SAN DIEGO -- With medical cosmetic procedures on the rise, teenagers are starting that quest for eternal youth before they even enter college.

Last year alone, nearly 3 million women and men used Botox to smooth out or prevent wrinkles. What’s new is how young they’re starting.

From magazines to movies, it is said we live in a society that glorifies youth.

Young women are trying to hold onto that youth with an ever-tightening grip.

"I'm 23 years old and started when I was 19," said Christine Dawn.

Dawn is among a growing number of young women buying into Botox the moment they graduate from high school.

"Towards the end of senior year in high school, some friends talked about Botox, getting breasts done, fillers for lips. It definitely started in high school and definitely started that young," said Dawn.

Dr. Susan Stuart readily admits she’s a proponent of Botox. She calls it a safe and effective way to paralyze facial muscles that cause wrinkles.

Stuart first noticed patients in their late teens asking for Botox five years ago.

"This is kind of the new generation of people trying to maintain their youthful appearance. When you think about, it it's a good thing. They are going to look better longer, and when they decide to do procedures in the future it's going to be more limited with a quicker recovery,” said Stuart.

University of San Diego sociologist Michelle Camacho Walker is not surprised by teens turning to Botox. She said she believes our society has a long obsession with self-improvement, and there is an undeniable link between beauty and success.

"What is sad about that is rather than focusing outwardly as a society or what we can contribute, we are so focused on the individual and what can I do for myself," said Walker.

Walker is concerned Botox is becoming so common it is viewed by some on par with a manicure -- on this, Walker and Dawn agree.

"I feel like its something I'm giving myself, like when you get your nails done, hair done, or go shopping," said Dawn.

Dawn asked for Botox after she saw her mother and aunts using it. It is a choice she does not regret.

"I think I'm just trying to halt that whole aging process. I hope to stay young forever," added Dawn.

Stuart said the first studies on Botox 15 years ago were actually in children who suffered from ticks.

Botox was approved for cosmetic uses by the Food and Drug Administration 10 years ago, with patients at least 18-years-old able to use it.

Injections of Botox average $300 each and typically last about four months.

Stuart said teenagers set aside money from part-time jobs, and some even get help paying for Botox from their parents.