Demi Moore swears by it, Patsy Kensit has it every six months, and even Kylie is rumoured to have tried it. It's 10 years since Botox was licensed for use in the UK - and having your wrinkles 'smoothed out' is now almost as common as going for a facial
In the UK, according to the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, there were over 10,700 cosmetic procedures performed in 2003. Patrick Bowler, of the British Association of Cosmetic Doctors, says: 'Ten years ago I was giving Botox to between five and 10 patients a year - now I treat more than 200 a month.'
According to the newest American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery statistics, the number of surgical and non-surgical cosmetic procedures in the US grew by 20 per cent in 2003. But it was the non-surgical procedures that increased most dramatically, with filler options, including Botox among the top five. A staggering 2.2 million Americans had a Botox treatment in 2003. This represents 27.5 per cent of all cosmetic treatments in the US in that year. And although there are as yet no similar detailed UK statistics, it's likely that Botox is also the number one procedure here.
From Botox parties to high street lunchtime top-up injections, having Botox has become almost as commonplace as booking in for a facial or manicure. And despite scare stories of droopy eyelids, expressionless faces and frozen smiles, 10 years on, it looks as though it's here to stay.
SOURCES: Daily Mirror, The Observer, consultingroom.com