“Life in plastic” is trending.
The latest Barbie-inspired trend has made its way into the world of cosmetic surgery, as people rave about what’s been nicknamed “Barbie Botox”.
The cosmetic procedure, medically known as trapezius Botox or ‘traptox’, is administered for a variety of reasons, but what’s most appealing to the public is its neck-slimming effects.
National spokesman for the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Dr Barry Weintraub, revealed just how popular the procedure has become in an interview with Fox News Digital.
“It’s trending now,” he said.
“I get patients almost every day asking for it. In fact, I just injected my fiancé yesterday.”
The Manhattan-based plastic surgeon said the injection stops the trap muscle from contracting, which slims the neck and mimics the figure of a Barbie doll.
As well as slimming the neck, Traptox has been shown to relieve neck pain and headaches.
Weintraub described the trapezius muscle behind the neck and back as a “giant triangle” that runs from the shoulders to the spine and inserts into the base of the skull.
The Barbie Botox procedure involves injecting a quantity of Botox into this muscle to relieve pain and muscle spasms.
The procedure involves three injections of Botox into the trapezius muscle on each side between the shoulder and the neck.
Results begin to show about “four or five” days after the procedure, Weintraub said.
“If it’s pain they want to get rid of, or [if] they want to slim down the neck, this is the procedure,” he said.
Barbie Botox isn’t just trending because of its name, but because it actually works, Weintraub said.
“It’s easy – it’s done in an office in a procedure room,” he said. “And there’s no downtime. There are no further instructions afterwards.”
The Barbie Botox procedure in Weintraub’s office costs $2,000 because it takes “a lot of Botox” to cover such a large muscle, the doctor said.
“It’s not like tiny areas of the face, crow’s feet, frown lines,” he said. “It’s a big, bulky muscle.”
“I think it’s a great addition to all the other [procedures] we have.”
