According to the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 75% of facial plastic surgeons have noted a growing number of visits from people under the age of 30, many of whom request minimally invasive procedures such as preventative Botox.
The past few years have given rise to the procedure mostly performed on people in their twenties and early thirties. Surgeons inject small amounts of Botox into certain facial muscles to relax them, which prevents usage, fine lines and wrinkles from forming on the skin.
The rise of preventive Botox highlights the trend of Generation Z being terrified of aging.
Every generation has had to deal with the fear of aging. It is a very common fear, and 87% of Americans expressed a fear of getting old. However, a variety of factors have made this fear worse in younger people, and a variety of factors have made the fear express itself differently.
Among these is the social perception of beauty. Beauty is often associated with youth, particularly for women. Young women often play opposite older men in movies and television, and social media influencers are often young women. Studies have even shown that many people perceive younger faces as being more attractive (though this may also be impacted by the age and gender of the perceiver).
When some people think of aging, they think of becoming less beautiful. The feeling could then be exacerbated by the constant barrage of images across social media.
Every day, the average person is exposed to hundreds of young, beautiful faces on their pages. Many of these people promote products or treatments that keep their skin looking smooth, flawless and wrinkle-free.
One egregious example is the anti-wrinkle straw. The straw, shaped like the number seven, has a small hole at the top for users to drink from without pursing their lips. This should prevent fine lines from forming; however, dermatologists have said the straws will not do much even if it theoretically helps prevent wrinkles. Nevertheless, the straw gained quite a bit of traction on TikTok for users worrying about showing visible signs of aging.
Another comes from retinol, a vitamin that helps with cell turnover, increases collagen production and ultimately reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. It is generally recommended that people start using it for its anti-aging properties in their 20s, but it can be started earlier to treat acne or scarring. However, many dermatologists have seen an influx of children who are seeing adverse reactions from products like retinol because they are too young to need it.
The avoidance of aging does not apply to looks, either. Gen Z also has an obsession with nostalgia, notably in fashion, which points towards a desire to stay young or feel younger.
One of the biggest trends for young people is 2000s-inspired fashion. In the past few years, low-rise jeans and baby T-shirts have made their way back into the fashion world, despite being considered outdated for years. While trends come and go, the domination of 2000s-inspired fashion indicates an affinity for the past.
Within the past decade, a large number of movies from the 1990s and 2000s have gotten sequels, even if there is a large gap between the first and newest movies. “Toy Story 4” (2019) and “Inside Out 2” (2024) came out nine years after its predecessors.
While it is easy to assume that movies coming out years after previous installments are simply shameless cash grabs, it is important to ask who is paying to see these movies. Children’s film franchises thrive off of nostalgic adults taking their children to see these films or are going to reconnect with a part of their youth.
While it is common for younger people to be nostalgic and have a fear of getting old, the recent trends of staying young are prevalent among Gen Z.
