Barbie Botox

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Introduction:

Many people have seen the recent Barbie Movie that came out summer 2023, and while we love that this movie brought attention to feminism and women’s culture, we are not loving the “Barbie Botox” trends in the aesthetic industry. 

  • For starters, getting an aesthetic treatment to change/alter your appearance to look like someone else isn’t a reason to do the treatment, in our opinion. 
  • Also, just because a treatment is “trendy” is not another reason to do the treatment because there are risks and side effects to every treatment. 
  • PLUS, not everyone is a candidate for all aesthetic treatments on the market (trendy or not).

Keep reading to learn more about Barbie Botox, FAQs about the treatment, and how the EMA team feels about this trend!

Watch our video here

Table of Contents

What is Barbie Botox?

“Barbie Botox” aka trapezius botox, is a trending treatment in the aesthetic industry from the latest Barbie Movie. To put it simply, this treatment uses Tox injections (Botox, Xeomin, Dysport, Jeuveau, Daxxi) to relax and “shrink” the trap muscles. Before the “Barbie Botox” trend, this was an off-label area to inject Tox to relieve clients from tension that led to headaches and other complications. 

⭐️ Now, people are seeking this treatment to have a “slimmer, more elongated” neck and shoulder area to look more like Barbie. 

What are the benefits of Barbie Botox?

Benefits of Barbie Botox should be broken down into two categories; medical benefits and aesthetic appearance benefits 👇 

  1. Medical benefits from Trap Botox include: relaxation of the trap muscles to help with tension, aches, and pains or overworked muscles. 
  2. Aesthetic appearance benefits may include: slimmer neck and shoulder area that may result in a “skinnier” or “more feminine” appearance like Barbie does in the movie. 

What does Barbie Botox look like?

Barbie Botox may create a more elongated and slimmer appearance to the neck and trap area like this before and after image. 

The injections work to atrophy the trap muscles that causes them to relax and create a more “swan-shaped” neck region. 

Therefore, the result of this treatment is being referred to as “Barbie Botox”. 

How does Barbie Botox work?

Barbie Botox, or TrapTox, works by a licensed provider using a small needle to inject botox, or botulinum toxin of choice, into the trapezius muscles in multiple areas. 

Then, after a full 14 days post injections, the Tox medication works by relaxing the muscle. Overall, clients notice less tension in the area, relaxed traps, and a slimmer, more elongated neck area. After 3-4 months the medication does wear off and an assessment for future injections is discussed with your provider.

What are the side effects of Barbie Botox?

More minor side effects/risks associated with Barbie Botox or Trap Tox may include:

  • Redness from injection sites
  • Bruising and swelling
  • Altered posture
  • Muscle weakness/paralysis
  • Asymmetrical trap muscles 

Rare/serious side effects that are more likely with a higher Tox dosing include:

  • Medication drifting to other unwanted areas, affecting respiratory muscles 
  • Damage to neck with atrophy of supporting muscles, see video
  • Botulism poisoning (incredibly rare)

*Always consult with your provider to get a full understanding of a treatment’s risks and side effects and to provide medical history, to ensure you are a candidate. This is not a full list of possible side effects, nor is this medical advice. Always talk with your prescribing provider about questions you may have with Botox medications.*

Learn more about Tox injections here

How many units are needed for Barbie Botox?

It is estimated that 50-75 units of Tox (Botox, Xeomin, Dysport, Jeuveau, Daxxi) are needed PER SIDE! That is resulting in over 100 units for a full treatment. 

⭐️ Keep in mind this is a case by case scenario and should be discussed with your provider as everyone is different! 

How much does Barbie Botox cost?

Barbie Botox cost is dependent on the number of units needed to achieve results. An average cost per unit is around $12.00-$14.00. 

Pricing for injectables vary based on the injector’s experience/expertise and their time to consult and treat you appropriately. This is a medical procedure and should be treated as such, keep in mind that you often “get what you pay for” when it comes to aesthetic treatments and injections and to always go somewhere that puts your safety FIRST!

EMA's Pricing

Does Barbie Botox hurt?

Most clients feel very mild discomfort from botox injections in the trap muscles. The needles used for this treatment are small and most injectors are quick with their techniques, making the treatment tolerable. 

However, it is still a needle in the skin and everyone’s pain tolerances are different. 

Who is a candidate for Barbie Botox?

At Elite, our providers believe that people wanting Barbie Botox for an unnecessary change in physical appearance are not candidates for the treatment. Even though this reason for treatment is generally discouraged, we would consider on case by case basis, book a consult below if you are unsure!

