Putin’s Botox Treatments Bear Brunt Of Sanctions As Drugmakers Suspend Non-Essential Supply

Russian president Vladimir Putin may have to cut down on his Botox treatments as sanctions continue to cripple the Russian market and economy. US drugmaker AbbVie, the owners of wrinkle treatment Botox, temporarily suspended operations for all its aesthetics products in Russia.

This sanction could personally affect Russian president Vladimir Putin as he is rumoured to have used Botox treatment to fight effects of ageing on his body. Putin can be considered as one of the fittest among world leaders and given his background in martial arts as well as working for the Russian spy agency KGB, it is also rumoured that Putin himself is strongly built.

However, Putin is not immune to ageing and it has been rumoured that the Russian leader uses Botox to look younger. Speaking to Australian news agency, news.com.au, Putin, according to one of Australia’s leading aesthetic doctors, Dr Jake Sloane, said that the Russian president used too much filler in his cheekbones. Botox, cheek fillers and a chin and eye lift have been used by Putin and these rumours circulate claiming that the Russian leader uses these treatments to boost his strongman image.

According to a report by the Australian news agency, rumours regarding Putin anti-ageing treatment usage surfaced when he attended a meeting in Kyiv in 2011 with a black eye. The Russian media, reportedly, even said that Putin looked tired and also attributed the problem to low-lighting.

Leading UK cosmetic surgeon Gerard Lambe also opined that cheek fillers were used by Putin to look younger and continue to attract Russian sentiment with his strongman image. Lambe said that with time people’s faces start becoming thinner but Putin’s looked more plump and wide, the surgeon said while speaking to British news agency The Sun.

Eli Lilly and Co and Novartis are among the other drug industry majors who have scaled back their business operations in Russia following Putin’s ‘military operation in Ukraine’. The companies will, however, send medicines for urgent medical conditions such as cancer and diabetes but will not continue with sales of non-essential medicines in Russia as part of the sanctions. The companies will also not start any new trials there.

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