Thanks to the rise in accessibility of injectable treatments, people getting fillers and botox is arguably more common than ever.
But have you ever wondered how much of a difference it makes on your face?
We've all seen before and after images of celebrities who've suffered the dreaded over-filled look or immediate post-injection swelling.
But now one doctor has turned herself into a real-life 'lab rat' in order to show us how using injectables changes our faces.
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Sharing regular updates from on social media, US-based aesthetician Dr Bita Farrell has conducted a number of experiments with the drug botulinum toxin (known to you and I as botox) such as injecting only half of her face to show how the medication works at freezing your laugh lines or eye-wrinkles.
She also explained the side effects of using botox, for anyone who's thinking it would be a better alternative to growing older naturally.
In an another aesthetic experiment, Dr Farrell decided to give herself a 'split lip-flip', a treatment which she explains 'reduces smoker lines' and 'flips the lip out over itself' in order to create the appearance of increased fullness.
What happens when you only inject one half of your lips with botox?
Dr Farrell used one unit of botox in each of the spots marked on one side of her lip and waited two weeks before showing the results of her experiment.
The results were obvious to viewers, with the injected side of Dr Farrell's lips appearing fuller and more defined.
"Two weeks after my split lip-flip [and] you can see the different size," she said.
"The treated side is fuller and the cupid's bow is higher... especially when I smile, it doesn't curl under."
She also noted the decreased wrinkles when she pursed her lips, which are known as 'smokers lines'.
So there you have it, a small amount of botox used in the right places can make a lot of difference.
What are the long-term effects of botox?
Unlike more invasive forms of plastic surgery, botox and similar fillers aren't permanent and results will typically fade around three to four months after treatment, meaning that regular top-ups are often necessary (via plasticsurgery).
Given the fact that the treatment works by blocking nerve signals to muscles, which in turn 'paralyses' the injected parts of your face, you wouldn't want it to last forever.
Usage of the treatment isn't without side effects, with the BBC revealing that long-term adverse effects can include permanent changes to the facial expression, muscle stiffness and no longer being able to make certain facial expressions.
The injections can also, in rare cases, cause botulism, however this is believed to be extremely rare with properly manufactured and administered injections.
Topics: Health
Brenna Cooper