Elementary School Students Getting Botox? A Gentle Explanation of the "Lowering Age in Cosmetic Medicine" Happening in Japan

1. The Origin of the News: The Shock of Elementary School Students Undergoing Cosmetic Procedures

On July 17, 2025, PRESIDENT Online published an article titled "Elementary School Students Receiving Botox, Double Eyelid Surgery, and Spot Removal…" which introduced a case of an elementary school student in Tokyo receiving Botox injections accompanied by a parent.PRESIDENT Online
Immediately after the article was published, it spread on X (formerly Twitter) and overseas media with the headline "Botox for grade-schoolers in Japan?" sparking a debate on "Where is Japan's lookism headed?"

2. What is Happening Now?—The Declining Age in Numbers

Market Expansion: As of 2024, the domestic cosmetic medical market reached 631 billion yen, a 106.2% increase from the previous year, with demand driven by those in their teens and twenties.Yano Research Institute for Market Research and Marketing
Number of Consultations: While consultations on cosmetic medical procedures with the National Consumer Affairs Center remain flat overall, the share of those in their teens and twenties has increased about 1.4 times compared to 10 years ago. Some consultations mention seeing "discount ads for minors."Toyo Keizai Online
Influence of Social Media: In surveys targeting young people, 82% cited "watching before-and-after videos on social media" as the reason they feel cosmetic procedures are familiar.Toyo Keizai Online

3. Four Background Factors

Social Media Filter Culture
Continuously seeing "perfect faces" through filters makes individuals acutely aware of the gap between reality and themselves.
Casual Remarks from Parents and Peers
Comments like "Your eyes are small" or "Your nose is flat" can plant seeds of insecurity.
Clever Clinic Advertisements
Highlighting student and family discounts, TikTok influencers share videos of their procedures.
"Cute" Centric Culture
In Japan, the belief that "good looks equal good things" is deeply rooted and extends to children.

4. Risks to Children's Bodies and Minds

Impact on Growth Period: Facial bones and skin develop until the late teenage years. The risk of muscle atrophy from Botox and pigmentation from lasers is higher than in adults.
Gateway to Plastic Surgery Addiction: Despite strong short-term satisfaction, desires such as "next, I want a higher nose" or "whiter skin" can easily follow.
Decline in Self-Esteem: A UNICEF report ranks Japanese children's mental well-being 37th out of 38 countries, with excessive self-evaluation of appearance cited as a factor.

5. Legal Regulations and Guidelines—Japan Still at "Best Efforts"

Japan: The Japanese Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery's "Guidelines for Cosmetic Medical Treatment" recommends cautious handling of minors but lacks legal binding power.Japanese Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery
South Korea: Requires parental consent and a 7-day consideration period for minors.
EU: Plans to completely ban cosmetic medical advertisements targeting those under 18 by 2026.
California, USA: Requires court review for those under 16.

6. What Parents and Educational Institutions Can Do

Scene	Example Actions	Expected Effects
Home	Praise effort and character instead of appearance / View before-and-after photos together	Mitigation of appearance supremacy
School	Body-positive classes / Social media editing workshops	Improvement of self-esteem
Society	Strengthening regulations on advertisements for minors / Disclosure of complication data	Ensuring safety and transparency

7. Recommendations for Japan from Abroad

Foreign media point out the "gap between technology and regulation." While medical standards are high, protection for minors is weak—addressing this imbalance requires,

Introduction of a Legal Consideration Period
Granting Advertising Guidelines Enforceability
Mandatory Complication Reporting and Data Disclosure

are the three urgent steps.

8. Conclusion—Towards a Culture that Affirms "Being Yourself"

While the freedom to enhance one's appearance is important, for children, where "development," "emotional maturity," and "information asymmetry" intersect, more cautious judgment is required than for adults. To avoid being swayed by the ever-updating beauty standards on social media, it is a common challenge both in Japan and abroad for families, schools, and society to work together to spread values that "respect experience and character over appearance."