Doctors warn about popular cosmetic procedure called Barbie Botox
FORT WORTH (CBSNewsTexas.com) – Doctors are warning about a popular cosmetic procedure called "Barbie Botox."
It's meant to slim your neckline, but one neurosurgeon says there are some serious risks you need to consider.
Whatever you call it, there's no denying it's the beauty trend of the moment – the hashtag has more than 10 million views on TikTok.
The procedure involves getting Botox in your trapezius muscle to slim the neckline. Medical experts say you need to know what you're getting into.
"I'm not in any way saying this is a bad idea," said Dr. Olaide Ajayi, a neurosurgeon with Texas Health Fort Worth and Texas Health Physicians Group. "I'm just saying that it's a medical procedure hat has risks."
He says your trapezius muscle is most important in holding your head up, so if a dose isn't administered properly, you risk posture problems or even worse.
"The worst it could be could be that the individual has significant trouble holding their neck up, which in extreme cases could lead to cases of chin and chest deformity, where one's head, neck or chin literally touches one's chest due to the lack of structures for the muscular support in holding that up," Ajayi said.
The trend shows no signs of slowing down for people in pursuit of the perfect physique.
"The doses that are required to paralyze the larger muscle are significantly larger than the doses required to take care of the muscles on the forehead, to eliminate front lines for example," Ajayi said. "So those larger doses mean that you know some of the effects may not be temporary."
The doctor says his best piece of advice is to keep in mind that it's not just a cosmetic procedure, but a medical procedure, so go to a medical professional.
The procedure was originally created to help relieve neck pain and headaches, but Ajayi says that requires a smaller dose, meaning a lower risk.