Botox as a Basic Need: Is This the New Normal?

The number of cosmetic procedures is on the rise. Fewer wrinkles, fuller lips, and no drooping eyelids: is this becoming the new normal? Anne-Mette Hermans, assistant professor at Tranzo, researches cosmetic interventions. ‘The body is increasingly seen as a project.’

A little botox injection here, an eyelid correction there, cosmetic procedures are everywhere. Maybe not (yet) in your direct surroundings, but certainly on television and social media. The pressure to look better is growing, and some turn to cosmetic treatments to meet that standard.

For those still wondering: yes, cosmetic procedures have indeed increased in recent years. Although clear statistics from the Netherlands are lacking, researcher Anne-Mette Hermans points to data that shows growth. For example, a study by Trouw revealed that the number of cosmetic clinics quintupled between 2013 and 2023.

The global figures are equally telling. According to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS), an estimated 17.5 million surgical procedures, such as breast augmentations or liposuction, were performed worldwide in 2024. On top of that, another 20.5 million non-surgical procedures, such as botox or fillers, were carried out. That’s a 40 percent increase compared to 2020.

The influence of cosmetic procedures

So, what impact does this surge have on our society? Hermans suggests flipping the question: what does our society say about this rise? A society shaped by consumerism and neoliberal ideals is inextricably linked to the normalization of cosmetic procedures. ‘The body is increasingly seen as a project in which you must invest, and for which you are personally responsible,’ Hermans explains.

That sense of responsibility also comes with guilt. Have wrinkles or heavy eye bags? Then it’s seen as a choice, after all, you could have fixed it. Preferably in a way no one notices. ‘There’s a strong emphasis on obtaining and maintaining “natural,” youthful beauty. But fighting aging, a completely natural phenomenon, also carries something inherently unnatural,’ she adds.

Natural beauty

Cosmetic surgery no longer has to mean balloon-like breasts or lips pushing up toward the nose; it can look ‘natural.’ The industry plays increasingly with the idea of natural beauty. Hermans asks: ‘But what actually counts as natural beauty? That nothing has been done to your body, or simply that it doesn’t look like it has?’

The blurring of these boundaries is something the industry cleverly exploits. Where is the line between a beauty product, a treatment, or a cosmetic intervention? ‘The range keeps expanding, contributing to normalization. It often starts small, with non-surgical treatments. And once you’re in that beauty salon, for a relatively low price and in no time, you can add a bit of botox,’ Hermans explains.

Social media and botox

This normalization is especially visible on social media. ‘Research shows that people’s willingness to undergo cosmetic procedures increases when they follow influencers who do them as well. A caveat, however, is that people already interested in appearance may be more inclined to follow those influencers in the first place.’

So, are cosmetic procedures really becoming the new normal? Not quite yet. In Hermans’s research among young people aged 18 to 25, 75 percent said they would not want botox, even if it were safe and free.

Life in plastic, it’s fantastic

‘But we should ask ourselves where the tipping point lies,’ says Hermans. ‘If more people get botox, that will only reinforce the normalization. And at what point does “normal” also become normative? When will people start expecting you to have something done?’

We’re not there yet, but perhaps our future really is plastic fantastic.