After landing on the websites of CNN, People, Us Weekly, Associated Press, Perez Hilton and Just Jared, news about Charice Pempengco's Botox procedure has made it to The New York Times. Quoting Charice as saying she underwent Botox and Thermage procedures to look fresh for her guest stint in Glee, NY Times reports, "Outrage ensued. Doctors, child-rearing experts and others--including New York magazine and Psychology Today--chimed in to lament the regrettable message sent to young fans of Glee, a show with a theme of self-acceptance."

The NY Times tried to interview a representative from Charice's camp who said the 18-year-old singing sensation "did not use Botox for cosmetic reasons," but the representative declined. People.com reported in July, "The singer's rep (said Charice) had Botox for some jaw pain she's experiencing." However, Charice' cosmetic surgeon Dr. Vicki Belo has previously said she administered the Botox and Thermage procedures on Charice to make her "naturally round face" narrower and to make her bulging jaw line look "normal."

The NY Times reports a possible explanation why Charice' Botox procedure caused quite a stir in the United States. "Using Botox to soften a strong, square jaw is not uncommon in Asia, particularly Korea (but it is) not that common in the United States which may be why a baby-faced star like Ms. Pempengco wanting to alter her jaw line still puzzles--or offends--many Americans."

Using Botox to reshape the jaw may not be as common in the United States as it is reported to be in Asia but the number of American teens using Botox, to correct a "too gummy smile" for instance, has increased by two percent from 2008 to 2009, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons in the NY Times report. Americans aged 13 to 19 were injected almost 12,000 times, including teenagers who got multiple doses, in 2009.

The Buzz report on Charice Pempengco's Botox procedure

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