Top doctors give their verdict on when is too early for botox

Some of the state’s top cosmetic experts have had their say on when is it too early to have botox and other procedures. Here’s what they said.

Top doctors give their verdict on when is too early for botox

Some of the state’s top cosmetic experts have had their say on when is it too early to have botox and other procedures.

Here’s what they said.

Dr Anoop Rastogi – Double Bay, Sydney

“There’s a vast difference between cosmetic surgery that restores one to their best appearance, and then over-exaggerating the appearance. Most of what we see walking around the streets of Sydney is exaggerated.”

People seeking cosmetic procedures fall into two main camps:

1) Restoring a more youthful appearance, or fixing an aesthetic problem.

2) Wanting to create an unnatural appearance, inspired by celebrities and social media influencers.

“A lot of the time when you’re talking about that younger age group accessing cosmetic medicine, it’s probably unnecessary. It has more to do with pandering to peoples’ insecurities than enhancing their appearance,” Rastogi said. “Youth is beautiful.”

Fans of Kylie Jenner, who is often credited for globally popularising overdone lip injections, have recently been making fun of the 26-year-old’s appearance. She is dating actor Timothée Chalamet, 27, but has been likened to his “sugar mum”, and “in her 40s”. Jenner’s ‘overfilled face’ or ‘pillow face’ is likely due to the fillers which she began getting at age 17.

President Dr Anoop Rastogi.

“You can see lips that have been done, cheeks that have been done,” Rastogi said. “When people do that at a younger age, does that give them a more aged appearance? Absolutely it does.”

“An older age group does ‘work’ because they feel their looks are disappearing, and both the injector and the patient can lose sight of where the border between reality and excess comes. When younger people do it, they look just like the older people.”

He added that the Medical Board of Australia has further regulations “in the pipeline” for cosmetic medicine because “they recognise there is an issue with the danger of injections”.

“When you inject filler, if it goes into a blood vessel it can travel into an area where it can block the blood supply to an area of your skin, like the side of your nose or face, or cause blindness if it gets into your eye. Those are real risks, and we’re seeing a rise of those things.”

Dr Ron Feiner – Castle Hill, NSW
ACCSM Medical Dean Dr Ron Feiner takes a harder stance on age than most, telling the Telegraph that he won’t touch someone under 25 years of age. “I spend a great deal of time talking people out of treatments,” Feinder said.

Dr Ronald Feiner.

“I’ve been doing this work for over 20 years, and there’s been a dramatic rise in people seeking it.”

“We have a big problem out there with over treatment of very young people. Most people in their 20s don’t need treatment, it borders on ridiculous. But there are lots of clinics who will inject anyone who walks through the door to make easy money. It’s really sad and disingenuous.”

He warned there is “great difficulty” in reversing overfilled faces, and that if a doctor does not challenge or say no to anything you’ve asked for, it’s a red flag.

Dr Naomi McCullum – Paddington, Sydney
Dr McCullum is pioneer in the field of non-surgical cosmetic medicine and has been injecting and operating lasers for over 20 years, from when most injectable products were released onto the market here. She’s also the most-followed Australian cosmetic doctor, with 336,000 followers.

Dr Naomi McCullum. (AAP Image / Monique Harmer)

“We only treat adults at my clinic,” she said. “We check IDs to make sure they are adults and do a BDD questionnaire. We have had requests in the past to do noses and lips for under 18s, and we just let them know that we would be happy to book consultations with them once they are adults.”

She added that the new regulations are “an excellent system”, and her clinic has successfully flagged several would-be patients for BDD mental illness since their implementation.

Dr Stephen Mulholland – One of the world’s Top 10 plastic surgeons

World-renowned surgeon Dr Mulholland visited Sydney last October to train hundreds of physicians how to use the latest advancements in cosmetic treatments.

“The Millennials are interesting,” the Canadian doctor said. “Anything Kylie Jenner does, they will do.”

Dr Stephen Mulholland. Picture: Newscorp Daily Telegraph / Gaye Gerard

With the explosion of hi-tech non-invasive treatments such as Morpheus8, which uses radio frequency heatwaves, he said: “The trend is to start these treatments earlier – with many beginning in their early 20s to retain their youthful appearance.”

“The Morpheus is about 6-8 months behind North America, but it’s taking off like crazy here.”

Dr Amy Chahal – Surry Hills, Sydney

How do I know if I need preventive Botox?

“The sun is very harsh in Australia, so people do tend to age a bit quicker,” Dr Chahal said. “If a young person came in and they had static lines, which means you can see them when they’re not moving, I’d be happy to discuss it.”

Daily Telegraph. 26, September, 2023. Dr Amy Chahal with her Porsche GT3, in Sydney, today. From racing cars for Porsche, to perfecting the faces of SydneyÕs Eastern Suburbs locals, meet Dr Amy Chahal. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

“If you have visible creases, crows feet, frown and forehead lines when you’re not making an expression, then absolutely a bit of Botox will help the lines from getting deeper, and will help them from forming as well.”

“But generally, if you’re young and don’t have static lines, then no. You don’t need Botox.”

She would suggest skin care instead.