Doctors reveal why Gen-Z women like Sabrina Carpenter are aging SO badly, but men look younger than ever…  and it’s for VERY different reasons

Many of show business’s brightest starlets have been turning heads recently – but not for the right reasons. 

Sabrina Carpenter, Kylie Jenner, Bella Thorne, Olivia Rodrigo are all in their 20s, but commentators are clocking that they look at least a decade older. 

It’s not just female celebs who look old beyond their years. Experts say this trend is permeating Gen-Z. 

And while there are many factors at play, the overuse of injectables such as Botox and filler are one of the main culprits.

The Daily Mail has spoken to top plastics experts to understand why these procedures are backfiring and what other pitfalls could be at play.

Dr Auriel Willette, an associate professor who specializes in aging research at Rutgers University in New Jersey, says Botox and fillers are being used too early by young women, with some starting shots as teenagers. 

Dermal fillers are injectable substances used to restore volume and improve facial contours. Dr Willette warns that their overuse at a young age can ‘stretch the skin’ and lead to a puffy complexion or ‘pillow face’.

Dr Mary Ghere, who runs a plastic surgery practice in Los Angeles, agrees.

She explains that injectibles over-stetch the skin, damaging it, and meaning it produces less collagen and elastin to maintain youthfulness. 

Once the filler wears off, the skin cannot contract. 

‘[It] speeds up the aging process,’ she says, ‘which is usually the exact opposite outcome individuals who were getting injectable fillers were looking to achieve.’ 

The most popular areas for dermal filler include the lips, cheeks, and under-eyes. 

The number of women using them has increased close to threefold in the US over the past decade. In 2010, 1.8 million injectable procedures were performed, while in 2023 the number rose to 5.3 million.

The most popular dermal filler brands are Juvederm, Restylane and Sculptra. They are all made using hyaluronic acid, a natural component of the skin, and experts say they offer a more natural look.

Filler procedures cost between $700 and $900 per syringe, depending on the provider and location, are purported to help to plump the skin. They can also be used to contour the face when added to areas such as the jaw, chin and cheeks.

Along with fillers, overdone Botox has been outed as another contributor to quickened aging. 

Dr Willette, of Rutgers University, warns that because the chemical neurotoxin temporarily paralyzes muscles, certain areas of the face can ‘weaken over time sometimes leading to an aged appearance rather than a youthful one’.

Facial plastic surgeon Dr James Zins, based at the Cleveland Clinic, explains: ‘Botox actually blocks neuro-communication between the nerve and the muscle, causing weakening or paralysis of that muscle.

‘If it’s used for a prolonged period of time, it can cause some muscle atrophy, or wasting of the muscle.

‘It has been used in the calves, for example, by people who have large calves and want to slim them down.’

Dr Jennifer Levine is one of New York City’s top plastic surgeons, with more than 20 years of experience. Along with Botox and fillers, she says the rise of Ozempic and other weight-loss medications have led to women having gaunter, more aged appearances.

‘While stars have always been under pressure to maintain slender frames, the rise of GLP-1 medications [such as Ozempic] has made many ladies whittle down in size,’ she says. ‘When you are thinner, your face tends to look older because we associate fuller faces with youth.’

Backing up Dr Levine’s claims, the TV star and personal trainer Jillian Michaels recently did her own research into the aging effects of Ozempic and was horrified by what she found. 

She revealed in an exclusive Daily Mail column that her Beverly Hills plastic surgeon had told her that some of his celebrity patients on GLP-1 medications were ‘aging in fast-forward’, with some looking a decade older in less than a year.

He said their skin didn’t just appear older but was actually behaving older, losing elasticity, gaining more wrinkles and healing slower. 

Even the connective tissue or SMAS (Superficial Musculoaponeurotic System), which structurally supports the face, was becoming thinner and weaker, Michaels explained.

Having investigated further, she concluded: ‘It seems that GLP-1 drugs may be accelerating the breakdown of structural proteins like collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid at an alarming rate’.

