Preventative "Tox": what is the evidence for cosmetic botulinumtoxinA in young adults?
Objectives: • To understand the "prejuvenation" concept
• To review the evidence for cosmetic botulinumtoxinA (BoNTA) injections in young adults
• To review dosage when treating younger vs. older adults with toxins
Introduction: There is an influx of young adults seeking botulinumtoxinA treatment to prevent wrinkles. Millennials and Generation Z (Gen Z) correspond to the generations born between 1981 – 1996 and 1997 – 2012, respectively. Together, they constitute the age group that received more than a third of all BoNTA performed worldwide in 2020, and it is estimated that they will be the most significant users of BoNTA by 2025. However, what is the evidence for "preventative tox", and what dosage should we use?
Materials / method: An evidence-based literature review was performed to evaluate the current evidence on BoNTA injections for cosmetic indications in millennials (born between 1981 and 1996) and young adults. A cross-sectional online survey was distributed to aesthetic practitioners from different countries to assess their current practice with BoNTA.
Results: • Wrinkle prevention is the most common reason for seeking treatment in young adults
• There is a paucity of evidence on '" preventive tox."
• On average, younger adults receive fewer units of BoNTA at the glabella, forehead, and crow's feet
Conclusion: The literature review supports the efficacy of BoNTA for correcting wrinkles in millennials. Our findings provide further insight into the dosing pattern of cosmetic BoNTA and motivating factors for seeking treatments in young adults.