the game.

Because of this they came to the conclusion that:

The Council believes it is unethical that there is nothing to stop completely unqualified people from providing risky procedures like dermal fillers. It says that anyone offering invasive cosmetic treatments should be trained and certified before being allowed to practise.

The dos and don’ts of reading about Botox on social media:

-Don’t trust everything you read online, especially from beauty therapists who don’t have adequate medical training.

-Learn about the science of ageing and do everything you can to slow the process down and look after your skin, as well as -considering Botox. Particularly understand how your facial muscles work as exercises can really help.

-Bruising afterwards is fairly common.

-Be realistic about what you want to achieve and speak to your practitioner, letting them know your ideal results.

-Know that not all social media photographs are genuine photographs, the temptation for more unethical providers to use airbrushing on fine lines to make celebrities look great is tremendous.

image source: freeditialphotos.net