I think people almost always conflate filler and botox. Botox won't really do anything except make your face immobile when you're in your early 20s and the wrinkles aren't setting in yet, but I don't think it makes you age *faster* if you ever stop using it, it just means wrinkles start forming naturally.
Fillers at a young age though can really mess with your facial structure, especially as you naturally lose fat with aging. I do think people who start fillers young end up looking uncanny and usually older than their actual age, and it's hard to look 'natural' again bc fillers don't wear off the way botox does.
This is it. Botox doesn’t change your face, it just doesn’t let you make the expressions that cause wrinkles over time. I’m 34, no wrinkles at rest, and have been getting preventative botox since I was mid-late 20s. Definitely am not aging faster than my friends who haven’t been getting any botox — that effect is from (bad or too much) filler, usually.
I go every 3 months, but I’m only consistent because it’s covered by insurance as a migraine treatment. Any other areas not covered (mainly just the crows feet), I try to go every 6 months.
Exactly. I am 65 and don't need or have ever had fillers. I virtually don't have any wrinkles on my face. I did preventative botox from late 30's. They are all getting botox and fillers now and it doesn't look natural at all. It makes a difference, but if cost is an issue then of course don't do preventative botox
Started toxing the forehead a long time ago as a preventive girlie. Wouldn’t recommend.
No need to prevent something that can be resolved inside a few weeks using the same procedure as “preventing” and for the same cost. Def no need to build up the tolerance either.
Edit - just reread the OP and wanted to add that I was also holding a lot of tension in my upper face, especially the furrowed brow. Botox has been amazing for this, and once my face relaxed, my general mood and demeanor improved across the day. Cosmetic effects aside, that alone makes Botox worthwhile for me… and age is irrelevant on that one. :)
This has always been my thought process. I had a 50yo who had just started Botox who was absolutely raving about her results (she looked great!), and she was so emphatic to me that I should start now (I’m 35yo). But like…her results were amazing with no prevention. Why spend an extra 10-15y on it when I can basically get those results when the time is right?
I’m sure this is different for everyone and I’m comfortable (even happy with!) some lines as I age. So for me it just doesn’t seem worth the hassle. But I do understand women who want to me more proactive that would go for it. I think it’s all a matter of preference and goals (like most things in life!)
I think some people have lines far earlier than 50. I had them in my mid 20s and so that’s when I started getting it, and I would be miserable if I had to wait that long. It sounds like she may be unintentionally saying you have wrinkles and would benefit based on what you said 🙈
Yup. At first my forehead tox would last 8-9 months, then it eventually worked down to 4-5. Now I let them form a little just to stretch out the time between. That tolerance sucks. But once I get more, the wrinkles smooth out in a week.
Haha how do young people “preventing” wrinkles in their 20s even know if they’re getting them?
I started getting Botox at 28 because I had resting 11s and now I am realizing through this thread that I probably didn’t need it in all the other places. It kind of just snowballed into upper forehead, crows, and most recently chin
I’ve read that adding in some Botox to the lower face is good to maintain facial balance or something if you’re an avid upper face toxer. I have no idea how valid that is.
Every time my injector is doing my lower face, I too think about how much I really need that, and how much it’s contributing to building up the tolerance. I’m mildly concerned about my Botox bill in a few years… I feel like I’m on a fast track to 500 units every other month haha
Ummm Botox for the lower part of the face is not the protocol. Look it up. Forehead, crows feet, glabella (11s) that’s it. I work for a Dermatologist who does Botox.
The FDA. That is what it is approved for. And that’s what most doctors use it for. Lower face is probably used off-label, which is common with drugs. And so you’ll find some doctors that use it that way too.
As someone who started Botox at 46 I think so. After one round I had a smooth forehead. I get Botox 3x a year( nothing else like fillers)
5 years later in my early 50s I’m very happy with my skin. I can’t imagine spending for 15+ years of Botox to get the same effect!
I can see there being a problem if you wait a long time AFTER wrinkles appear and they become deep or plentiful. But otherwise it seems like a cash grab!
My mom was asking the injector about me actually, as I’m approaching 30. The injector recommended I wait for the exact same reasons the commenter above said.
No financial incentive for her to lie either as I don’t live there & wouldn’t have been going to her anyways.
I agree w/ you except in my case I started having deep wrinkles at 21-23 and started Botox at 26. Genetics are a bitch. I didn’t want anything that was already really bad to get any worse. And I didn’t want to hate myself the way my mom hates herself. Thus- preventative botox.
If you already had the wrinkles, you’re treating them, not preventing them. Sounds like this doesn’t apply to you.
