Botox to Prevent Wrinkles?

Many people ask if they can do Botox to prevent wrinkles. Botox helps reduce the wrinkles that are present from muscular contraction but does not help treat those wrinkles that are present from sundamage on areas that normally don't contract. If you see a tendency in your face to develop some frown lines when making certain expressions, then by treating this area, such as between the eyebrows, with Botox, Xeomin or Dysport, and continuing every three to four months before the muscles awaken, you can reduce the development of wrinkles. However, these type of wrinkles are not difficult to treat, if you seek treatment once they develop, so you can save money if you're young, by waiting for them to occur. Use sunscreen daily to minimize the sun-damage that is cumulative, but remember to take your vitamin D3. Ask your doctor how much you should take.

The information provided in Dr. Shelton's answer is for educational purposes only and is not intended to constitute medical advice.  The information provided should not be relied upon as a substitute for consultations with a qualified health professional who may be familiar with your individual medical needs.

In the over twenty-one years since I started using Botox for aesthetic reasons, I have seen a consistent trend that suggests that the earlier one starts, the slower the aging process.

It makes intuitive sense. Every day, we use our muscles of facial expression thousands of times--with each laugh, scowl or quizzical expression. Each time we do so, we potentially "etch" the skin with fine wrinkles, which, with time tend to grow deeper and wider. If we weaken these motions and soften the strength of the contractions with neuromodulators, like Botox, Dysport, and Xeomin, we potentially lessen over time the damaging effects of muscular movement on the skin above--the result: less wrinkling and less deep wrinkles. So, these days, I am more apt to treat younger patients, even in their early twenties, who complain of the beginning of crow's feet, worry lines or scowl lines. 

A similar case may be made for the proactive use of fillers in very fine crinkles. Fillers not only diminish the depth of wrinkles, but have been found to stimulate new, native collagen production, both of which act against the age-related trend toward more pronounced wrinkling with the passage of time. Therefore, combining the use of fillers and neuromodulators makes good sense. 

Botox can reduce so-called dynamic wrinkles, those caused by the movement of facial expression muscles.  Botox works by stopping the nerve impulse that normally directs the muscle to contract.  As the muscle remains relaxed, with less tone, the skin remains smoother because the underlying muscle can't pucker the skin.  The effect usually wears off over 4 months.  There is some thinking that by repeatedly treating the muscles with Botox and keeping them relaxed, the muscles may atrophy slightly, from lack of use, and so when the Botox effect wears off, the muscles won't be able to pucker the skin quite so much.  Also, after many years of muscular puckering of the skin, some permanent structural changes occur in the skin at the site of the wrinkle, and a permanent crease develops that may be present even after successful Botox injection.  In this case a filler would be advised as an additional treatment to plump up the permanent crease.  If Botox had been used regularly to reduce wrinkling all the time, those permanent changes in the skin would likely be prevented and therefore the permanent deep creases  would not develop.