Is Botox Making Gen Z Look Old? 

I genuinely think that young people today who grew up on social media have NO CLUE what people of various age groups actually look like. Social media heavily distorts our perception of what is "normal" at age 20, 30, 40 etc. Those "guess my age" videos are case in point. A woman who looks about 25-30 will have her comments flooded with guesses of 40-50, or people saying "omg you're 25? I literally thought you were 40!". That's either bullying or proof that young people's perception of age and age related changes is so profoundly distorted that they have no real benchmark for normal age related changes since they perceive faces of other generations through edited and perfected photos/videos on social media. Their only points of reference are their peers who are the same age as they are, or their parents who are decades older. For the in-between age groups, their only points of reference are from social media.

In my opinion the problem are fillers rather than botox. I feel like filler unless it's very subtle and very well done tends to look bad and then it migrates and starts looking even worse

In my 20s I never worried about wrinkles and growing older in my 30s tiny crows feet never bothered me as i aged my wrinkles didn't bother me now at 71 they are getting more prominate deeper but I think of them as a story of my life and except they way we are supposed to age i am happy being natural looking i love being me .

not Botox making them look old, but lip fillers, chin fillers, tatted brows and unnatural nosejobs

Stare in the mirror long enough and eventually the devil stares back.

i went to a dermathologist one year ago and i was shocked to see she suggested "baby botox". i'm in my early 20s and have two barely noticeable fine lines on my forehead. i think letting patients know about their options is great, but also it feels really out of place to recommend this to a young adult instead of microneedling or even laser treatments.

'Chronically online take' I love that Dr Dray used this phrase

People have started to look like caricatures of themselves Everyone looks the same. I'm 67 now. When I was a teen in the early to mid 1970s natural hair colour and makeup was the fashion. I stuck to that all through the 80s especially when hair and makeup went crazy. I did colour my hair when I started getting a few greys but I kept as close to my natural chesnut as I could. Now my hair is naturally white but I still keep to a natural make up look. Most people think I look like I'm in my late 50s. All that sunscreen (most people didn't use it before the 80s) and skincare twice a day worked for me. Come on ladies, don't follow the crowd, embrace your natural beauty.

Wear sunscreen everyday, re-apply as needed, use tret / retinol, eat healthy, exercise and enjoy this short time on this planet. Focus on health and the important aspects of this short life

100% financial incentive is the reason for recommending preventative Botox. I don't think people are recommending it out of the goodness of their hearts. It's a business.

One advantage of failing eyesight is not being able to see myself in detail in the small screen on a zoom call. I honestly don’t know how I would have coped seeing myself constantly when young.

I do think gen z looks older, but rather than Botox it’s due to highly skilled make up application that may be too mature for youthful faces/skin/features. In the affluent, or even middle class, or anyone willing to spend on surgery, I think gen z is copying/pasting a certain look… chiseled jaw, cat eyes, plumpest lips, gaunt cheeks….an example of WTH happened is imo Billie eilish… one album she was 15 and looked 21; ok that’s acceptable since teens always want to look a little older… but next album she’s entering her 20s and she looks 36.

Since using red light therapy (3 years ago) and Tretinoin (4 years ago) I no longer need Botox for my 11’s. Being reliant on injections to prevent something that might not even occur is crazy.

Paralysing muscles and not using them will lead to atrophy. I think there’s going to be some really weird and unforeseen side effects of all these treatments.

I worked overseas for a year in my mid twenties, and we took LOTS of photos of each other for Facebook. By the end of the year, I had developed this weird fixation with my wrinkles. Hated much about my face. I came back and got botox and filler. But once home, stopped seeing myself in hundreds of photos and the paranoia went away!

I work with gen Z and people often times think we are the same age im 37 😮

I’d like to see data about how often younger generations look at themselves in the mirror and especially on the phone and screens. I honestly think there were years in my early 20’s where I didn’t have a camera, didnt look at pictures of myself and only had one mirror in the bathroom with poor lighting. I never wore makeup, not a flex but I meant I didn’t look at my skin in detail. I was out there living my life and not obsessing about my appearance.

So interesting. I have so many thoughts. A big one: it’s got to be wealthier people who can do all this Botox. I am financially comfortable but can’t imagine budgeting for this out of pocket stuff FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE. Also: ageism: Getting a job when you look older is harder. I look my age, 61, and I’m surprised at the obnoxious things I’ve had people say to me about my appearance.

