English teenagers are crossing the borders into Wales and Scotland in pursuit of Botox and fillers, taking advantage of differing regulations. While England banned these treatments for individuals under 18 in 2021, no such restrictions exist in Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland. This regulatory disparity is cause for concern due to the lack of oversight and potential life-altering side effects.
Campaigners report that teenagers from England are traveling to Wales and Scotland to access Botox, fillers, and other injectables, exploiting the legal differences. The ban in England was implemented in response to the UK Department of Health’s estimate that around 41,000 Botox procedures were performed on under-18s in 2020, along with over 29,300 dermal filler procedures between 2016 and 2020.
Save Face, a government-approved register of practitioners offering non-surgical cosmetic treatments, has received reports of under-18s seeking these procedures in Wales and Scotland to circumvent the law. They caution that Botox and fillers can have severe side effects, especially when administered to individuals still in the developmental stage. These risks include permanent tissue damage and even blindness.
According to Dr. Anjali Mahto, a consulting dermatologist, treating individuals below the age of 25 with injectables poses numerous risks, such as unnatural facial expressions, asymmetry, and potential permanent damage when not administered by skilled professionals.
Experts note that while Botox can temporarily paralyze targeted facial muscles, reducing the formation of dynamic wrinkles in teenagers, it may also affect the natural muscle movements over time.
Ashton Collins, the director and co-founder of Save Face, believes that the reported cases are just the tip of the iceberg. She highlights the unregulated nature of practitioners performing these procedures, many of whom lack adequate training and insurance. Some even use imitation Botox from China.
In one instance, Save Face encountered a case of a young person being injected with beef gelatine. Despite acknowledging the regulatory gap with England, the Welsh, Scottish, and Northern Irish governments have not yet debated the implementation of a law.
Schoolteachers increasingly report peer pressure as a significant factor driving Botox and lip filler use among students. Many students feel compelled to conform to certain beauty standards, with entire friendship groups emulating these procedures.
This trend is not unique to the UK, as an obsession with appearing youthful persists across Europe. Italy-based VIP Italia found that residents of Amsterdam, Dublin, Prague, Milan, and Stockholm are among the most active in searching for anti-aging treatments, with regulations generally stricter in other European countries than in the UK.
