Evaluation of 116 patients treated with botulimum toxin referred to private dermatologic clinics in Tehran

Background and aim: Appearance concerns are increasingly common. Indeed, clinical surveys in the private settings show that more and more people are dissatisfied with some aspects of their physical appearance. Concurrently, there is increasing demand for cosmetic specialists to perform procedures to enhance physical appearance. It is hypothetized that body image and acceptance of cosmetic surgery in the individual's environment motivate patients to have cosmetic procedure. Current study aimed to determine the demographics and body image concerns in persons seeking botulinum toxin type A injection as a cosmetic enhancement in private dermatologic clinics.Materials and methods: A questionnaire survey was done on 116 applicants attending 13 private dermatologic practices in Tehran.Results: The level of academic education and employment of women seeking this procedure was significantly higher than the average Iranian women. Forty-four percent of applicants reported previous cosmetic surgery which was significantly related to the experience of surgery among their first degree relatives. The number of applicants 20-35 years old was twice the number observed in USA, in the same age group. Conclusion: The high number of applicants in lower age groups is significant in this study. The best predictors of motivation for this cosmetic procedure were the level of education and individual's environmental acceptance, not their income.