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Young women are at risk of developing wrinkles ten years earlier than previous generations - because of hours spent staring at computer screens and mobile phones.

That's according to Dr Navid Jallali, a leading cosmetic surgeon who has pointed to an 'epidemic of deep wrinkle lines' in young women, and says excessive screen time is to blame.

The consultant cosmetic and reconstructive surgeon, who has appeared on Channel 5's Botched Bodies, predicts it will soon be commonplace for women to 'justifiably' consider Botox injections by the time they reach 25.   

Women spend all day frowning at a computer screen means they are developing wrinkles ten years earlier than previously

'In the past, I've turned away young women in their mid twenties who've asked for Botox injections in their forehead, purely because I didn't think it was necessary,' he said. 

'But over the past five years, I'm seeing more and more cases - a four-fold increase - where Botox is entirely justified because patients are developing deep, obvious frown lines aged 25 and younger - much, much sooner that they traditionally would have done.

'I put that down to screen use,' he explains.

'When you stare at a computer screen your natural reaction, particularly if you're concentrating, is to frown.

Millennials reliance on smartphones and the web is having an undesirable effect, he said.  

'It's this perpetual frowning which is causing such an epidemic of deep wrinkle lines in the forehead and around the eyes.'

Dr Jallali, who's had his own clinic in London for five years, says that he used to shy away from using Botox as a preventative measure to stop frown lines getting worse and halt future wrinkles in their tracks.

He traditionally only recommended Botox to patients in their early thirties.

Now, however, he's seeing and treating more and more women in their early to mid twenties - because they've spent most of their lives staring at screens.

Dr Navid Jallali says he is treating more women 25 and younger for deep wrinkles which he puts down to excessive screen use

And he also now recommends small amounts of Botox for young patients in order to stop small worry lines developing into full-blown furrows.

Dr Jallali, who is also head of the Department of Plastic Surgery at Imperial College NHS Trust, London, explained: 'Botox is by far and away the most popular non-surgical treatment in the UK.

'Much of it is driven by the lifestyles of the rich and famous, as people look to emulate their favourite celebrities like Kim Kardashian.

According to the UK campaign group 'Digital Detox', who are calling for Brits to be less dependent on screens, adults spend an average of nine hours and 30 minutes a day on screens - more time than they spend asleep.

We spend a combined average of two hours and 24 minutes a day on smart devices in particular - that same figure was just 31 minutes in 2011, amounting to a 400 per cent increase in just six years.

UK adults now spend 25 hours a week online – up from nine hours a week in 2005.

According to Dr Jallali our obsession with our mobile phones as well as looking at computer screens every day for work means we are not taking breaks

When injected into the face, Botox blocks signals from the nerves to the muscles.

Dr Jallali explains: 'The injected muscle can no longer contract, which causes the wrinkles on the skin above to relax and soften.

'It is most often used on forehead lines, crow's feet and frown lines, while wrinkles caused by sun damage and gravity will not respond to Botox.'

The effect of Botox injections, which cost around £300 to £700, lasts approximately three to six months.

And Dr Jallali is at pains to point out that even when wrinkles are visible and causing distress, less is still more.

Women are having cosmetic treatments earlier and earlier as adults now spend up to 25 hours a week in front of a computer

He explains: 'While Botox is becoming more prevalent, it's not hard to see cases where a person has simply had too much.

'It's instantly noticeable, as their face doesn't move in a natural way and the overall aesthetic is best summed-up with the word 'odd'.

'For me, I like to add small amounts at first, so that it doesn't look overdone. It's the same story with lip fillers, too.

'And you have to bear in mind that Botox actually takes up to three days before the results are visible, making it all too easy for less capable doctors to inject too much, too soon.

'Do it right, and Botox can really enhance your looks.

'Do it wrong, like some reality TV stars, and the results are not always easy on the eye.'