I don't think it's botox that makes people look older, it's the excess plastic surgery

That twin that was living in Germany, and only got four Botox injections had visible signs of sun exposure. She had freckles and a tan. Her LA twin was lighter and had no obvious signs of sun exposure. I would bet on lifestyle choices as a more likely cause for the difference in their aging than I would the Botox injections.

Dunno. I (almost 35) have been getting Botox for a handful of years now but just got forehead lines and a bit of a brow lift. The BIGGEST thing that has affected my skin positively has been cutting out alcohol. No more puffiness or weird breakouts, etc. I think doing filler is what ages Gen Z.

It's a bit disturbing that doctors have to keep making videos like this about botox and the mini facelifts. As one derm recently said, take that money and experience life, travel to a country you've wanted to see and use sunscreen.

I don't know if it's due to botox or not but I've noticed young people nowadays smoke a lot and wear a lot more makeup regularly.

I wish ppl would stop talking about gen this and gen that. I don't know who anybody is. Can we just say folks in their twenties, thirties, forties, fifties, etc?

the twin without as much botox throughout life has a much happier looking smile.

I think I will stick to peptides, moisturizer, and retinol and Sunscreen. Thanks Dr. Dray.

The twin in Germany looks more tan, especially on her forehead - which is also where her wrinkles are more prominent at rest (not smiling). The LA twin has lighter skin on the forehead. The differences could just be sun exposure instead of botox.

I’ve been getting botulinum toxin for two decades in my face assymetries after Bell’s palsy. The negative effect is muscle atrophy

I think its the filler that makes them look older

It’s not the neurotoxins. It’s the filler everywhere in the face. Gawd awful lumpy huge lips, overfilled cheeks, puffy faces, etc… People think they’re going for the Kardashian look (which is also way overdone) yet ending up like Darcy and Stacey! 😂

The mouth wrinkle that botox twin has seems to be way more noticeable than non-botox twin's wrinkles. I think it is because the rest of her face is smooth. So, there is massive contrast between Smith areas and wrinkle areas which highlighting/draws more notice to the wrinkles.

The twin example is only compelling if the twin who got the Botox regularly hasn't gotten it in a long time (eg. 2 years) or they both just got it recently. Otherwise the twin who didn't get it, could just get it and look like the twin who spent all those years getting it regularly.

Botox bombardment on social media is totally a thing and oh my god the imperative need of "you should get XYZ done it's so awesome good marvelous miraculous" by every external factors (media and peers) is nonstop and continuous. Thank you Doctor Andrea for putting a stop on this charade.

’71 Gen X here. For some reason, a large portion of my viewers on You Tube are Gen Z. There is so much I love about them and watch their videos as well. I’m not a makeup or skincare genre, but I find this topic so interesting as I do often like the fact that by them just viewing my videos they are seeing a 52 year old woman comfortable in her own skin and unbothered by the lines on her face. Sometimes I wonder how common that is to them? I fully support them if they want to use injectables, I just wonder how often they see a different path to aging online.

I definitely think it’s the cosmetic procedures. I’ve seen a couple people from high school now (I graduated hs in 2020) that have had work done to their face, and they look considerably older then they are, like late 20’s to early 30’s instead of a 21 year old

Dr Dray, thank you so much for making all the information you provide free to viewers. Many of us can't afford to see a dermatologist.

Hi Dr Gray, I have noticed you look radiant and healthy now.

I have a friend who started botox in her young twenties. She looked older than all of us for a long time however, now that we are in our 40’s, she looks young still. Frozen at around 30 it seems. I just protect my skin and live a healthy lifestyle but if botox is your thing, one day you will look younger I guess lol🤷🏼‍♀️🤣.

When I was growing up, my heroes were women in the science and arts fields. Patti Smith, Barbara Mcclintock etc. They aged naturally and embraced getting older. They were accomplished in their fields focused on their work. Social media is doing women a real disservice.

Wouldn't it be nice if the younger crowd cared about optimal health, than wrinkles they don't have yet?

Great measured take! Thank you for pointing out the other factors beyond Botox that can contribute to someone looking whatever way. And yes, as someone in their 30s who lives in a college town, Gen Z does not universally look older! I regularly joke with friends my age that the college kids look like babies, and can we believe we all once looked so young?

It’s also social media making the youth think it’s all about looking superficial .