She cited studies suggesting GLP-1 drugs potentially deactivate fat-derived stem cells in the upper dermal layers. These cells play a crucial role in skin integrity because they release messengers that stimulate fibroblasts to produce the key building blocks that maintain youthful, resilient skin. 

So a combination of weight-loss drugs and overdone fillers could be just the recipe for accelerated aging, the experts say.

But why are men looking younger? 

Bizarrely, while women are looking older than ever, the opposite can be said for men.

From Tom Holland’s teenage-like glow at almost 30 to Thomas Brodie-Sangster’s boyish looks at 34, experts say today’s male stars are looking younger than ever. 

And it’s not just Hollywood.

Rutgers University’s Dr Willette told the Daily Mail that he believes an increasing amount of estrogen in the environment is behind men everywhere maintaining their youthful looks for longer.

He claims the steroid hormone, which is associated with the female reproductive organs and responsible for developing female sexual characteristics, is leaching into tap water via remnants of contraceptive pills in wastewater – and via agricultural runoff.

A vast amount of research has been done on the harmful effects of environmental estrogen but still little is known about the long-term consequences. 

Some studies have found that estrogen has changed the sex of fish when levels in the surrounding water have been too high. One review concluded that there is inadequate monitoring of estrogen at drinking water treatment plants. 

Many plastic products can also release chemicals that mimic estrogen and trigger the same effects, experts claim.

This includes everything from fast-food cartons to sippy cups, meaning males are exposed to these man-made hormones from a very young age. 

Because of the uptick in environmental estrogens, Dr Willette believes men could be developing ‘softer and less rugged features’.

A typical testosterone-to-estrogen ratio in men is generally considered to be around 10:1 to 20:1, meaning for every 10-20 units of testosterone, there is 1 unit of estrogen.

However, Dr Willette says when this formula is now being disrupted, with more estrogen in men’s bodies, which can lead to a softer facial appearance and reduced muscle mass. 

Estrogen, Dr Willette says, also helps to support skin elasticity to prevent a sagging complexion.

While higher estrogen levels could be a factor in men looking younger than ever, Dr Willette highlights that other contributors to slowed aging include genetics, diet and lifestyle.

He points out that people are more health-conscious than ever today, so ‘men are making more of an effort to add more protein to their diet, stay hydrated, and pack in consistent sleep – key factors in collagen production and skin repair.’

Dr Alexander Blinski, who co-owns Plump, a chain of noninvasive cosmetic injectable clinics in New York, said more men than ever are now seeking out Botox and fillers. 

While, as our experts have explained, these injectables have a tendency to age women, some say they have the opposite effect on men because of the different ways in which they tend to be used by the two genders – with men often opting to use far less, for a more natural, less feminine look.

Dr Blinski says ‘Bro-tox’ is one of his most popular requests from men, along with cheek and chin filler for a more youthful yet defined look.

Beyond aesthetics, Dr Blinski says he has also seen a surge of interest around health and longevity.

‘Diets, exercise, and the avoidance of aging accelerators like smoking and alcohol are now integral to how many men approach aging,’ he says. ‘The result? Today’s men aren’t just aging more slowly, they’re redefining what aging looks like. Comparing them to stars of the 80s and 90s might feel jarring, but it highlights how lifestyle and science have collectively raised the bar for what “aging gracefully” truly means.’

Plastic surgeon Dr Levine, meanwhile, says hair restoration treatments are another reason why men are looking better. 

‘Men are now keeping their hair full and taking measures in order to do so, particularly celebrities,’ she said. ‘These treatments are so good and effective, they are often impossible to spot. At our practice, we offer platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) hair restoration, which is a non-surgical treatment that uses a patient’s own blood to stimulate hair growth. Sylfirm X is another very popular non-surgical hair restoration treatment that uses radiofrequency microneedling to stimulate hair follicles.’

For the most impressive results, Dr Levine suggests a hair transplant – but these can cost up to $15,000 and require more downtime.