The latest buzzword in the beauty industry is “Barbie Botox,” a cosmetic treatment that aims to replicate the iconic silhouette of the Barbie doll.
Followers of this trend — also called Trap Tox — undergo Botox treatment in their upper bodies to make their necks look longer and more feminine.
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Riding the wave of social media fame, this trend has gained a substantial following, raising both interest and concern.
“The trend of Barbie Botox has recently taken over TikTok, spreading like wildfire and gaining popularity among individuals who aspire to achieve a slim, elongated neck appearance,” explained Dr. Johnny Franco, a plastic surgeon in Austin, according to New Beauty.
The procedure formally known as trapezius Botox was initially developed in the field of neurology to relieve back and shoulder pain by injecting botulinum toxin into the trapezius muscles. It was later sought for relaxing and flattening the muscles of the shoulders to achieve a slim, long-necked appearance.
“This is something that has been done for a couple decades now, but it got recently popularized for aesthetic purposes definitely in the last year,” Dr. Danilo Del Campo, a dermatologist in Chicago, told USA Today.
With the recent release of the Barbie blockbuster starring Margot Robbie, Del Campo added that he has noticed a spike in patients asking about the procedure.
In terms of how safe this Barbie Botox is, the consensus of dermatologists is that it is safe.
However, the effects of Barbie Botox are temporary, meaning the individual would have to repeat the procedure every three to four months to maintain the desired results.
Since the neurotoxin paralyzes the muscles, stopping them from contracting, they will shrink over time.
“If the injections are kept up regularly, the muscle will slowly atrophy from lack of use and there may be a reduction in the amount of neuromodulator needed to keep the same result,” Dr. Simona V. Pautler, a plastic surgeon in Pennsylvania, said, according to New Beauty.
There is also a hefty price tag attached to the procedure, with costs ranging from a few hundred to thousands of dollars for six to 10 injections per shoulder.
While the goal is an aesthetic that mimics the 90-degree angle between the neck and shoulder of a Barbie doll, it is important to remember that such a look is unnatural for a human form, as underlined by Dr. Del Campo, according to USA Today.
“Myself, I’m not speaking for or against it, but it’s one that does cost a lot of money for very subtle changes,” Dr. Del Campo added. “Some people might find a value in it, but, in general, I try to approach people to just try other avenues.”
Social media has been no stranger to fueling beauty and fitness trends, such as the use of injectable weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Their growing popularity has even contributed to a recent drug shortage, as The Dallas Express reported.
Yet their less desirable effects — such as loose, saggy skin, which is common with rapid weight loss — have also trended on social media platforms like TikTok.
For instance, complaints of ‘Ozempic butt’ and ‘Ozempic face’ appeared and were followed by users turning to cosmetic treatments like Botox and dermal fillers as remedies.
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