Forever Young: A quarter of women aged 18-34 are interested in having Botox

While they should be embracing the joy of youthful skin, new research from Mintel reveals Botox is fast becoming more acceptable for Britain’s young females as a quarter (23%) of young women aged 18-34 are interested in having Botox, compared to just one in ten (10%) Brits as a whole.

And although still niche, Botox use is considerably higher among the young compared to the population as a whole – as one in seven (13%) Brits aged 25-34 has had Botox, compared to a national average of only 7%.

But it’s not just small ‘tweakments’ such as Botox that young people are embracing – many are considering a far more transformative and invasive approach. One in five (19%) Brits aged 25-34 are interested in undergoing a tummy tuck, while a further one in six of these consumers are interested in having a facelift (16%) or liposuction (17%).

In fact, Younger Millennials (aged 27-33) are the generation who are most likely to have had two or more surgical procedures* (ranging from hair transplants to facelifts) – with almost three in ten (28%) having done so.

Maddie Malone, Beauty and Personal Care Analyst said:
“Societal pressures, combined with the influence of social media, celebrities, and shows like Love Island, are all contributing to the popularity of cosmetic procedures among the young. Younger Millennials are a generation that have largely grown up during an era of social media, which is said to foster insecurities. In fact, three quarters (73%) of all Brits say social media has a severe negative impact on mental wellbeing.

“The indications are that surgical procedures could become increasingly common with time. While Gen Zs (aged 13-26) might not currently have the financial means to pay for cosmetic procedures, their generation more than others have grown up during an arguably more social media focused era – which places a high focus on physical appearance. As a result, they may be more influenced to undergo these types of procedures.

“The ‘Baby Botox’ trend, the application of smaller units of Botox, is also driving interest in cosmetic procedures among the young in particular. With people buying into these procedures at a young age, it’s important to ensure that patients understand the potential side effects. At the moment there is limited research around the impact of long-term usage of Botox, with preventative Botox being a relatively new phenomenon.”

*Including Facelift / eyebrow / eyelid lift / neck lift / forehead reduction, Excess skin removal / abdominoplasty, Breast augmentation / breast reduction.