India anticipates ‘Botox boom’

India is expected to experience a Botox boom over the coming years, according to a leading pharmaceutical expert.

Pat Welch, a pharmaceutical company boss, stated that Botox can be used in both cosmetic applications and therapeutic treatment of neuromuscular disorders and ophthalmic movement disorders, Rediff.com reports.

Vice president and managing director for Asia of Allergan Medical Aesthetics/Neuro Sciences, Mr Welch said: "We expect India to play a greater role with Botox in the coming years."

Indian television host Pooja Bedi has spoken out in support of Botox, claiming that her forehead is "now smooth as a baby’s bottom" and declaring that "no one wants to look like a prune at 60".

Botox, which can be used to treat crow’s feet, frown lines and other wrinkles on the face, is Botulinum Toxin Type A and is predominantly used in India by women aged between 30 and 40 years old, with current campaigns targeting older customers, according to the Times of India.

In use for more than five years in the United States, women using Botox are getting younger and younger, with reports suggesting that singer Ashlee Simpson has opted for it to keep wrinkles at bay at just 23.