From Los Angeles to New York City and all around the world, millions of people are big fans of Botox, and many of them get regular injections. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, in 2016, 7 million Botox procedures were performed, up 4% from 2015, making it the top cosmetic minimally-invasive procedure in 2016.
Lately, you may have noticed that more (and more) young women in their twenties have incorporated Botox into their regular beauty routines – it’s ranking as important as getting their hair and nails done. Unlike women in their forties who are trying to reduce the appearance of wrinkles – twenty-somethings are using Botox for the sole purpose of prevention.
Botox and other popular brands, such as Dysport and Xeomin are neuromodulators, which can treat existing wrinkles while also preventing them before they form. Once it was discovered that neuromodulators could prevent wrinkles, it sent thousands of women running to plastic surgeons’ offices for Botox consultations.
Aging scares a lot of patients, especially in places like LA, Orange County, Chicago, New York, and Atlanta. Thankfully, Botox is excellent for preventing the onset of wrinkles because of the way it relaxes the muscles that cause creases in the skin. Patients in their twenties still have nice volume in their facial skin. Due to the thickness of young skin, it can still handle the creasing and folding forces that affect the underlying muscles.
But something notable happens between the ages of 30 and 40. For many patients, this is the “ideal time” to begin Botox treatments – before the creases start to deeply engrave themselves on the face.
What About Starting in My Twenties?
Some patients certainly benefit by starting Botox injections in their twenties. Everyone’s skin is different. Factors, such as skin color, sun exposure, lifestyle factors, and genetics can lead to early aging. For example, due to genetic factors, some families have a history of developing crow’s feet or vertical lines between their eyebrows at a young age and our patients want Botox earlier to prevent such lines from forming.
However, just because a patient starts Botox injections in her twenties, it doesn’t mean she won’t need other anti-aging treatments as she gets older. Suppose you’re under thirty and you want to start Botox. In that case, you will be preventing new wrinkles from forming, and the ones that you already have – you’ll be preventing those from getting deeper.
When patients start Botox early, what happens is their muscles are weakened so they don’t need Botox as often when they are older. But if you stop using Botox, you cannot prevent the wrinkles from forming, because muscle movement causes them to form.
Recommended reading: “Why Millennials Are Loving Botox.”
Is Botox right for you? To learn more, schedule a consultation with our Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Yuly Gorodisky.