Sitting in a living room with 12 other women as a bottle of fizz is popped and a special guest starts unpacking a suitcase full of products, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’re at a Body Shop party of old (or an Ann Summers party – quite the university halls throwback).

But instead of creating a community over discounted tubs of cocoa butter infused moisturisers or battery operated devices, the evening’s offering to bond over is the budget administration of injectable cosmetics.

Welcome to your first Botox party.

Doing exactly what it says on the… vial, Botox parties are social gatherings where people (namely women) gather to socialise in an informal setting (such as someone’s home) to receive anti-wrinkle treatment from an aesthetician.

Popularised in the States, Botox parties have made their way across the pond to the UK. With searches for ‘botox party near me’ up a whopping 300% on Google, a simple scroll of the results shows just how many practitioners are happy to offer out their services in the comfort of your home, for all your friends to enjoy… at a discounted price.

Despite being a prescription-only medicine, the restrictions on who actually administers Botox to a patient, and where they do it, are more lax.

As someone who personally receives Botox treatment in a clinical setting three times a year, I’m all for making our own decisions when it comes to how we choose to age as women – but I can’t help but feel there’s ulterior motives at play in being encouraged to play host to these female-focused gatherings. And the deeper I dug into it, I was surprised by what I found.

Typing ‘Botox party’ into TikTok, you’re immediately hit by swathes of videos featuring bright pink balloons, glasses of prosecco, sprawling snack boards and, most importantly, big groups of smiling women having a wonderful time. Why wouldn’t you want to have a similarly aesthetically pleasing afternoon of, well, aesthetic procedures?

Lip flip READY @themadysonwilliams @Sofia⭐️ @Lauren Ashley hostess 💕 #botoxparty#lipflip#lipflipcheck#botox

Clarissa Bloom, relationship expert at The Stag Company, first received Botox in her friend’s dining room at one of these organised private events and found that it was a way in which to get over her fear of needles.

“I had always been too nervous to get Botox as I hate needles, so without attending there is not a chance I would have got this in the end,” she told me. “It was nice to have others in the same position, eager but scared.”

The party Clarissa attended was at a friend’s house with 12 other women, including the host’s neighbours and old school mates. “I went first, as I just wanted it out of the way, which I’m........

© HuffPost