Topic: Demand for Botox Has Surged 700% During the Coronavirus Pandemic

Botox is now the most popular non-surgical cosmetic treatment in the U.S., with a market size valued at $4.7 billion. Over the past 20 years, the number of cosmetic Botox procedures have increased more than 700 percent, with over six million treatments performed every year.

Demand for cosmetic treatments, including botox and fillers, has surged since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Dermatologists and plastic surgeons are attributing the boom to patients wanting to put their best face forward for online Zoom meetings, as well as increased time to attend appointments and recover from treatments.

Botox is now the most popular non-surgical cosmetic treatment in the U.S., with a market size valued at $4.7 billion. Over the past 20 years, the number of cosmetic Botox procedures have increased more than 700 percent, with over six million treatments performed every year.

Now trending with millennials, preventative Botox involves stopping wrinkles before they have a chance to form. And although women still use the most Botox, more men are trying it, a trend known as “brotox.”

As a board-certified dermatologist who frequently administers Botox treatments, I am often asked how it works, what it achieves, how to avoid “bad Botox” and if a person can have too much.

Botox is a brand name of a toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. Other brand names for similar toxins include Dysport, Xeomin, and Jeuveau. In large amounts, these chemicals can cause botulism, an illness that may produce nausea, vomiting, and in severe cases, fatal paralysis of vital muscles.

Using small amounts, however, doctors can safely use the toxin to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. In the 1980s, Jean and Alastair Carruthers, a Canadian ophthalmologist and dermatologist, accidentally discovered the toxin’s anti-aging properties when they noticed patients receiving injections for facial spasm were also losing their frown lines. Subsequent studies did not suggest long-term risk.

Topic Discussed: Demand for Botox Has Surged 700% During the Coronavirus Pandemic

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