⭐️ Doing a medical procedure to “look like Barbie” is not a reason to get this treatment done. Instead, candidates for trap tox include those who are experiencing:

–Aches and pains in the trap muscles

–Severe tension that is not able to be controlled with other remedies

–Headaches/migraines as a result from tension 

-Other medical-related issues from trapezius muscle complications

⭐️ ⭐️FYI- most of these symptoms are caused by an underlying issue that can usually be addressed with more natural approaches. Keep reading below for more info.

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Strong, healthy women with trap muscles

While we understand that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes, as a team, we do not fully support people getting aesthetic treatments done to fit a society’s mold or expectation of women. 

We want to bring awareness that just because Barbie’s features may be viewed as beautiful, so are many other women’s features! That includes women who are more muscle-bound and have stronger trap muscles (and no, this does not make them any less-feminine than a women with smaller or slimmer shoulders). 

Alternatives for TrapTox:

1. Headaches/migraines

2. Severe Tension

Keep in mind that injectors have been treating the trap muscles with Tox injections for a while. This is not a “new” treatment area or a foreign concept to most injectors, but it is recently getting all the rave after the Barbie Movie for appearance changes versus medical relief. 

While Tox injections in the trap muscles can help to relieve headaches and migraines that are often caused by sever tension, it is a temporary fix. Oftentimes if someone is experiencing these issues there is an underlying stressor that can be addressed by doing natural alternatives first, such as: 

  • Accupuncture
  • Stress management
  • Professional massage 
  • Chiropractic work 
  • Yoga/stretching
  • Physical therapy
  • Correcting posture

Our NP injectors are always open to helping clients who are in need of temporary pain relief, so long as they are also doing things to solve the underlying cause. 

Overall:

⭐️ In general, if you can “fix” something without medications or unnecessary treatments, then you will unlikely hear us promoting it. 

⭐️ Barbie Botox, is solely being used to create a slimmer neck appearance, and in our opinion, getting a treatment done to look like a celebrity for a trendy period of time is not the right reason to get a treatment. 

⭐️ If you are struggling with tension in your trap muscles, tox injections may help you temporarily get pain relief, but it is best to address the root cause.

⭐️ LOVE yourself and your body, focus on doing things to remain healthy and strong, not on how society expects us to look.

Elite Medical & Aesthetics is a premier med spa located in Lone Tree, CO. Our staff of Nurse Practitioners provide a holistic approach for natural results with safety as a #1 priority.

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Recognizing Toxins in Skincare

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Introduction

More and more in today’s society, we all have to be our own advocates to ensure that the products we are using on our bodies and in our homes are safe. Many of us have taken to reading every label and ingredient before buying. However, when something is purchased in a medical office, like a Medical Spa, many people just assume that because it is “medical” it is automatically safe and non-toxic. 

We have to remember that every skincare line, medical grade or not, is for profit and they often have non-medical or non-science based people on their boards making decisions on where to save money. Skincare ingredients are also highly unregulated as the FDA allows over 3,000 chemicals to be masked under the terms “fragrance” or “parfum” alone. 

We recently went through months of back and forth with various companies trying to get them to be transparent about exactly what chemicals and ingredients they use under the blanket terms “fragrance” or “parfum” and we were hit over and over with the non-answer that it was “proprietary information”.

In our opinion, people have the right to know what they are putting on their bodies that could harm their health. So we refuse to buy products with these ingredients. However, companies will only change their behavior if the consumer demands they do or they take a hit to their bottom line, because people ARE becoming more aware.

👇 This article is to shed light on the lack of transparency in “Medical Grade” Skincare and what you can do to protect yourself from toxic ingredients 👇 

Table of Contents

What's the easiest toxin to recognize in skincare?

The easiest toxin to recognize, and therefore avoid, in skincare is “fragrance/parfum”.  

Any ingredient labeled “fragrance” or “parfum” is a blanket term that represents OVER 3,000 toxins that do not have to be recorded or reported. Source link for statistic found HERE. These chemicals include toxins, endocrine distruptors (hormone distruptors), carcinogens, allergens and more! 

⭐️ Look, we are realistic and fully understand that sometimes “chemicals” are needed in certain products in order to create lather, increase absorption of an active ingredient, increase stability for shelf life, etc.. However, any scents (and the other hidden chemicals) are 100% not necessary! 

Why does it matter?

The skin is the largest organ in the body and is absorbing whatever we put on it. Smells (aka fumes) are also inhaled and can cause other symptoms such as headaches and breathing issues. the fumes we are inhaling also absorb through our nasal and lung mucosa and can act systemically throughout the body.

Not only is this unethical, in our opinion, but also harmful to our overall health if companies do not disclose exactly what is in a product we use every day! We understand companies have a right to their proprietary information, but no one can replicate their product without exact ingredients AND proportions. So…why not disclose the exact ingredients unless they have something to hide?

