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More Teenagers Opting For Botox

CHICAGO (CBS) - In the last 10 years, Botox injections have increased 46 percent, according to the makers of the product. Last year alone, 1.6 million people got Botox injections. An increasing amount of those patients were teenagers. CBS 2's Mary Kay Kleist explains the two schools of thought on this new trend.

Morgan Prosido, 19, is a sophomore attending the University of Miami. But this beautiful coed is like a growing number of young women who feel they need Botox to improve their appearance.

"I decided to do it because I have wrinkles in my forehead already, and it's not the best case scenario for someone my age," said Prosido.

According to dermatologist Diane Walder, she's seeing more young women like Prosido coming in for beauty treatments.

"Usually they come in with their mothers and they're like, 'how about me?'" said Walder.

Walder says getting Botox at a young age may not be such a bad idea.

"What I usually recommend is when they start getting lines at rest, those etched-in lines, that's the time to start considering Botox," she said.

The idea behind this logic is that attacking the fine lines early on will prevent deeper wrinkles in the future.

"I think it's a choice. If it bothers you and you can fix it, and you can afford it, why not?" said Walder.

Dr. Eva Ritvo, psychiatrist and co-author of the book, "The Beauty Prescription", suggests achieving real beauty has nothing to do with Botox.

"Where the real power is, is in taking care of your health," said Dr. Ritvo. "To be beautiful at that age should consist of getting enough sleep which they don't do, eating properly, exercising, using sunblock and taking care of acne that might disfigure their face."
But young women like Prosido clearly have their own definition of what is attractive.

"Anyone in Hollywood is getting it done and they already have like perfect bodies and everything else," said Prodiso. "It definitely influences girls my age that don't have perfect bodies that feel the need to do it."

Dr. Ritvo says young women can't strive to look like magazine cover girls, because if they do, they're always going to feel that they fall short. She says that can lead to all sorts of problems, like excessive cosmetic surgeries, eating disorders, depression and social isolation.

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