According to some Albertan cosmetic injectors, individuals in their twenties have been investing in filler and Botox.
Botox and filler are two types of injectables used for the cosmetic treatment of fine lines and feature enhancements.
In 2019, the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery shared the statistic of over 1 million people get injectable dermal fillers every year.
Elisha Little is a registered nurse who trained and specialized in cosmetic injectables, and opened Lift, a dermatology and cosmetic injection clinic in Medicine Hat, Alta.
Little said she hadn’t seen a shift from older to younger patients, but had increasingly seen more people in their twenties added to their regular clientele.
“People are taking selfies. They are noticing shadows they would have never noticed before,” Little said. “Phones, photos, filters, and Instagram, people want to look a certain way, and then they also want to prevent looking a certain way, eventually.”
Little said that the cosmetic injecting industry walks a fine line between shaming people and taking advantage of people, as some injector nurses have the capability of doing.
“I have girls come in who are in high school and pretty much want lip filler for their graduation, and I will just say no,” Little said. “I wouldn’t say just because you’re young, one can’t get it — a lot of it is just patient education, listening to them and making sure they are not coming in because of an Instagram filter.”
Amanda Couture, another injector nurse at Lift, has also noticed the increase of younger patients.
“Within the last year or two, I have been seeing people from 18 to 22 coming in for Botox and filler,” Couture said.
Couture explained that many of the 18 to 22-year-olds receiving Botox would most likely have fewer wrinkles by the time they are 40 because of a technique called preventative Botox.
“They’re gonna have beautiful, smooth skin because their muscles have never had the chance to create these super deep lines,” Couture said.
Couture said that the curiosity of getting cosmetic injections could come from social media.
“With social media, we have this immediate access to beautiful people, and the deeper you get into that Instagram, there are so many procedures, and there are so many things that you can do with your looks,” Couture said.
Couture said that many patients put immense trust in their injectors.
“It’s almost sad because some people come in and they trust you and will be ready to spend a thousand dollars, and they ask me what I think they need,” Couture said.
Both Little and Couture share that some injectors take advantage of their patients because of the income that comes with it, but they believe it is unethical.
Dustin Ryan, a 23-year-old receiver of filler and Botox, shares that his journey with cosmetic injections started when he had a chronic twitch in his eye; using Botox to freeze the muscle and stop the eye twitch.
“I first got Botox in my eye, then I tried it in my forehead, and I liked it. Then I ended up trying filler.” Ryan said.
He thinks it could be a mixture of influences including celebrities, influencers, social media and other people on Instagram inspiring individuals in their twenties to invest in cosmetic injections.
He also noticed where one could get cosmetic injections, and its cost has been more accessible to people.
Ryan thinks that some injectors could be in it for the money, and looking out for the patient is crucial.
