Dr. Hani Sinno, the A-list Montreal-based plastic surgeon, has been offering this procedure since before celebrities started rushing to get it.
Here’s what you need to know about Barbietox and whether it’s the right choice for you.
The recent popularity surge might make you think that Barbietox is a new procedure. It isn’t. “Barbietox” is just a clever-sounding rebrand, likely after the Hollywood 2023 blockbuster movie. The procedure itself has been around for years, but until recently, most people called it “traptox.”
The “trap” in that name is short for “trapezius,” two triangular muscles making up a large portion of your upper back. The “tox” comes from “Botox,” the brand name for botulinum toxin A. As you may have guessed, traptox (or Barbietox) is an injection of Botox into your trapezius.
The injection relaxes your upper trapezius muscles that connect your neck to your shoulders. That’s because when you inject Botox into a muscle, it blocks some of the brain’s signals that tell the muscle to contract.
A tense trapezius can make your shoulders and your neck look wider. When the muscle relaxes, your neck will look slightly longer and your shoulders slimmer — much like a Barbie doll. Over time, keeping the trapezius relaxed can lead to slight muscle atrophy that creates an even more slimming aesthetic.
The slimmer look isn’t the only reason this procedure appeals to celebrities and ordinary people alike. Stress often causes tension in your trapezius, and over time, that tension can lead to neck and shoulder pain.
Barbietox’s relaxing effects on the muscle can alleviate that built-up tension and related pain. Relieving physical symptoms can also ease mental tension, so some patients might find that the treatment also helps with anxiety.
Of course, like other Botox injections, Barbietox doesn’t last forever. Most injections are effective for three to six months, and people who want to maintain the slim-shoulder look will usually get the injection twice per year. However, because each person’s response time is slightly different, you should let your practitioner tell you how far apart you can space your treatments.
If you follow plastic surgery trends, you might notice that Barbietox marks a shift. “There’s more of a trend of people going more natural with body surgeries,” Dr. Sinno says, “like smaller breasts, smaller buttocks, smaller lips, not as much of those exaggerated curves and volumes.”
While Dr. Sinno is based in Canada, many of his patients are from the United States. Why? “The price is four times more expensive there than here,” he says. “Same product, same techniques, and outstanding service.”
And even though they’re saving money, clients still enjoy the same upscale experience they’d get at a high-end American practice. “We’re on the “5 the avenue of NYC” street in Montreal,” Dr. Sinno adds.
That all might make Barbietox sound appealing. But as with any cosmetic procedure, Dr. Sinno strongly recommends that anyone considering the injections should weigh the pros and cons first.
Barbietox has a lot to recommend it. It creates a slimmer, doll-like silhouette that many people want to achieve. By reducing muscle spasms and tightness, it can relieve neck and shoulder pain, and it even can help treat migraines.
The procedure can also both reduce the appearance of a hunchback and actually improve posture. It’s a good choice if you want an effective procedure but don’t want to deal with all the pain and downtime that come with surgery. Some patients need no downtime at all!
No procedure is without its risks, however. Barbietox is generally safe when the procedure is done by a qualified medical professional. But in some cases (usually when too much Botox is injected at once), the trapezius might relax a little too much. If this happens, you might find it more difficult than normal to hold your head up, lift your shoulders and do certain exercises such as yoga. Sitting up straight (and similar movements) might be harder than before.
You should also keep in mind that, unlike a surgical treatment, Barbietox isn’t permanent. If you like the look of a slimmer neck and shoulders, you’ll need to repeat the injections as needed.
Detractors might say that getting Barbietox (or any other cosmetic procedure) is shallow or vain. Dr. Sinno disagrees. “We want to help our patients,” he says. “If they truly have a physical deformity or even an emotional preoccupation with a physical abnormality or change or appearance that they have, I want to be a source of hope, excellence and knowledge.”