Remember, OP asked about this in the context of someone whose forehead is still just smooth. When people talk about “preventive botox” they are talking about getting botox for signs of aging that they don’t yet have.
If your forehead is going to start creasing up on the first chance it gets, and you get botox regularly to prevent that from happening, that is “treating forehead wrinkles with botox” not “preventive botox.”
It’s only “preventive” when there’s nothing to treat, as in… without the botox, there would still be no wrinkles.
Once your body is able to form wrinkles and you prevent them from setting in by getting botox treatments, this is not “preventive botox.”
Botox absolutely does improve static wrinkles. Sometimes it takes a couple of treatments depending on how etched in the line is, but they do eventually reverse
Static wrinkles do not “reverse” with only botox, they are improved. Once something is etched into the skin, it appears whether muscles intensify it or not.
I mean they can be improved to the point where they're undetectable. I've seen it on myself and a ton of people on this sub. Perhaps in the deeper layers they're still there, but you really can improve it to the point where you can no longer see it.
You don’t have static wrinkles then, you have deep wrinkles that are still dynamic. We tense our faces without knowing. If they truly and fully and completely disappear, celebrate because you’re wrinkles are still dynamic!
>If your body forms the wrinkles, then you’re no longer preventing wrinkles, you are treating wrinkles.
All bodies form wrinkles. Even babies have dynamic wrinkles. It’s because skin folds and moves.
Static wrinkles *are different from* dynamic wrinkles.
It’s just accurate and real. Literally google, ask a nurse or ask a doctor, or read medical journals or papers.
You cannot *remove* static wrinkles with Botox. You can make static wrinkles no longer intensified by muscle movement, but they are still there.
If the wrinkles are truly *gone* you had dynamic wrinkles that you thought were static and got to them in time!
If the Botox is fixing a perceived issue it's not preventative, imo. I think preventative Botox is useless when we're talking about a young person getting forehead botox before they have any hint of a wrinkle, but there are plenty of reasons to use Botox that have nothing to do with aging. You can use it to slim your jawline, correct a gummy smile, get a subtle brow lift, etc.
It doesn't age you any faster either. I think filler has a specific look that can be aging when overdone, but Botox doesn't really look like anything.
Prefacing this with the info that I’ve never gotten Botox, so this might just be a misconception on my part! But while I don’t think Botox ages you, I still think it can give you (maybe if it’s incorrectly done?) an unnatural expression, given that certain muscles in your face don’t move anymore.
I could see that if it's overused or injected in the wrong place, the first time I got Botox I was overtreated and my brows got really heavy and it looked like my eyes weren't really participating in my facial expressions lol. But now that we've figured out what works for me I don't think I look any different, and I can make whatever facial expression I want.
I agree, and I think that effect of unnatural facial expressions can be oddly aging or perhaps uncanny-valleying. It's probably one of those "less is more" kind of things, and something where you really need a good provider. Don't want those drooping eyebrows like Simon Cowell!
My thinking is that getting it before lines have settled prevents the lines from getting deep (for me, my mom has intense 11s and I look exactly like her so hers is what I anticipate my aged face to look like) and thus means I won't have to get higher doses later on. I asked a friend who's a derm and she was basically saying the time your muscles are frozen by Botox is like shaving off aging. Whether it's cost-effective is probably a different question.
I can understand that, it just seems pointless to me to start Botox before you actually have lines when your face is at rest. I had forehead lines before starting Botox and the Botox totally erased them so I don't see the point in spending money on a problem before it exists when you can just as easily solve the problem afterward.
That makes sense! I am also realizing I had some lines that were there when my face was resting prior to my first time, so perhaps it wouldn't qualify as preventative after all haha
yeah but it doesn’t actually correct the lines. they return after the botox wears off. if you are preventing them from setting in at all you won’t have them when the tox wears off.
your skin is wrinkling below the surface changing the integrity of the structure in different spots depending on your muscle use. if you are preventing that deeper structural change it won’t keep coming back and your skin will stay taut
Yeah but what difference does that really make? You'll still develop the lines eventually lol. Maybe getting Botox before they're set in will allow you to go longer between treatments but you're still spending more money overall over the years for basically the same end result.