If I stop using the muscles in my arm my arm would wither and be useless. How is paralyzing muscles in the face for decades not going to impact people? It’s one thing to get Botox in your old age, but start freezing muscle groups at 20 for years and possibly decades what will the consequences be? Anyone that has worn a cast knows how quickly muscle wastes well imagine what’s happening to peoples faces.

Happy May Long Weekend to all of the Canadians!!

6:20 thank you so much for bringing up such a heavily nuanced logical point

I think it’s stress, smoking, and drinking.

90% of my coworkers are Gen Z (while I' m 50). "My kidz" have habits that I' d never dreamed such as 365 sunscreen, they go to a pro derm to solve their issues and they have access to priceless info like this channel and other board certified docs. Not to talk about make up skills... Their present skin looks healthy and gorrrrgeus But ngl, none of them have fallen in premature use of actives and procedures that ruin the skin and surgeries that make them look like a cloned Bratz. I suppose this is an exception. They are lovely enough to teach me genzenial spanish😜! 🧛🏻‍♀️🖤

Also, Europeans generally prioritize factors beyond physical appearance, while LA crowds often seem preoccupied solely with their looks.

We are not meant to look at ourselves all day long. We have become a very vain society.

Dr. Look at the twin w/ prolonged Botox treatment: she has rosey glossy-lipstick on & makeup. Also, in the first set of photos shown, the same twin smiles, while the other (who only got Botox once) is frowning. The “imaginary benefits” do NOT outweigh the more-likely-than not high health risks. ❤️ love your channel.

I was talking with someone at an event recently who I thought was close to my age (40) and as we were talking I remember thinking they were using unusual (to me) slang. Turns out they were 18 🤯 I can’t imagine teaching high school these days and having a room full of “kids” that look like they’ve got mortgages and 401Ks 😳 Meanwhile, people regularly think I’m in my 20s.

I can attest to fillers not botox making people look older. I have two students in particular, who are 15 to 20 years my juniour and they now look my age (40s). Fillers have given a rigidity and hardness to their once young soft faces, as they try to look 'sculpted'.

I think its fillers, excessive makeup and enhancements and maybe most of all the resurgence of smoking/vaping.

Am I the only one who doesn't see that much difference in twin's faces? sure, one doesn't have as many wrinkles but considering how much money she must have spent in total for 19 years of botox, doesnt really convince me it's worth it.

I have engaged in performing arts such as theatre for more than 10 years and now I do science communication on social media, I make funny videos about genetics. Believe me when I say that expression lines are PRECIOUS when you have to pass a message to somebody through acting. You have facial muscles to make facial expressions, USE THEM!

I think it has more to do with poor diets, lack of exercise (spending too much time online) and using too many chemicals on the skin. I think there may be a genetic component pertaining to epigenetics here that is beginning to catch our eye now that we’ve been made aware of these effects.

Zoom has a “hide self-view” feature that I always enable. I don’t want to see myself during an online interaction.

People are going crazy with the internet pushing cosmetic surgery, all sorts of makeup and other things. I believe in moisturizers etc. I do believe that smoking and drinking definitely affects the face and wreaks havoc on your health, as most know. I have lost relatives because of smoking. Sad.

Wrinkles show your expressions, if you have smile lines its probably because you smile more? What is wrong with that, who wants to hide their emotions?

Surely the USA would actually have lots of 70 year Olds having had decades of neuromodulators. For example they have a place called Hollywood where they make movies and honestly the people there get so much botox and plastic surgery

It also occurs to me when thinking about those twins that the LA based twin probably does lots of other things to take care of her skin, like sunscreen every day for 19 years. And the Germany twin is not exactly a hag. Just sayin.

Teenagers are obsessed with skin care which is fine. But I think we also need to normalize aging

I would like to say that in realizing that you are a doctor and adding all the years of schooling you have gone through you must be of a certain age. But to me you could pass for a 20 year old. Whatever you are doing keep it up. I am so thrilled I found you for your brilliance and knowledge!

Thank you for a great video, just as always Dr! I would think it's more about fillers that can create an odd look if it's done wrong rather than botox 🤔 And it's ridiculous to say that it concerns a whole generation, just like you said.

Botox since I’ve turned 30… I’m 39… I don’t overdo it but I definitely attribute my face to the care I’ve given it ❤️

All that money wasted that could be going towards education, homes, retirement.

