What is 'baby botox' as Peter Andre admits having the tweakment

Peter Andre has revealed he has tried 'baby botox'. The 50-year-old singer joked that while his abs are in the "hibernation stage" the only work he’d had done is botox.

"As for treatments, the only thing I’ve ever really had was a little baby Botox because HDTV shows the lines," he told OK! Magazine.

"I’ve had no fillers or anything like that and I don’t dye my hair – I’m not interested. I want to see how it plays out a little bit."

Read more: Celeb cosmetic surgery regrets: Simon Cowell, Courteney Cox, Linda Evangelista and more - Yahoo Life UK, 10-min read

While no one needs botox – because we fully support the natural ageing process – baby botox has seen a rise in popularity in recent years as people aim to get a more natural result from their cosmetic treatment. "Most of my clients don’t want to look like they have obviously had any treatments done," Dr Raj Arora, founder of @thefacebible, says.

An estimated 900,000 facial injections take place in the UK each year, a recent study said, but around 16% of people face complications – so the decision to have botox shouldn't be taken lightly.

What is baby botox?

"Baby botox is essentially smaller doses of botox (less units) injected into each treatment area," Dr Arora explains. "The aim of baby botox is to gain a more natural-looking result – wrinkle-free with still some movement and expression."

Dr Ross Perry, Medical Director of Cosmedics Skin Clinics, adds that baby botox is really just the same as regular botox, but applied in smaller doses.

"It’s just a case of smaller amounts of the toxin and only placed where it’s really needed," he adds. "Baby botox is easier to maintain than full botox which makes it more affordable but it doesn’t last quite as long as traditional botox."

The benefits, drawbacks and side effects of baby botox

One benefit for people who do decide to get baby botox, Dr Perry explains, is that there is no downtime at all so you can get it on your lunch break and go straight back to work.

"Expect to see results after about 10 days, but these results will wear off after around two months,” he adds. "Many people get used to baby botox and enjoy the subtleness so much they then want to up the dosage."

Read more: Jane Seymour opens up about past Botox use: 'As an actress I don't think it works' - Yahoo Life UK, 2-min read

Other benefits include fewer side effects than regular botox, plus more control of facial movement and expression than with the usual type.

Some possible side effects you may experience with baby botox include:

• Headache

• Asymmetrical results

• Bruising around the injection site

• Swelling

A 2021 study found that one in six people who have botox suffer from complications like bruising, headaches, nausea, and 'frozen' features along with muscle stiffness, pain, dizziness and, in some cases, a heart attack.

One Reddit user said that having botox gave them anxiety. "I didn’t like my face afterwards," they wrote. "It felt flat, like I couldn’t show expressions as well, like my face was trapped. It gave me quite a bit of anxiety."

Another said it caused them to have 'unrelenting headaches'. "Botox can cause awful headaches for a significant period of time," they wrote. "I had a horrible migraine for about three weeks afterwards that was unrelenting. I regretted it immediately and never got it again."

Others complained of bad tinnitus, slight eye droops, heart palpitations, loss of appetite and blurry eyes.

Read more: Carol Vorderman slams trolls who say she is 'too old' to show body: 'Fit and happy' - Yahoo Life UK, 2-min read

What to expect during a baby botox appointment

During a baby botox appointment, Dr Arora says her team tends to take a full aesthetic and medical history and also photos for the client’s records.

"If it is a first time client we usually recommend a cooling off period before they have the treatment to give them time to digest all the information and make an informed decision," she adds. "For return clients we go ahead and clean the areas to be treated, mark up using a white pencil and then inject. We discuss aftercare in depth, answer any questions and then book a follow-up."

The procedure itself takes just minutes, so you can expect to be in and out in about half an hour.

Price of baby botox

"It does vary from clinic to clinic but expect to pay from £200 upwards, depending on how many areas are being injected," Dr Perry says.

"It’s so important to find the right, credible practitioner or doctor. Make sure they’re properly registered. Ask for recommendations from friends and never attend a botox party at someone’s home."

Celebrities who regret having botox

Several celebrities have spoken candidly about their botox and filler regrets in the past, including Courteney Cox, who told The Sunday Times Style in 2022: "There was a time when you go, 'Oh, I'm changing. I'm looking older.' And I tried to chase that [youthfulness] for years. And I didn't realise that, oh shit, I'm actually looking really strange with injections and doing stuff to my face that I would never do now."

Simon Cowell also admitted to The Sun that his love of botox and fillers had got a little out of control at one point:"There was a stage where I might have gone a bit too far. I saw a picture of me from ‘before’ the other day, and didn’t recognise it as me first of all."

Watch: Kristin Davis reveals ridicule over facial fillers made her cry