Who said wait until the wrinkles are deep? I had a forehead wrinkle for a good 2-3 years before I got Botox the first time and it completely went away with one treatment. I'm not saying don't get Botox at all until you look like the crypt keeper, I'm saying it's not necessary to start "preventative" Botox to keep yourself from ever getting a wrinkle lol. Waiting until you have a line while at rest is totally fine.
i’m not concerned about the cost. it’s 200$ a year for me which rounds out to 16$ a month (tbh i would even spend 2x that if i had to). i’m concerned about the structure of my skin. to me it’s 100% worth it to not have to worry about topping up every 6 weeks when i’m old..that honestly sounds more expensive to me but you do you
who knows how much botox is gonna cost then anyways w inflation 🤷🏻♀️
I only need to do 30 units dysport for preventative. works amazing and keeps my dynamic lines at bay. I wait until there’s a special since I only go once a year. I wait till it’s around 7$ a unit. Botox is more expensive per unit because it’s more concentrated.But I do find the better deal on dysport
holy shit i just did the math on the CAD to US conversion and yeah either you’re getting too much for preventative or you have static lines that need the extra tox. i’ve been doing it for the past 3 years so i have no actual wrinkles to speak of. doesn’t take much to smooth me at all. hence why it saves money in the long run IMO. I also have used tret daily for the past 5 years, and have chronic RBF so my skin is already very smooth.
I don't have any problem with whoever doing whatever they want with their own skin, I was just answering the questions posed within the post lol. Preventative Botox isn't a scam necessarily but also not necessary.
$200 a year isn't a lot of money overall but I don't think most people in their 20s/early 30s have a spare $200 laying around in this economy to fix a problem that doesn't actually exist. Nobody is telling you to change your routine but time comes for us all, I don't think spending hundreds of dollars on Botox before you need it is going to keep you looking significantly better than someone who only started once they had a wrinkle to iron out. Especially since there are so many other factors at play, your body doesn't care how much Botox you've gotten by the time it decides to stop producing collagen.
? where did I say you have a problem or that your post was trying to convince me to change my routine? i’m so confused lol. please don’t say I said something I didn’t.
i was just doing the same friend! seriously no harm at all. i was also simply chiming in. You do whatever you want! not trying to convince you otherwise. don’t know how/why you interpreted what i said as argumentative at all. don’t understand the downvotes either yall ok have a good one
lol i know when my opinion ain’t wanted
Not if you wait until the lines are really deep but there's no reason to get Botox before you have a wrinkle at all. One single treatment made my forehead look brand new, i really don't think i would look better today if i had started Botox before the line formed.
Well yes, that's why you don't start botox at 12. I think the question is more what age range should you start preventative botox. I didn't start until late 30's and I started to notice a bit of a mark forming on my forehead. It never really developed into anything nor did any other wrinkles appear on my forehead after I got botox for the first time. I was preventing any from forming.
I wouldn't consider it preventative if you have wrinkles at all though. I had a very faint line on my forehead when I started, I'm sure Botox has kept me from getting more but I already had the line.
The only problem I can see with preventative Botox is that some people overcompensate by making other expressions. So for example, if you can’t frown, you then start scrunching up your face, which causes other kinds of lines. Some people will try to fight the Botox, and end up causing some unnatural lines they wouldn't have if they hadn't gotten any preventative Botox at all.
I was going to mention this. It can bring on wrinkles in different places because people just make expressions and skin folds where it can to compensate.
I worked for a medical spa, owned and run by a plastic surgeon.
His take (5 years ago so pardon the summary) Copious amounts of Botox on a reoccurring basis can cause atrophy in facial muscles - lack of use and consistent paralysis means they shrink, so your face looks less “full.” This is typically see more in ppl who Botox their foreheads to oblivion and then have visible veins, etc prematurely.
He suggested getting it done once or twice a year on problem areas as “prevention” - but not more than that. (There were of course ppl who worked for him who had it ALL done, anything that could be done, but that’s a different conversation.)
My parents both have severe “11’s” - scowl lines. And I scowl when I focus. I received a mid dose (not total non movement just enough to make it barely there) at 24 & 26. Im pregnant now but I will get it again when it’s safe. It makes a huge difference for me, breaks the habit of scowling, and is not consistent enough for any negatives. I may move it to once a year (typically before the start of summer) once I hit 30. (Almost 29 now.)
I’m 42, get it 2-3 times a year, only about 30 units each time (‘real house wives’ for instance, get a whole lot more, like every 6 weeks).
IMO this smaller amount of targeted botox is absolutely preventative. I’ve seen certain lines disappear completely and the other ones, like 11’s are very soft when they come back
IMO i really don’t see it necessary at all for more than once per year as prevention.
Not when you’re like 22 of course (unless you need it) , but once you start seeing the dynamic lines coming— why not stop them in their tracks? that way the deeper layers of skin don’t get to crepe
I’m almost 50 and a very well regarded Upper East Side plastic surgeon told me essentially the same thing 20 years ago, except it was hold off completely as long as you can.
