Botox is well known as an injectable facial treatment for wrinkle reduction. Its effectiveness at reducing or blocking unwanted facial expressions, mainly those in the foreheads and around the eyes, has virtually created an industry around non-surgical facial rejuvenation. As a result, it has been primarily responsible for the popularity of early intervention for preventing or softening certain facial wrinkles.
The concept of early intervention for facial wrinkle reduction has taken on an extreme approach for one 8-year-old California girl. One mother and her daughter has been using Botox to compete in beauty pageants and has raised the question of exactly how young is too young when it comes to using medical treatments for the sake of beauty. According to the mother, it was actually her daughter who wanted to try Botox. As she was getting into beauty pageants, the daughter was apparently complaining about her face having wrinkles. Her mother, who is an aesthetician and uses Botox herself, suggested doing the treatment on her.
This story would certainly be viewed by most as odd enough, but it takes another interesting twist. Since the daughter has seen her mother inject herself with Botox, she agreed to have her mother inject her. The mother states that typically administers the Botox to her daughter through a total of five shots in three different locations on her face. While a child would have no static wrinkles, they felt it did satisfactorily reduce some dynamic facial wrinkles. But it’s enough of a difference for this mother-daughter team to continue on with the treatments.
While many will no doubt be agasp of the extremes that a mother would go to help her daughter compete in beauty pageants, there are actually more serious undertones to this story. Where does the mother get her Botox? Since she is not a physician, how does she legally get it? Either she knows a doctor from whom she is getting it or is being sold to her under some doctor’s name. Allergan, the manufacturer of Botox, requires a physician’s license number to fill an order. The other possibility is that the local Botox sales representative is providing it to her. Either way, shame on the doctor or Allergan for allowing it to happen.
Patients administering Botox to themselves or to other patients is a reflection of just how much Botox is really viewed as a commodity by many and not a medical treatment. While there is a very low risk of any serious complications of Botox in the face and at the doses that are used, it is still a muscle paralyzing agent. It is not the same as inserting a suppository, administering ear drops or performing any other off-the-shelf medicament from your local pharmacy. Self-administration or injecting Botox into a child demonstrates that the potential dangers of a medical treatment are simply not appreciated. Lack of medical training also makes it easy to not be able to balance the risks vs benefits of any type of ‘beauty’ treatment. There is a legal concern also. Botox is not approved for use in patients under the age of 21 unless there is a medical condition being treated.
Dr. Barry Eppley
Indianapolis, Indiana