If you spend time hanging out with Gen Z long enough, you will feel that your language, fashion sense, and ideology do not keep up with the times. In short, you will feel old.
But in an “ironic” way, Gen Z, those born between 1997 and 2012, are said to be aging faster than previous generations, at least on the outside.
That is the view of cosmetic surgeon Ross Perry, who says this generation is more interested in surgery and injectables to change their appearance. Starting from a very young age, some people even as young as 18 years old, are interested in beautifying themselves through cosmetic surgery.
Dr Ross Perry, medical director at Cosmedics Skin Clinics, UK, said beauty injections have a significant impact, especially if done before the age of 26.
Gen Z is aging faster than previous generations
Gen Z, those born between 1997 and 2012, are said to be aging faster than previous generations, at least on the outside. Photo: Metro.
He explains how Gen Z favors procedures like fillers and botox, which are popular among older age groups. Explaining this, the doctor said maybe young people today feel pressured to be beautiful according to stereotypes that are rife on social networks.
“It’s not uncommon to see 18-year-olds have lip fillers, and even their chins and foreheads are often treated,” Dr. Perry told the Daily Mail.
He added that these things combined can make you look older and that once you choose this beauty “path”, it will be difficult for its owner to go back to looking completely natural. “Especially when they start getting compliments on social media for their new look,” Dr. Perry says.
In 2021, Botox-like injectables were banned for under-18s, after UK government inquiries estimated that 41,000 treatments were carried out on people under that age in 2020 .
But that doesn’t reduce its appeal. In 2022, members of the British Academy of Aesthetic Medicine carried out 315,000 individual treatments of injectables. With about 8% of patients being between the ages of 18 and 24, that still equates to more than 25,000 therapies for that age group. Young people say they receive benefits from beautifying early, such as finding a job easily, reducing pressure from social networks…
Emily Ruse, now 25 years old, received her first anti-wrinkle injections when she was just 20 years old. She told Metro.co.uk: “I love the effects of Botox. It gives instant beauty because you only need one treatment to see that it helps, whereas skin treatments require more time and commit more. I believe this is a positive action.”
Georgia Eather, 29, pays £195 for an annual injection. She said: “I started noticing the lines between my eyebrows about two years ago and thought about getting Botox to ‘cure’ them. I’m aware that I’m young, so I only use a small amount of the product, and make sure to space out each injection, but I really love the confidence it gives me. I will definitely continue.” .
The Covid-19 pandemic has also made people more aware of their faces than before. According to Dr. Julian De Silva, social distancing has led to the popularity of “covid facelifts”, a trend of people paying more attention to their faces due to constantly seeing it in online chat applications. .