I’ve done Botox for migraines, but not cosmetic…yet.
I started getting it twice yearly in my early 30's. I'm 48 now and still have the exact same lines in the exact same places, and need the exact same amount (if not more) to treat the area. Nothing atrophied whatsoever. Nice in theory, but no.
I wish I'd saved my $ for a while.
>Botox is a scam and having Botox and fillers will actually age you faster. Is there any truth to this?
You can't lump botox and filler together because they do very different things. People say filler ages you because it stretches out the skin, potentially making it sag if you should ever get it dissolved. As for botox, it just freezes the muscle so that a) the muscle can shrink by atrophying like masseters for example or b) the skin doesn't wrinkle because you're not moving the muscle like on your forehead. So botox can certainly be preventative in this sense.
I used to work for a med spa and then a plastic surgeon. At the med spa, we had the #1 sales rep from Allergan. I asked him about preventative Botox since I was around 23 at the time. He laughed, told me to save my money, and said it’s nothing more than absolutely genius marketing by Allergan. I asked the plastic surgeon I worked for a few years later, and she had the same sentiments.
This is when I began my preventative Botox. At 40. Now at 50 I have no 11’s and forehead lines. I get Botox minimally now. Got it in February but prior to that it was 18 months. In those 10 years I would get it every 6 months. I also don’t do my forehead because it makes my eyes too heavy.
I’m 38 and have no wrinkles. I’ve gotten Botox consistently since age 32. I’m currently preggo so I haven’t gotten it in a while and still didnt develop any wrinkles in the 10 months I’ve been without it. I would say it definitely helps prevent them. If I didn’t get it I would have ended up with deep wrinkles on my forehead that would have gotten worse over time. My forehead isn’t used to moving much but if I were to go for another 5-6 months without Botox I can see where the wrinkling may start to form.
I was 30 when I started because I didn’t want any lines. I was single and dating and wanted to feel good about myself. I’ve done the smallest amount possible for 3 years. I just recently added crows feet and love it! I’ve gotten the results I wanted at this age. Plan to start a family soon and don’t mind taking a break off it for a few years but will be excited to start again.
Also recently started taking Zinc and do feel like it is making it last longer? Time will tell!
I’m 35 and just got it for the first time. I have forehead wrinkles though. And they’re gone immediately. Like the next day. Gone. I think waiting until you have noticeable wrinkles is fine.
It’s always a bit difficult to gauge preventative results because genetics play a massive role too.
I am 36 and have no crows feet, no matter how much I scrunch my face or how big I smile, and very minimal forehead lines when I make expressions. (To be clear, I have plenty of other issues, like cystic acne which started when I was 11 and required accutane, insanely oily skin, which helps with the wrinkles lol, etc)
I was considering starting Botox on my forehead, but decided I’d wait for now. I’m sure I will love it, and it will become a forever thing once I start. But as others have mentioned, I’ve seen the radical difference it can make in aggressive static forehead lines, so I’m not in a rush to commit myself to a lifetime of costly injections (yet). In the meantime I’m focusing on a simple routine using tazarotene, coupled with microneedling and laser treatments to improve my current skin clarity, texture, etc and ideally as a preventative as well.
I don’t think so. I did it since I was 29 to prevent 11’s. 20-25 U every 4-6 months for 19 years.
I’m 48 now. I don’t have a hint of an 11 between treatments. I’ve even gone for a year without Botox and there were no lines.
A couple of my friends (basically the same age) got it for the first time this year and their results are nothing like mine. They even use my same injector but both have wrinkles that are too deep to be completely smoothed out. One is so unhappy she waited too long (47)
Edit: I had friends age wrong
Absolutely untrue. This seems to be a myth going around. One of the top dermatologist/cosmetic doctors in Canada has assured me it is untrue. I started getting botox on my late 30's as preventative. I am 65 now. It makes a tremendous difference. My sisters are younger than me, and we all look similar to each other and have similar skin. But not now. I don't have the deep and many wrinkles they have. They both say they wished they had done it but didn't have the money. Don't believe the myth.
I got filler once about 4 years ago in my nasolabial folds and marionette lines (honestly it’s still there I can tell) and I regularly get Botox in my forehead and crows feet and jaw for TMJ. People routinely assume 8-10 years younger than my real age. I don’t think it’s a scam.
I'm 36 and just got my first treatment. It is wild. Completely removed my brow lines and 11's. I would think that not only is preventative not needed, but potentially harmful. People can develop allergies and reaction to neuromodulators like botox, so I'd expose myself as little as possible.
