CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Business is booming for Kristin Cabeda. The physician assistant and CEO of Plumped just expanded her aesthetic boutique into a new custom space in west Charlotte. Inside, it feels more Miami than Morehead Street. Cabeda says, “I inject a lot of local celebrities and influencers and people fly in from across the country to see me, too.”

Cabeda says more and more people are coming to her for what’s been dubbed “baby Botox.” She says, “Baby Botox is basically being more preventative, and it’s more in the younger generation.” She continues, “Smaller amounts (of Botox), yes, but the downside it is that it definitely does not last as long, so you’re going to be coming in more frequently treatments, but a lot of the younger girls like that because they’re trying to be more preventative.”

Alyse Tyndall one of those younger girls. She’s 25, and never had Botox, until now. Tyndall explains, “I’m trying to smooth out the forehead lines, maybe in between the eyebrows.”

After a few needle pokes from Cabeda, Tyndall says, “It was painless. First time with Botox and yeah, I’m excited! Thank you, Kristin!”

Baby Botox is just the tip of the iceberg at Plumped. Cabeda says she is the only med spa in town that offers PRF gel treatments. She says, “We make a gel out of your blood with absolutely no additives in it, and we’re able to inject that anywhere in the face and body.”

A favorite procedure on the Plumped Instagram is PDO threads (basically, a non-surgical face-lift). Cabeda says, “It definitely has that wow factor on social media, because people are blown away and think it’s super painful, but it actually is probably one of the least painful procedures that we do here.”

As Cabeda’s social media following, and client list, keeps growing, so do the accolades. She’s been named one of the country’s top 100 injectors two years in a row. Her best advice if you’re thinking about an injection? Do your homework. She says, “Anyone can inject anything in your face, but it really takes an artist to do it correctly.”

The International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery says there were nearly 3.2 million non-surgical cosmetic procedures in the U.S. in 2020. Botox was number one, at nearly 1.5 million procedures.

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