Im 38 now and since my teens my grandmother taught me to cleanse, tone and moisturise and use sunscreen to protect my whole body including my face. I never baked in the sun, I never used a tanning bed, no smoking, no drugs and minimal alcohol. Plenty of water and sleep though. My sister is 3 years older than me and ignored the sage wisdom of grandma and bought a sun bed and crisped herself to the level of Kettle Chips 😮 So I'm 38 and smooth, she's 41 and has dark spots, lines and is wanting Botox. She doesn't think our different dkin routines and her sun bed are the reasons for the difference......😬

The twin that's gotten a lot of botox at 5:35 in the side profile looks like she has deeper wrinkles below the nasolabial folds than the twin with less botox. Why is that?

I think gen Z generally look older than us millennials. Gen Z and Gen A also talks about 30 somethings like we look ancient and "past our prime".. they have normalized incel language which is terrifying in itself. Gen Z and Gen A have absolutely NO perception of what aging looks like and how "normal" people of different ages look like.

We don't have a lot of seventy/eighty years old out there who have been getting neuro-modulators for decades and decades" Don't we? Botox has been here for quite some time. I'm 30, and I remember as a child the medias making fun of women who overdid it with Botox, and they were already well in their 50s-60s. I don't want to be rude, I'm just pointing out that a study of the effects of long-term injection of neuro-modulators would be possible.

Happy Monday, Dr. Dray! 😊

I don't think this what make gen z look older but the stress that is happening nowadays that put a toll on gen z

I think it’s more the fillers, not the Botox. I find that people just don’t know the difference before they make statements like this on the internet

I don't think gen z looks old , I am a zillenial , i hit pubirty young and looked older then I was for years and now at 27 people think i'm in my early 20s alot. I think people of every generation can look older or younger then their age , mainly I think it's genetic. I'm sure things like sun damage and race play a role as well. I don't have plastic surgery or filler yet but i'm sure as long as it's done well people look nice with it. Some people may not even be trying to look younger. I think buccal fat removal could age you but that's really it.

First of all, there are EXTENSIVE STUDIES ON BOTOX available since it has been around since the 80s.

Munich isn't a skiing resort or anything. But we spend more time outdoors in Germany by simply existing. We walk alot more to get from a to b in cities. A lot of people dont have a car because we dont need one. So. Yes. We get mlre sun that way. Plus botox may be on the rise but is nowhere near as normalized as in California.

I don't think it's good to start injecting Botox at such a young age, why? Well, because as far as I know (please correct me if I'm wrong) when a muscle is not used anymore it atrophies and also the bone under that muscle becomes more fragile since it does not receive information from the muscle. The body is very wise and begins to "get rid" of what it does not use in order to save energy. So I believe that using Botox long term will make people look older since their muscles and bones will lose tone and density sooner

They are not aging gracefully that’s for sure. They are going so overboard that they look like old people trying to look young and looking distorted rather than younger.

The first time I got Botox was at 27 and I feel like it worked great for me. I personally noticed that my forehead lines lessened substantially and my crows feet as well. My eyes are extremely sensitive and prone to more capillary dilation and I noticed my scleras looked whiter. My dark circles also became less noticeable. The last two effects are not something that Botox claims to treat, but I found it interesting. I also had unsolicited comments from people telling me that I looked more rested and happier. I hadn’t told them that I got Botox until after the compliment. My parents were anti sunblock when I was young so I burned and tanned often. In my 20s I started taking care of my skin and I wear sunblock daily. My skincare is more minimal and I tend to cycle active ingredients like retinol and salicylic acid. I haven’t had Botox in 9 months and when I was regularly receiving it I would still wait few weeks to a month after the effects subsided to avoid muscle atrophy that can occur from back to back appointments long term. I only stopped because of the price and because I feel like I use my forehead muscles less than before so I haven’t needed it as much. I personally think that makeup techniques and overuse of filler by providers who don’t fully understand the pathology of facial aging are causing more young people to look appear older than they are. For filler, less is more and should be used in key places around the face. Makeup that looks great for photos and zoom is different than what looks best in daily life. The internet can also make things seem more prevalent than they actually are. In my actual life 20 year olds look their ages, and the only ones who look older tend to be men that I know who spend a lot of time outdoors for work or leisure activities and don’t wear sunblock and don’t wear moisturizer. (I live in Colorado where the UV is intense and the climate is arid) And in real life it is honestly difficult to tell the age of most people I meet between 22 and 35. Most people I have met within that range look to be around the same age, so really it is the internet that skews our perception.