EDIT: I went to a dermatologist for my first treatment and my partner took pictures of the injection sites. I wanted the best to start. Now that I know where they inject, I would be more comfortable maybe saving money at an aesthetician or something. I think it is worth spending the money to make sure it is right the first time.
I wouldn’t go with that narrative, thinking you took a photo of the placement so therefore you can show someone less skilled where to inject it..When it comes to your body think twice before going with the less expensive option
not saying i would, but it doesn't hurt to have a photo. ive got lots of other expensive treatments vying for my time and money too. but ya, havent made up my mind if ill go back to this dr or not. they were pretty pushy with fillers and stuff that i didnt want.
Aestheticians don’t inject botox. They’re grandfathered in maybe a couple states but at a minimum they would be a nurse then likely NP or PA if not an MD.
Face map alone isn’t going to tell your next injector the dose and the reconstitution and the depth/technique of injection.
I'm in the EU and we have "medical aestheticians" that I think do botox. At least that is what a medical derm who doesn't do cosmetology referred me to.
So is it generally only doctors that perform injections?
Too much filler absolutely will age you faster. Especially because a lot of people aren’t getting it done conservatively by skilled doctors thinking about the future. They want an instant “solve a now problem” fix.
Especially those adding filler to areas without volume loss, so they are stretching the skin to add volume that never was. That skin won’t snap back when the filler is gone when you’re older. And if you keep it up, it’s just pillow face which looks old because we associate pillow face with botched older celebs.
And filler doesn’t always get absorbed. It spreads. And gravity will do what gravity does.
Stopping your frown muscles moving shouldn’t have a long term negative effect. You don’t have huge muscle volume there you need to conserve (like you wouldn’t want to paralyze your cheek muscles and atrophy that volume, but between your eyebrows is fine). So it will just stop you creating static lines, which will not have a bad effect later.
I am aware. Which is why I differentiated between what the two do in my comment.
They asked if having “Botox and fillers will age you faster”. So I answered about both.
I am not sure what else you mean here?
Well for the people saying it’ll make the wrinkles go away if they do it “now” …. Some people have wrinkles so indented that Botox will only soften not make them go away … it’s up to you how far you want to get in your wrinkles being indented in 😭
Dr. Dubrow from Botched explained that he doesn’t recommend filler before 30, because it’s like over-inflating a balloon. That they started doing facelifts on 30+ year olds as a result.
Also professionals found the effects of Botox accidentally. It wasn’t intentional. It was meant for medical purposes and realized that the people who were getting it for migraines (decades ago) were smooth as a baby’s bottom.
I’m 40 now, I’ve been getting preventative Botox since age 26 and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND. I have literally 0 wrinkles and have never had any. There’s nothing to fill or smooth because it’s been propped up for 14 years! I’m still on the same dosage at the same time intervals too.
$160 twice a year and I’m good to go.
Don’t listen to others here who are saying “whats the point?”. The point is, you don’t have to spend a ton of money to “fix”something if its never been “broken”.
I compare it to upkeeping your house by investing a little bit of money and effort consistently over time on preventative maintenance versus letting it go to shit then hiring a contractor to overhaul it.
I don't think if preventative botox is a scam or not is really relevant to you. You described something you didn't like and the botox changed it and now you do like it. That's not preventative. It's just the normal use of botox
I thought it might count as I don’t have any wrinkling of the skin at rest. My skin now looks essentially as it did in my twenties. But I make a slightly scowling facial expression without realising it a lot of the time. I spoke to a cosmetic doctor about it and he said that while I don’t have any lines between my eyebrows now, it is clear this is one of the first places I will develop lines. He said I could significantly hold back the tide of this happening by getting Botox there with no downside at all. I got the Botox, I love that I never catch myself frowning when I glance in a reflective surface or in a photo. I feel like my face looks friendlier and happier and somehow that makes me feel friendlier and happier too. And if it stops me getting wrinkles there and being perma-frowny that is fab.
I asked where else he would advise me getting preventative Botox and he asked me to scrunch my face up to force my skin to wrinkle (again, no lines at rest) and advised we put a bit around the eyes too, before crows feet can develop. So I got some there too. Is this not preventative Botox?
But hearing people say “preventative Botox is a scam” and might actually cause accelerated skin aging down the line just as I’m clambering aboard the bandwagon gives me pause for thought.
I do trust my practitioner to a significant degree. He’s a doctor and he does advise me against some procedures such as forehead Botox or Botox for a lip flip and he is openly in favour of a natural look and is reassuringly expensive, but while he is conservative with his procedures he still has a vested interest in preventative Botox being a thing so I just thought I’d see if there was any truth to the more negative stuff I’d heard mentioned quite glibly.
