Who gets it these days, and what exactly this common treatment is.

We started hearing about Botox and fillers many years ago now. I know some people reading still think it’s for the affluent, the vain, or for the ageing woman out there who wants to extend her youth. As a doctor in Bangkok, allow me to share my insight into who is getting Botox in 2022, and where they are getting it. 

Botox, in essence, relaxes the muscles and also stimulates fibroblasts, creating collagen. This erases wrinkles and gives our skin some of its elasticity back. So, you can see that unless you are overdoing Botox, it is good for you and has lasting effects. It is my policy not to overdo Botox, and most of our clients come back every 3-6 months. 

Who is getting Botox?

You might be surprised to hear we are seeing more and more men. I estimate around 20 percent of clients visiting my clinic are male. Young people (under 30s) are also increasingly getting Botox for prevention of wrinkles before they start appearing. That goes back to the collagen stimulation property that keeps the skin’s elastic properties and avoids creasing and folds. 

There are plenty of articles out there on how Botox and fillers can be used in this way, as well as to plump your lips and give you higher cheekbones. It is still the most popular anti-ageing treatment, but these are some of the other uses you might not know about:

• Look happier and less tired

As we age, we often find ourselves looking extremely tired. This happened to me, but I found out it’s not because I was tired but because as we age our face droops, starting with the eyelids. Some Botox around the eyes can help the eyes open and reduce the appearance of drooping eyelids. Botox can also help erase the angry frown lines on your forehead, and for the lower face, injecting it on the underside of the jawline helps weaken the platysma muscle that pulls the face down, making those jowls. I also tell my patients, if you look good you feel good; it works both ways.

• Slimmer jaws, squarer jaws, and dimpled chins

Some women desire a slimmer jawline, one that tapers. By injecting Botox into the masseter muscle, engaged in chewing, we can relax and shrink the muscle over time, giving a slender appearance. For men, I have had clients asking for a Daniel Craig (James Bond)-esque squarer jawline, and for that we can use fillers to add volume in the region. We can also use a few units of filler in the chin to reverse any volume loss, which can cause dimpling there.

• Neck bands 

When we are younger our necks are smooth, but as we age our platysma muscles weaken and appear as sinewy bands under the neck skin. For my clients, I inject a few units of Botox into the most prominent part of each band, which smoothens their appearance.

• Less sweat, migraines, and teeth grinding

Botox will block the nerve signals that cause sweating. Some of my patients suffer from excessive sweating and as a result, odour. Botox can be injected into the armpits, hands, or feet, and can block the nerve signals to reduce sweating until the treatment needs to be repeated. Botox can also be used to target the trigger points of a migraine where it will block the pain signals. It can often be more effective than other medications used to tackle this. Lastly, we can also stop teeth grinding by injecting Botox into the masseter muscle responsible for the jaw clenching. 

So, there you have it, some different ways we use Botox and fillers every day that break the stereotypes. I hope this can open more conversations about Botox and fillers, a doctor’s visit that we still like to keep to ourselves, even in 2022.

About Dr Donna Robinson

The Founder and CEO of MedConsult Clinic, Dr Donna is also the Medical Director. She holds the UK and Thai Medical License, has over 35 years of experience, and has spent the last 25 years practicing in Thailand, winning many awards.