I'm 28, since I was 10 or 11 have been taking really good care of my skin due to acne - religiously applying sunscreen daily, adapalene every night, and more recently started azelaic acid - and no one believes when I tell my age, people (even those my own age) think I'm in my early twenties or even younger. Never came close to botox and fillers! My genetics helped of course, but folks, wear sunscreen!!!!

Seeing the photos of the twins makes me not want to get Botox. Every 4-6 months for 19 years and the difference isn't that much. I'd rather take that money and spend it elsewhere.

I originally started using botox at 26 - I started young because of excess facial sweating when nervous (anxiety). I'm 43 now and have kept it up over the years - it has definitely done me huge favours - barely a wrinkle in site.

I wouldn’t generalize a whole generation. However, the “Botox brow” lifting effect does make some people look older in my opinion. But that’s probably because I’m just accustomed to seeing older women who have had Botox done. Seeing it in such young people is more new to me.

I don't know if botox is making people look older but I think when cosmetic procedures in general are overdone, it definitely changes their appearance and not in a good way. That being said, to each their own. It's their money and if that's what they need to do to feel better about themselves, who am I to judge. It's not for me. Thanks for speaking on this, Dr Dray. Happy Monday! I hope you have a peaceful evening. 💖

It’s the “over-processed” look that is just tiring to the soul. It might look good in photos, and in a social media driven society, that is huge for many. But have face-to-face conversations with these people, and you quickly lose emotional connection because their over-processed faces cannot make natural expressions that allow for necessary emotional connection. I much prefer running into sweet elderly ladies at the grocery store who compliment me on my kids and offer life encouragement. Their kind, smiling wrinkles tell a story of a life well lived and it’s so beautiful and authentic. They are souls at rest, no striving. More beautiful than any wrinkle free face. Also, living in the country, the young women here embrace natural beauty and it’s unmatched. They glow with health, contentment, and joy being in nature all the time.

I have had Botox for 20 years , I use less now at 60 than I did when I started . It certainly is a preventative procedure.

Have a great week guys xox

Yes Botox and filler. Gen z is obsessed with their looks (thanks to them worshipping Kylie Jenner) and start messing with their faces too young. Botox and filler will age you QUICK

No one should use botox unless they actually have a wrinkle.

It's filler, that I notice constantly. Young women with filler put years on their face, not realising it. I've barely been able to pick botox when there's just a bit of it.

I feel like with the twins that is not a good indicator at all because if the twin who got botox for 19 years has active botox then she obviously can't scrunch her eyes and make the same wrinkles. Take a picture when her botox has fully worn off for a year and she will probably look just as wrinkled as her sister. I recently got daxxify (at age 40) and it was my first time doing anything like this and it actually made my wrinkles worse from other muscles overcompensating.

We’re all just trying to do our best to feel good about ourselves, I think, whatever that looks like and whatever procedures (or not) it may involve. I love that all of these options exist, even if I don’t partake in them because who knows? I remember when I was a preteen in the 80s I was using clearisil products and couldn’t understand why they made my face so angry and red. My aunt finally pointed out that those products were for people with acne, which I didn’t have at the time. The power of marketing to make you think you should be using something you might not need!

Millennial here. I love skincare and botox /filler. I don't abuse botox & filler but damn, gen z always think I'm one of them lol. But with greater maturity. I still don't find other Millennials who do skincare as i do. Other Millennials usual aren't aware of skinscare much ..if at all.

Joe Behar, the comedian, is 80 or 81 & gets Botox & looks great. It’s the face fillers that ages. Look at Kyle Jenner, she looks 36, not 26. Gravity affects every one. I’d rather have a wrinkle or two than sagging jowls. I’m 73 yo & had a lower face & neck lift at 66 yo. My skin is sagging, but I’m done with plastic surgery

I’m 45. I started preventative Botox at 27. It has to be done properly. Your face shouldn’t be paralysed, it should be able to move just not crease deeply. I get it every 6 months. You can’t overdo it. Let it drain out. I have smooth skin, no wrinkles, tight pores, tight jawline, and people’s jaws drop when they find out my age. I also wear sunscreen everyday of the year and have since I was a teenager

GenZ, the generation that makes millennials look good.

Dr. Dray, what are you wearing on your skin? It looks glowy!

I'm a mature student and gen z doesn't look old. I can't tell anyone's age now other than indicators like tattoos, style, Etc.

always enjoy your straightforward, educated takes. Thank you for no music or distracting visuals!!

I do wonder if women of child bearing age should use Botox. It is not something I would be willing to risk.