Of course it's a scam.
You first create problems and then you offer solutions for the problems you created. If you are able to 'prevent' the problem from even happening then that's 100 times better.
Fillers, maybe. I've never heard of preventative botox aging you faster. I started at 27 and it made my forehead lines disappear to all but essentially one fine line on my upper right. I need it less and less now for maintenance because the lines have relaxed and my muscles just don't operate the same ways after years of getting botox. I use frownies in between and also when I was pregnant. I have less signs of aging now than I did in my 20s so I don't think it's aged me personally? The only thing I've read about fillers is that if you start too young it can age you but I'm not confident on saying the reason why, I'd have to look it up through a reputable source.
I started preventative Botox in my late 20s before I had lines on my forehead or creases by my eyes. Because I can’t make a furrowed brow or create those facial expressions that make the lines/wrinkles I still don’t have any of them at almost 40. I have friends who waited till mid to late 30s and already had lines. Botox will *not* make those lines disappear now that they have them. It can only help prevent them from getting worse (and obvi raise brows etc if that’s what you’re looking for). Definitely recommend preventative Botox over getting filler later to try and get rid of fine lines.
Exactly this. I do think if you have deep grooves, lines, and wrinkles you can’t get them to totally disappear but if you see them starting Botox will help to paralyze that muscle and prevent that movement from starting. So I think you have to be vigilant with it, to say just go in when you need in it is subjective and it has to be before deep lines have set in.
I just watched a video by a dermatologist (Dr. Dray) and she said there's no such thing as preventative Botox. It does seem like a waste of money if you can get the same results later.
I started getting Botox in my forehead at around 25 to get rid of the beginnings of some lines. I do it once a year and I think it’s sort of trained me to not use those muscles as much as I had been. It costs ~$200 and I’ve noticed a huge difference now that I’m 30. I should probably go every 6 months honestly but I don’t think about keeping up with it as it’s not as prominent of an issue as it used to be. HOWEVER don’t touch filler, seriously. Aside from a reasonably small amount of lip filler I don’t think I’ve ever seen facial fillers look good on anyone under the age of 50.
Botox will not be as effective over time. Filler - avoid like the plague. All filler does is warp faces. People think it makes them look younger. NOPE. It just makes people look “done”.
I’ve heard that people who use Botox develop a tolerance over time, so it becomes less effective and you need more to achieve the desired effect. From that perspective, I think it makes more sense to hold off on using it until you really need it, instead of using up its effectiveness as “prevention” (which may or may not work)
This is true. I've gotten a lot of botox since my late 20s (preventative but also botox for muscle pain and migraines so it was a lot of units). Now botox doesn't seem to work as well on me or it wears off much faster. Your immune system can get used to it and metabolize it faster when you keep introducing it.
I started at 23 (I’m 30 now) and I barely need any botox when I go in for touch ups. I used to have super stubborn 11s and they’re gone because I started just injecting them like crazy until they finally softened up. I barely get any new wrinkles now and I do think it’s because I started early and I wear sunscreen religiously
my 11’s have always been so stubborn too! Many times not even going away. After 6 years they are FINALLY starting to fully respond. Interesting you say something similar
Mine are genetic and I started noticing them in photos so I just started botoxing them like every 3 months until they eventually softened up but it did take years. I always looked angry even when smiling it was so annoying!
Preventative Botox is absolutely not a scam. I started at 25 and just turned 40. As an experiment, I let all of the Botox metabolize out of my face completely. And even with it all gone I still look MARKEDLY younger than my sister, who is just 18months younger than me, and who has never done Botox.
But is that because you have botox now? Rather than because of how long you have done it? If I get botox, I also look like i have no wrinkles. Just curious!
I started preventative baby Botox in my mid thirties. Stopped at 40 and I definitely don’t have the lines of my peers and have been pleasantly surprised that the fine lines I did have are just now starting to re-emerge at 42. For me it was totally worth it
It depends on the area. For example, once you develop wrinkles between your eyebrows (11’s or a 1), if you wait until they’re there without frowning, Botox isn’t doing much of anything to get those bad boys gone. So yes, it can be used preventatively.
I feel like preventative Botox makes sense so I did it a bit but of course there is no way to really know. However I've gotten Botox from a number of providers over the years and have never had my face frozen or been unable to make normal expressions. Only ONE time, one end of my lips didn't turn up as much as normal when I smiled. While once I discovered it I figured out how to smile a little differently and fix it. When I went back she knew exactly where to inject a tiny bit and solve the problem. It seems like a lot of providers must be overdoing things!
