Benefits of Long Term Use of Botox?

There are many claims to long term use of botulinum toxin (Dysport, etc) but few are truly substantiated in the medical literature. These include the possibility of long term weakness of the treated muscles with decreasing need for use, contraction of skin that has been "put to rest", prevention of facial laxity, etc. However, this had not been truly confirmed. The facts are that botulinum toxins have been in clinical use for well over 20 years with a very high safety profile.
I can only speculate from clinical examples such as paitents who have had facial nerve damage at an early age. Sometimes the weakened side of the face does appear younger over a 20 year period but this is a stretch of a correlation.

Hi Aisha.  As with any cosmetic treatment, your decision to use a product like Botox is a very personal one.  While some patients would never consider injecting a product like Botox, others can't wait to start (even in their early - mid 20's).

The question you ask is a good one - is there any benefit to starting early.  Yes there actually is.  Most Botox patients we see come in to hide, erase or otherwise improve the appearance of wrinkles.  By starting with Botox before these wrinkles are apparent, you achieve two benefits. 

One is that you never have to come in to "hide" or "erase" the wrinkles because the Botox will have done that even before they became visible. 

The second benefit is that relaxing facial muscles with Botox can soften or weaken muscles that would otherwise be problematic in the development of wrinkles.  In the same way as muscles get toned when working out, they get smaller when continually relaxed, which is what the Botox is doing.
Whatever you decide.  Good luck with your future treatments.

BOTOX works well for eliminating frown lines, forehead lines, and crow's feet. BOTOX works by locally paralyzing the muscles that cause these wrinkles to form. It is my opinion that the regular use of BOTOX will prevent deep wrinkles from developing in the areas treated.
I hope this is helpful for you.

botox is so frequently performed that it has earned a very high safety rating.  Deciding to have this done at an early age before the lines become more obvious, is an individual preference.

Speaking from personal experience I have been receiving Botox injections myself for the past 13 years long before it was FDA approved for the treatment of wrinkles. I now only need it about once per year and my forehead has maintained its smoothness. Certainly, too much of anything can give you a fake or frozen look and this is true with Botox also.
That being said, there are no problems with long term usage. It is my opinion that Botox results in some retraining on the users part so that they stop using the muscle as much and therefore the improvement seems to last longer. Once a wrinkle is engrained in the skin, it is harder to treat. Therefore, I personally recommend Botox for lines before they become too deep and judicious use can be aesthetically beneficial. I hope this information helps. I would seek an experienced facial plastic surgeon, general plastic surgeon, cosmetic surgeon or dermatologist to have your Botox injections.

There's no doubt that preventing problems is better than solving them later. By using Botox at a younger age you should minimize the development of wrinkles especially over the glabella (the area between your brows) and over the forehead.
Long term studies have shown that the facial muscles don't atrophy with long term Botox use so once you stop using it you'll have normal function once the drug's effects wear off.

There isn't much to go on in terms of published research on the effects of long-term use of Botox, so it is a matter of opinion and speculation based on experience. There is no reason to presume that it would be harmful, while it does make sense that it can prevent many of the wrinkles associated with aging. I hope that it is obvious that most Botox users don't freeze their entire faces, but target the areas where muscles of expression are hyperactive. I wouldn't recommend starting it before you have a specific issue to treat, however.

The benefits of Botox is that these treatments work by blocking the action of unwanted dynamic wrinkles. Over time, this prevents the wrinkles from becoming deeper creases and therefore more pronounced.Over time, and with repeated injections, the lines and wrinkles will become less severe as the muscles are trained to relax.

One of the benefits of long term use of Botox is that it PREVENTS you from developing wrinkles! If used in the forehead or around the eyes before the wrinkles are deep and you continue to periodically get Botox, your wrinkles will not get worse in those areas.  You will maintain a smooth appearance and your fine lines will be erased.

Botox treatments not only treat existing wrinkles, but can prevent the formation of new ones. Botox relaxes the muscles we use to make forehead wrinkles, the wrinkles between our eyes ("11" lines), crows feet, and some of the lines around our mouth and neck. Every time we scowl or raise our brow, we etch these lines into our skin. Botox treatments relax specific sets of facial muscles so we can no longer make these creases. In theory, getting regular Botox treatments before these wrinkles are deeply etched into the skin will prevent them from forming.
Botox has been around for a long time and has a terrific safety track record. To minimize the risk of complications, make sure you are being treated by a dermatologist or plastic surgeon.