There was a time when everyone was getting Botox, but few admitted to it. Then came the wave of transparency with people openly talking about their injectables, right down to the units they got injected. But take a look around the beauty landscape now and you’ll see the tide turning, fuelled by a backlash against beauty standards that push for a certain “sameness”. Loosely translated, it refers to the overtly smooth, taut skin and lack of expressions often put down to Botox.
Strictly speaking, Botox is a brand name for botulinum toxin type A, a wrinkle-relaxing injectable that works by temporarily quietening specific facial muscles, which in turn softens existing lines (like forehead creases and crow’s feet), prevents new ones from etching in as deeply and gives the face a smoother, more “rested” look for a few months at a time.
As for those who refuse to go down either the surgical or injectable route, there’s always the “Botox in a bottle” option (products that claim to work as well as the injections). The real question, then, is: does the “#NoTox” counterculture signal the end of the Botox era or is it only the aesthetic that’s shifting? We ask the experts.
The demonisation of Botox
Botox works at the neuromuscular junction to stop the muscle from contracting. Fairly simple, as it turns out. Then what caused the backlash it currently faces? Dr Geetika Mittal Gupta, celebrity dermatologist and founder of Isaac Luxe, attributes this to visible overuse, especially on high-profile faces. Dr Bhairavi Shinde, aesthetic physician at Reaviva Holistic Health, agrees. “There’s definitely an increase in the ‘less is more’ aesthetic. Patients now want subtle enhancements rather than obvious and overdone results. The demand is for minimal volume, maintenance in facial dynamics and treatments that work with the body’s biology,” she emphasises.
But the ‘why’ behind this shift is more layered. “When injectors use the same technique on every face, you lose individuality. Poor training also played a role. Good injectables should disappear into the face, not announce themselves,” explains Dr Sagar Gujjar, dermatologist and founder of Skinwood Luxury Aesthetics Centre.
Do Botox alternatives measure up?
In response to the decrease in demand for injectables, brands have launched potent potions comprising everything from serums to night creams that are often dubbed “Botox in a bottle”; options that promise to mimic the line-free, full complexions that injectables offer but on a far more natural-looking (not to mention, pain-free) scale.
But can they match up to the original? The answer is a hard no, according to Dr Aneesh Sheth, cosmetic chemist and director of Dr Sheth’s Skin and Hair Clinics. “I don’t think that there is something that can replicate the effects of Botox. A lot of people claim to have serums or products that can, but there isn’t anything on the market that actually compares to Botox,” he says.