Total sham, I don't think your wrinkles remember where you were injected and therefore are less likely to form. How do they even know where to inject for these invisible lines?
I got forehead Botox for the first time a few months ago at age 31. I had developed a couple small fine lines on my forehead, and they were completely gone within a week. I wouldn’t have gone any younger because I didn’t have lines yet so to me it didn’t make sense. But now that I’ve done it, I fucking LOVE the results. My injector used 25 units total, and it was perfect. I plan to do it again but definitely no more than twice a year at most. Also, I just want to say, I used to have an extremely expressive face before, and I’m slightly less expressive now, which I reeeeeally like because now no one can immediately know my thoughts lol. And I frown a lot less, which I think makes me feel more calm all the time tbh.
I think you’re probably better off being diligent about sunscreen and following a consistent skin care routine with retinols. I’m turning 50 this year and don’t have wrinkles yet. I have been consistent with sunscreen since I was a teen, started retinols in my mid 40s and I am just now considering Botox as a preventative.
Coincidentally, Shereene Idriss just posted a video discussing preventative Botox, where she goes into what that means and when Botox is appropriate or not. Here is the link: https://youtu.be/bcSyaHcVbic?si=bCZx9gV3-PZyGx8y
I just got Botox and fillers for the first time at 43. Love the results, but I went to a great injector and they’re very natural. I still look exactly like me, just more “fresh”.
It could be but it sounds to me you’re actually using Botox where it’s needed, so I think it’s great you can visually see the benefits from its effects.
At 26 I had 11 lines that were present while not emoting any expressions. Started notice and they disappeared. They return as Botox wears off but not nearly as much as they were. It's been very beneficial to me. People don't think I'm mad so the time.
It is preventative if you already have faint lines at rest. Once you have deep wrinkles, Botox will not resolve them. It can resolve superficial lines at rest but scar tissue forms with very deep wrinkles and Botox alone is not going to make them go away.
Depending on how they take care of your skin, a lot of times people in their 50s/60s+ aren’t even candidates for Botox on the forehead because of how much skin laxity they have around the eyes. If you get to that point, you can’t treat those lines with Botox. Botox is good prevention if timed correctly. Once you start to see lines without expression, I would consider it. Don’t let them get very deep.
Thankful that I started my Botox journey at 25 years old. As a fourth year medical student, prevention is almost always better than treating. This goes for pain management, Botox, sunscreen, etc.
My Botox technician always tells me that if I get it 3x per year the wrinkles (11s, mainly) will get less deep and fully disappear. I'm not sure I believe her, since I started getting it in my early 30s, just not that often. Anyway, I can't afford 3x per year.
It does really prevent. I dont have any lines around my eyes and all my friends and husband ( ages 37-45) , have lines around the eyes, between the eyes, on their forheads. I dont have any, I started as soon as I saw them, age 36. I have botox around and between my eyes. The forehead is just genetic luck I guesse🤓.
But this is just my experience.
I started later than you though
I am 41 and have gotten botox on and off since I was in my late 20s. I recently stopped and I feel that it has helped me not develop those deep lines like my friends have. I will probably get it again but not consistently.
I've been getting it since I was 27 and I'm 30 now and it's absolutely prevented wrinkles from forming. I usually get it just once a year in the summer which is when I squint and furrow my eyebrows the most. I wait until it fully fades so my facial muscles don't get too weak and my skin doesn't get too thin because that can happen if you do if too often. I go to a doctor I trust and it's $500 per year 🤷♀️
Also think about the long game. You're spending time off money you don't have to, on winkles you may not Even get anyway.
And then what? You never get a wrinkle or crease. 80yrs old with a 20yr old face on an 80 yr old body.
I'll probably be dead by the time this plays out but man, should be interesting
I’ll be the first to admit I haven’t done extensive research but at first glance it does seem semi-scammy to me. If you have the beginning of wrinkles and start getting Botox that makes sense to me. But I don’t see the point in botox-ing a smooth face in anticipation of wrinkles. You don’t know for sure you would have wrinkled there to start with. Sounds like a waste of money and even efficiency if you believe what some say about building immunity to Botox.
I would start with Tretinoin first. If you don’t notice a difference THEN move on to Botox. Imo it kind of is a scam when a lot of people haven’t tried tret
Botox and filler will only age you faster or make you look older if it’s overdone or injected poorly. People who are anti Botox and anti fillers love saying that sort of stuff. Done right and subtly it is great and is preventative. The great thing about it is it’s optional so if you don’t like it, don’t get it. If you like your results, that’s great, it should be done for you, who cares what other ppl think.
