More and more people are using Botox and fillers, cosmetic treatments increased by 80%

More and more people are being treated with fillers or botox in the Netherlands. Between 2019 and 2022, the use of fillers increased by 80 percent and the number of treatments with Botox doubled, reports the Erasmus MC Rotterdam based on research.

In 2019, almost 250,000 people underwent botox treatment, in 2022 that number had risen to over 550,000. In 2019, over 162,000 people underwent filler injections, in 2022 that number had risen to 294,000.

Tom Decates, a plastic surgeon and researcher at Erasmus MC, says the popularity of cosmetic procedures is linked to social media, particularly Instagram and TikTok. “So you see something about Botox and fillers and you get that all the time. Then you also get all sorts of offers from flashy clinics that don't take the laws and regulations too seriously,” the researcher tells AD.

Cosmetic procedures are particularly popular among women, but the number of treatments is also increasing among men. According to Decates, 1 in 29 women aged 18 to 70 use Botox, and 1 in 35 women use fillers.

The growing interest in cosmetic procedures has led to treatments being offered in more and more places, including by people who are not trained to do them, says Decates. “Hundreds of people think: I'll just do this on the side. And I don't think it's going well,” NOS reports.

With the increase in cosmetic treatments, complications are also increasing. At Erasmus MC, between 2019 and 2022, around 350 patients were treated each year after the injection of fillers, for example for lumps, inflammation, or a blocked blood vessel. "That does not mean that the number of complications has remained the same," says Decates. "We have limited capacity. We no longer have specialized doctors available to staff the department. The waiting list has grown to a waiting time of three to six months."

The actual number of serious complications after filler treatments is estimated to be around a thousand cases per year, the researchers say. They emphasize that the use of fillers is safe, but that people should think carefully about the procedure. "And if they choose fillers with full conviction, they would be wise to have them done by a recognized physician who has had the right training."