The general public perception of Botox is that the treatment is able to reduce and/or eliminate the look of wrinkles on the face. Botox works by blocking signals in the treated muscle from being able to travel from the nerves to the muscle. Since the signals can no longer reach the muscle, the skin in the targeted area will be able to smooth out to the point that the muscle relaxes, and the wrinkles reduce in appearance. Even though Botox is most often used in the face, there is a new trend of using Botox to lessen the size of shoulders and this is known as “Barbie Botox.”
CNN recently reported on a content creator from Florida who is in her thirties and unsure about having a “Barbie Botox” treatment. The procedure involved injecting forty units of Botox into each of her trapezius AKA the muscle that holds up the neck. The reason she decided to have the procedure was to gain a slimmer look to her shoulders as she prepared for her wedding. In addition, the content creator was looking to release some of her upper back pain.
She told the news network, “I was thinking the whole time, ‘If it goes right, this is going to be great and I can’t wait to share it (online). If this goes wrong, I better warn people. So basically I figured no matter what happens, I’m going to tell people.’ And God, I just prayed it went well.”
The injection of Botox in this area of the body was originally performed to help greatly overworked trapezius muscles find some release so the patient would not experience an intense amount of neck tension as well as migraines. These days, Botox is being used in an off-label manner to cosmetically reduce the size of the shoulders and also give the neck an elongated look.
As of the publication of this article, the hashtag, “Barbie Botox,” has garnered over 7-million views on TikTok. In addition to patients posting videos documenting their treatments, there are multiple medical clinics showcasing their results and making the text in their posts look “Barbie friendly” by adding pastel pink and sparkling emojis to the text.
The content creator interviewed by CNN posted her video and, so far, it has been viewed over 250,000 times. She even gives herself credit for creating the phrase, “Barbie Botox.” According to her, “It came from the idea that you would look more like a Barbie when you get it done, which I don’t think is a bad thing. It elongates the neck, slims the shoulders and creates a very delicate physique when it’s done properly.”
Patients do need to know that, if the Botox is administered at the incorrect dosage or it is not injected correctly, there is a chance that the injected Botox might completely paralyze the muscle. There is also a possibility that the Botox could migrate from the original site of the injection, and this could result in the weakening of the nerve connections of any surrounding muscles. If this occurs around the neck, it could greatly impact the ability of the patient to properly hold up their head.
These potential complications mean that a patient does not need to enter the treatment process without being prepared to conduct proper research and find a medical doctor who has the necessary training, experience, and skills in placing Botox in the area of the neck and shoulders.
The placing of Botox anywhere in the body is a medical procedure which means patients should find more information about the doctor they have in mind for the treatment. Take a look at their website to learn more about their medical background and training. Find “before and after” photos of patients actually treated by the doctor to get a better idea about the type of results that can be expected by patients. Any new patients should also read reviews of the doctor from previous patients as this can give some insights into how the doctor and their staff members interact with their patients.
While these complications need to be kept in mind, the final results of Botox are not permanent which means follow-up treatments will be needed to maintain the results. If the person is not happy with the results gained from their “Barbie Botox” procedure, the results will eventually fade away and the treated area will return to its original appearance.
The decision to have “Barbie Botox’ has resulted in mixed emotions from the public. Some women think the desire to have the treatment is not silly and women should not be belittled for wanting to look a certain way.
On the other hand, some people feel the decision to have “Barbie Botox” is actually the opposite of the message of the recent movie. They say the movie was pro-feminism and promoted the idea that women should not be thought of as simply “objects.” This group of people wants women to embrace their appearance instead of using the idea of Barbie to say women should look a certain way (such as having slimmer necks or sexualizing their bodies).
- MA
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