Aussies as young as 20 turning to Botox

Melbourne, April 29 (ANI): Botox, which is derived from botulism toxin, is no longer a wrinkle-fixer only for those over 40, as it is has emerged that Australians as young as 20 are using it.

Terri-Anne Chapman, 21, a Gold Coast personal assistant from Varsity Lakes, is a regular user of botox, and she says she uses the product to stop lines before they appeared.

"I'm 21 so I don't have wrinkles - I treat it as a preventative so when I do get older I don't have really bad lines," the Courier Mail quoted her as saying.

Chapman first had Botox between her eyes when she was 20 and has had it three times since.

"I had a slight frown-line in between my eyes, which most people couldn't see unless I pointed it out, but it bothered me," she said.

She said the treatments lasted just under six months.

"Botox is very common on the Gold Coast - a lot of my girlfriends have it done regularly," she revealed.

"Taking care of yourself and helping prevent any early ageing signs is important to a lot of people," she explained.

The average cost of Botox per area is about 300 dollars and people usually have one or two areas treated at a time.

Cosmetic doctor Mario Soteriou, of Cosmetic Image Clinics in Brisbane, said Botox was increasingly common for women in their 20s.

"When Botox was first released, it was about getting rid of a line . . . now it's more about preventing," he revealed.

"Lines occur over time because of muscle movement, but by relaxing those muscles you remove the potential for those lines," he explained.

Dr Soteriou said he had three women this week say, "my mother has a line here and I don't want it".

"After treatment they become more positive - they benefit both emotionally and physically," he stated.

But dermatologist and owner of The Skin Centre on the Gold Coast, Michael Freeman, said young women did not need Botox because their skin was elastic.

He said Botox was not unhealthy, but warned if women paralysed muscles in one area, more lines could appear in another.

Dr Freeman said the most popular spot for Botox was above the nose, but most people could train themselves out of using those muscles and therefore it would not be necessary. (ANI)