Botox As a Preventive Measure - Antiaging

To gg96, I get upset when Botox is promoted to someone like you. Of course I don't know you, but my advice would be: Forget Botox, don't look in the mirror too much, and enjoy your youth. When you actually get lines or wrinkles that bother you, then Botox is a good thing.  

gg96, It is best to start Botox before the wrinkles develop. The reasoning is that continued stress leads to dermal atrophy and breakdown of the structural integrity of the dermis (wrinkles). If you start Botox early, then you are decreasing the stress on the skin and, thus, helping to prevent wrinkles. I hope this is helpful. David Shafer, MD New York City

Botox is being used as a preventative treatment for wrinkles. The question of when to start is more complicated. It depends really a bit on your facial structure and your predisposition for wrinkling. Many of my patients wait for the first signs of wrinkles to occur before treatment. The skin typically has enough elasticity that waiting until identification of problem areas will not prevent complete correction. I hope this helps.

Greetings~ Botox is being used more and more frequently by people trying to do preventative treatments. Waiting until lines become etched into the skin means it's much more difficult to smooth their appearance again. Botox is used for lines and wrinkles that are formed by muscle movement such as scowling (creates lines between brows), raising the eyebrows (creates horizontal lines) and squinting (contributes to crows feet). Often by starting Botox... more

There have been twin studies where botox was used in one identical twin for a number of years and then stopped whereas the other twin did not get botox. Photos several year later showed the twin who had botox for some time looked younger than the "non-botoxed" twin. It works well. You probably need a lower dose and could spread them up to six months apart. Early botox has several advantages: 1. The muscles that you paralyze grow weak over time and don't work as well.... more

Botox works well for dynamic wrinkles on the face and neck. These wrinkles do not start as severe wrinkles, rather they gradually progress with age, stress, and sun exposure. Botox is effective only on dynamic wrinkles of the face. If you have these, even mildly, at a younger age, the early use of Botox will be preventative in nature to stop the progression of the wrinkles.

Hi gg, You should wait until you at least start to show a little crinkle (much smaller that a wrinkle) in your forehead. Following the advice of the other doctors will suit you very well in preventing wrinkles. We have many tools to help patients look young and healthy, but nothing beats the youth that Mother Nature has given you. Don't frown; you can wait for the earliest signs of age before committing yourself to Botox. Be well. Dr. P

There is much I do not know about your individual needs, but in general, Botox works best in younger patients because it reverses the trend to frown unnecessarily. Over time, you can actually re-train those over-active muscles and prevent wrinkles. Often, I have seen patients put off Botox and fillers too long, and then these non-ablative, no-downtime measures are inadequate to effect a real change. Then the patient has no choice but to do risker and more expensive and aggressive procedures... more

I agree with Dr. Sattler's healthy habits and lifestyle for a healthy appearance. You have no control over the genes you have inherited, that is the tendency for wrinkling and predisposition to sun-damaged skin. There are several factors that you can control. If you're young (teens or early twenties) and daily applying a moisturizer with SPF 15 or greater, you're ahead of the curve. A diet rich in antioxidants (citrus fruits, berries, green tea), minimizing alcohol intake and avoiding... more

Botox is used to relax the lines of expression (like lines between your brows and crowsfeet). As time goes people often start to get lines that are seen even when you are not making an expression. Botox helps the lines of expression and prevents permanent lines from forming in the area of the lines of expression. I would suggest that you start Botox when you get to a point that you find the lines of expression being objectionable. If you don't have lines you don't like when you smile or... more

While you are young, I think you're time and money is better spent in the following ways to delay the signs of facial aging (wrinkles etc...) 1. Wearing sunscreen and sunglasses when doing outdoor activities 2. Excellent diet and an exercise routine 3. Drink plenty of water 4. Use a good moisturizer on a regular basis 5. Get adequate sleep 6. Never, ever smoke. When the wrinkles finally arrive, find a good plastic surgeon and talk about Botox.