Are fragrances unnecessary in skincare products?

Yes, fragrances are completely unnecessary to have in skincare products. These toxins only provide a scent or smell to products, they do not actually give a purpose to the product formulation. As above, while there are some ingredients that may not be as “pure” in skincare, they may be needed in order to create a lather, sud, or provide a barrier for hydration. 

⭐️ Overall, fragrances or parfum are NOT needed for any functionality of the product…so why are they put in there?!

How are fragrances endocrine disruptors?

When toxic fragrances are inhaled or absorbed in the skin, they mimic our delicate endocrine system by interfering with healthy hormone functions as well as the release of hormones in our body. 

⭐️ Dr. Hanisha Patel states ” Environmental toxins are one of the leading causes of infertility in both men and women and if we are not actively minimizing our exposure then it is easy for our bodies to be overburdened leading to hormonal imbalances”. 

Below are additional medical sources that explain how toxic skincare ingredients can be harmful to our health/hormones:

Here is a short explanation, from Dr. Jolene Brighton Hormone Expert, as to why endocrine disruptors like fragrances and parfumes are toxic to our health/hormones. 

Source Link HERE

Another example from Dr. Mark Hyman about how toxins (fragrances) in our skincare are related to many hormone and health issues. 

Source Link HERE

Dr. Ben Lynch explains in this diagram how fragrances are considered chemicals to our bodies. They rank with some of the most dangerous chemicals.

Source Link HERE

What are common health-related symptoms fragrances cause?

A few, but not all symptoms that are common from toxic fragrances include the following: 

  • Unbalanced hormone levels 
  • Headache, nausea, brain fog, or just feeling “off” 
  • Thyroid complications
  • Negative impact on fertility (both men & women) and women’s cycles
  • Skin concerns: acne, dermatitis, eczema, rashes 
  • General allergic reaction

These symptoms arise from topical absorption of toxins in our bloodstream, as well as inhaling the fragrances. Many people may not notice any negative symptoms from products with fragrances right away, but the daily (or even twice daily) use of these products accumulate overtime, increasing our toxic load (more below), which then leads to the negative symptoms. 

⭐️ Disclaimer: Everyone is different and some people will be affected more that others, especially those with histamine intolerance or a “dirty” DAO gene (Read “Dirty Genes“).  

Does medical grade skincare have fragrance in it?

Yes, many “medical grade” skincare products have fragrance in them. However, this it not to say that ALL medical grade skincare has fragrance in it. That is why it is important as a consumer, to read ingredient labels before purchasing skincare (or any product). It is such a bummer that clients come to medical offices trusting that medical grade skincare is a better option for them, when in reality it can be filled with these unnecessary toxins.

⭐️ Overall, we expect medical grade skincare companies to do better, especially if they really care about client safety and treatment outcomes. 

Examples of a FEW medical-grade skincare products with fragrances:

Below you can see many popular medical grade skincare brands that have fragrance listed in their ingredient list. This was from a very LIGHT search for fragrances in commonly used and sold skincare in the aesthetic industry. We are not trying to bash any one brand, but simply want to shed light on how common these toxic ingredients are. That way you can learn to be your own advocate if your medical spa does not carry options without known fragrances or parfum in them. 

Again, fragrance and parfum are 100% non essential to the product working and only cause harm to ones health. 

⭐️ Each product listed below has the official ingredient list with a circle around “fragrance/parfum” listed. You can also view the product ingredient list with the source link provided. 

Is Clinical Perfect Neck Correct:

Check it out for yourself!

SkinCeuticals Phyto Corrective Serum:

Full List of Ingredients

Obagi Professional C Serum 20%:

Read Ingredient Label

Zo Skin Health Exfoliating Cleanser:

Product Ingredient List

Skin Medica Dermal Repair Cream:

Fragrances Found

Trying to get companies to disclose ingredients:

Topix Skincare:

In our office at Elite, we have carried a private label skincare line, Topix, for a few years now. Previously they really marketed themselves as “clean”, “hypoallergenic”, “fragrance free” and heavily researched. Unfortunately over the years we have received many products that contain fragrance when we were told they were fragrance free, or they now have fragrance in them when previously they did not. 

The sales reps were clearly naive to the dangers of the blanket terms “fragrance” and “parfum” and during our back and forth made several claims that ended up being false. Including that they only had 5 skus with fragrance and no parfum (they have both and there are over 15 now). They also claimed that none of their ingredients were toxic because they were prescription strength.

As someone with a license to prescribe, Ali-NP countered that many many prescriptions contain toxins and other unnecessary ingredients. Otherwise why would some prescription pills have bright artificial colors and why would creams contain fragrance and other additives and preservatives (see chart below for full source)?

