Everything you need to know about Traptox

A new trend coined “Barbie Botox” has blown up on TikTok, promising a long elegant neck and leaner-looking shoulders, as well as alleviating pain, stress and tension in the shoulders and neck, helping reduce headaches.

There’s no coincidence that this trend has coincided with the release of this year's smash hit movie, Barbie.

So who’s getting Traptox?

Originally developed to help treat neck and shoulder pain, tension and headaches, traptox has added effect of slimming and refining the shoulders and lengthening the appearance of the neck.

9.4 million. There are 10.1 million views the hashtag #barbiebotox has on TikTok, with the hashtag #traptox gaining 23.4 million views.

Dr Shereen Eidriss aka PillowtalkDerm administers this treatment to relieve shoulder and neck tension, reduce ‘bulkiness’ in the traps and elongate the neck.

Traptox is an option for those who:

• Have neck and shoulder tension
• Would like to improve their shoulder/neck posture
• Have bulky trap muscles

What is Traptox?

Using Botulinum toxin to relax the trapezius muscles is clinically used to improve posture, relieve tension in the neck and help with migraines, the aesthetic side effect of this is a longer, more elegant neck and leaner looking-shoulders.

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Botulinum toxin is injected into the trapezius muscles - the large, flat muscle that starts at the base of the neck and extends across the shoulders into the middle of the back - that and works by blocking the nerve signal that causes the muscles to contract. The muscle atrophies (shrinks), causing the shoulders to slim and the neck to elongate.

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During the procedure, the practitioner marks where they will inject the trapezius, usually in a grid across the top of the shoulders, and then injects up to 100 units of Botulinum toxin into the muscle.

The procedure only takes a few minutes, with the results becoming apparent after 5-10 days. The results gradually wear off over the next 4-6 months, depending on your lifestyle and amount of exercise you do…the more you use the muscle the quicker the treatment wears off.

Expect to need to have treatment every 4-6 months to maintain results.

How much does traptox cost?

It’s not cheap!

Not only are large amounts of Botulinum toxin needed for this treatment, but it’s one of the riskier toxin treatments, so needs a very safe and experienced practitioner. Expect to pay over £400 for the treatment.

What are the pros and cons of Traptox?

As with all medical treatments, there are pros and cons.

You will need a thorough consultation with a qualified healthcare professional, who can determine your suitability for treatment.

Here are some pros and cons of traptox treatment:

PROS:

✅ less tension across your shoulders and neck

✅ improved posture

✅ headache relief

✅ elongated neck

✅ leaner-looking shoulders

CONS:

❌ traptox treatment requires large doses of toxin

❌ treatment is required every 4 - 6 months

❌ there is, potentially, an increased risk of toxin-resistance with such large, frequent doses

❌ the trapezius is a important functional muscle, not only that, it's near vital respiratory and central nerve control centres - you REALLY want to make sure you’re treated by a medical practitioner and ideally, aren't faffing with this muscle unnecessarily!

How do I find a practitioner who offers Traptox?

You can find a qualified, insured and checked practitioner on Glowday.com.

All the injectable practitioners on Glowday are healthcare professionals who are registered with a statutory body, trained in the treatments they offered and appropriately insured.