Reports in the press this week have highlighted the story of Hannah Burge, daughter of the Real Life or Human Barbie who has become the youngest known person to receive injections of botulinum toxin at the age of 15 whilst on holiday in Spain, with her mother Sarah’s full consent.
How young is too young for Botox injections
Sarah Burge, who holds the world record for the most cosmetic procedures, states that she is a fully qualified aesthetic practitioner, despite her lack of formal medical training and beautician status.
She is now performing continued treatments on her daughter now 16 years of age, with half the usual dosage given to adults, which she believes will prevent her from developing wrinkles in the future.
Why is there a rise in teen-toxing
However, the manufacturers of Vistabel® (Botox®) and Azzalure® (Dysport®), the botulinum toxin type A products licensed for cosmetic use in the UK, both state that the safety and effectiveness of their products in individuals under 18 years of age have not been demonstrated so its use is not recommended by them.
Another case highlighted by the media this week was that of a 16-year-old girl in Wiltshire who lied about her age to a medical practitioner, claiming to be 18, at a friend’s Botox Party in order to receive treatment after school friends had boasted about buying kits online.
world record for most cosmetic treatments
She justifies this practice in the Daily Mail by saying;
"I get my Botox and fillers direct from the manufacturer in the UK, since I am a qualified practitioner. I use exactly the same Botox on Hannah as I use on myself and I feel I am an expert in this field. I'm fully trained so would rather inject Hannah than let someone else do it. That way I know she is getting a safe amount, by someone who knows what they are doing. I know some parents will be horrified but this is my way of protecting my daughter from back-street rip-off merchants.”
Despite this declaration, many news reports claim that she is in fact sourcing the toxin product online, risking unknown sources and ingredients within foreign, unregulated imports.
Fazel Fatah, President-Elect of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons is quoted by the paper as being horrified at this news;
“It is shocking to me, as an experienced surgeon, that anyone would buy from the internet and administer Botox into the face of a 16-year-old. Buying Botox or fillers online is extremely dangerous because the buyer has no idea of the source. The product could be contaminated or not completely pure.”
The schoolgirl claims that many of her friends as well as Internet sites and forums aimed at teenagers talk about having Botox treatments at a young age.
She is quoted by the Daily Mail as saying;
“I wanted to have Botox for two reasons - it prevents wrinkles and everyone at my school was talking about having “B”. Appearance is important to me and I don't want to look haggard and ugly by the time I'm 25. Some of my friends told me that the earlier you start to have B, the fewer wrinkles you'll have as an adult.”
Author: Lorna Jackson
BSc. (Hons)
Lorna was the Editor of Consulting Room (www.consultingroom.com), the UK's largest aesthetic information website, from 2003 to 2021. She is an industry commentator on several different areas related to the aesthetic and cosmetic surgery industry; collating and evaluating clinical data, news and statistics and writing a magazine, blogs and feature articles for Consulting Room and various consumer and trade publications, including Aesthetic Medicine, Cosmetic News and Aesthetic Dentistry Today. Lorna regularly attends key conferences and educational events for the industry and has close contact with many of the suppliers who manufacture and distribute products and devices utilised in aesthetic medicine. Lorna also liaises with press and members of the media researching cosmetic surgery, with the aim of educating and raising awareness amongst the public.
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