Ali asked several times for the exact ingredients and was told over and over they would not tell her because it was “proprietary information”. 

 

⭐️ ⭐️ But, if none of their products are toxic, then why would they need to use the blanket ingredient label “fragrance”? This is just one example of how hard it is to get transparency in ingredients in skincare. 

Is prescription strength skincare non-toxic?

No, prescription strength skincare is not necessarily non-toxic. Just because a skincare product is prescription strength, does not mean it is non-toxic! There are many additives in prescription strength skincare that can be toxic to our health and hormones, too. Below are just a few examples of common additives in these types of products we get from Doctors and Dermatologists for our skin concerns 👇 

 Again, most of these additives are unnecessary ingredients needed for skincare products to do their job.

Link to read entire study  below. 

View Full Source

Please Do BETTER!

From a few of our personal encounters with this issue, it is known that these medical companies need to do better! Like mentioned earlier, we feel it is unethical to promote a product as “medical grade” or “clean” and then hide toxins under the terms “fragrance” and “parfum”. Consumers deserve to know what they are using on their skin, bottom line. The only way for change is to call these companies out and stop purchasing their products…it should not be a mystery for anyone. 

What are some non-toxic skincare options?

At Elite, we want to give a shout-out to skincare brands like Alastin Skincare and Dr. Alkatis Skincare who are transparent with their ingredient lists and avoid toxic fragrances. We will continue to carry and support skincare lines like this because they clearly state on their ingredient labels where the scent of the product is coming from.

  • For example: “Fragrance from orange oil” or “Orange essential oil” are not blanket terms for “fragrance” 👇 

Alastin TransFORM Body Cream:

View Product Source

Dr. Alkatis Organic Nourishing Oil:

View Product Source

Toxic Cup Example:

Above is an image demonstrating two different types of “toxic cups” that represent the toxic overload in our bodies. 

1. Many different lifestyle factors can create an over-flowing toxic cup such as:

  • Alcohol consumption, unfiltered/tap water, fast food, abundant stress, sugary caffeine drinks, not exercising, limited sleep, excessive news/consumption of media, dehydration, exposure to fragrances, toxic household supplies, etc.

2. Someone with a low toxic up usually finds themselves prioritizing their health in ways like:

  • Meditation, organic/balanced diet, hydration, managed stress levels, detoxification practices, adequate sleep, proper gut health, exercise, spending time outside, avoid toxic personal/hygiene products, etc.

When someone is exposing themselves to excess toxins every day, their toxic cup eventually overfills and negative health symptoms may arise. If a person with a full toxic cup comes in for an elective procedure such as  botox or fillers, negative side effects and adverse reactions are more likely to happen. Versus someone with a low toxic cup can handle a few “toxins” much better and safer (i.e. botox quarterly or lip filler yearly), because there are less toxins for their body to manage. 

⭐️ This is why it’s very important to go to a medical office with providers that asses each client before treating them AND take a holistic approach to injectables by offering cleaner options in the office for procedures like Xeomin and RHA. 

Why does this matter?

We bring this up  because we are seeing social media flooded with reels/posts similar to the one here. 

While we understand the humor in it, we also want to make a point that it is VERY important to live a healthy lifestyle for anyone doing elective procedures. It’s controversial but aesthetic treatments, or any elective treatments (think tattoos, hair chemical treatments, etc.), are less likely to cause problems for someone with a low “toxic cup” (see figure above). 

People that have a high toxic cup and don’t get any elective treatments also aren’t necessarily healthier either (in our humble opinion). Eating fast food, wearing tons of artificial fragrances and drinking tap water could very likely be more harmful to health overtime compared with getting injections quarterly or yearly. 

⭐️ There are also ways to have treatments that are cleaner/less toxic when you go to an office like Elite Medical & Aesthetics that prioritizes this!

Bottom Line:

  • What we put on our skin daily affects our hormones and our health
  • Just because something is labeled as “Medical Grade” or “Prescription Strength” does not make it non-toxic
  • Just because someone works for a skincare company doesn’t mean they know what is in their products or why (i.e. you can’t just trust what a sales rep tells you)
  • YOU have to advocate for yourself by reading ingredients and choosing safer products
  • It matters because your toxic load (toxic cup level) can greatly affect your overall health
  • Getting any elective procedure could increase stress or “toxic load” so it is important to live a healthy lifestyle 
  • Go to a medical provider that cares about overall health to keep toxic load down if you choose to have any elective treatment

Elite Medical & Aesthetics is a premier med spa located in Lone Tree, CO. Our staff of Nurse Practitioners provide a holistic approach for natural results with safety as a #1 priority.

Book a Consult

Talk to one of our providers
Book Now