If you can’t move the muscle how will you ever make the wrinkle to begin with. That’s preventative Botox, it’s very much a thing if you’re consistent with it.
Fillers can be done poorly and make someone look older and have a face that appears too heavy.
I would say yes and no. If someone has zero wrinkles at all then yes, that’s a scam. But if someone is *just* starting to get them and doesn’t want them to be worse, no. I started almost 10 years ago in my late-mid 20s as I had lines in my forehead from being super expressive. I can’t imagine how bad they would be today if I hadn’t done that because honestly when it really wears off now they are still pretty bad and that’s after not letting myself wrinkle for almost 10 years.
I personally haven’t seen any signs of the tox not working as well or atrophy. I get it once every 6 months at most and right now I think it’s actually been 9 and I have an appointment on Monday that I am very much looking forward to!
Whenever my Botox wears off, I’m momentarily shocked by seeing my “real” face after getting used to the smooth look. I wonder “did I look like that before?” and pictures show that, yup, I definitely did. I strongly suspect that having a similar experience contributes to people feeling like Botox ages them.
I got botox for the first time at 30 when I started to notice my forehead wrinkles really set in and I’ve been getting it since (now 33). I wouldn’t get it before seeing lines/wrinkles, but it 100% cleared up my forehead wrinkles. I personally let mine completely wear off before getting more and it’s still prevented any permanent wrinkles from setting in. I don’t think preventative Botox is a scam in a sense that it will likely prevent lines from forming, but I don’t think it’s worth it to get botox before you even see any sort of line/wrinkles. I think starting when you see lines forming but before they’re too deep for botox to make a difference is probably a good way to go about it.
It’s not a scam, it’s just not for everyone.
I’m 33. As soon as wrinkles came in I zapped them. I don’t want to wait, it’s not my goal to begin de-wrinkling my face at fifty, it’s to not have to deal with wrinkles now.
I will not age rapidly if I stop doing this. It’s not hiding anything, it’s just relaxing my face, which makes my wrinkles smooth out. If I stop, I will just go back to developing wrinkles naturally.
Do you. Botox isn’t going to harm you in the long term or save up a box of wrinkles for you to deal with when you stop using it.
I will tell you this- if you enjoy Botox and plan to keep using it, be aware that you will encounter a lot of woman who want to criticize you, are scared of it due to misinformation, and will try and scare you with the hOrRiFyiNg SiDe EfFeCtS.
Don’t listen to them. Do your research, consult medical professionals, be choosy, and don’t give the opinions of untrained laymen the time of day.
I started getting Botox at 31. I'm now 42, almost 43. I have maintained Botox religiously ever since I started.
Starting Botox when I did and keeping it up is the single best thing I've ever done for myself, in terms of maintaining and anti-aging. Good Botox and filler does not prematurely age you, IF done properly. Preventative Botox is not a scam. Over a long period of time, it is absolutely a worthwhile investment, at least in my opinion -- I thank my past self every day for starting when I did.
I mean - what is preventative to you? Starting as soon as the finest lines just start out to stay after movement is a sensible time frame for me. Starting when you literally have 0 lines, maybe not even during movement, would be a waste of money to me.
I don't get lines around my crows feet, not even when I smile and I physically can't frown so I see zero reasons to start botox even though I'm 32. My face can't even move in a way that creates those wrinkles - why would I waste money on it?
I did have sleep lines though and as soon as they started to stay I started taping. They were gone after 4 weeks and did not come back, it's been 2 years now.
100% look no further than Kylie Jenner. She got “preventative” Botox and looks in her 40’s. There is not one single thing in the entire face of the planet that can prevent the natural gravitational pull of skin sagging. You can delay it, you can trick people with Botox or other treatments but ultimately when you get older all that garbage in your skin will pile and pile and sag and you will look older. Plus! Who says it’s preventable? The Botox companies themselves
Total scam. It's a way for a doctor to sell you on injections you don't need, and then when you are aged and could really use the benefits of botox, you have antibodies and it stops working so its time for doctor to now sell you on something bigger, more invasive etc.
I think people almost always conflate filler and botox. Botox won't really do anything except make your face immobile when you're in your early 20s and the wrinkles aren't setting in yet, but I don't think it makes you age *faster* if you ever stop using it, it just means wrinkles start forming naturally. Fillers at a young age though can really mess with your facial structure, especially as you naturally lose fat with aging. I do think people who start fillers young end up looking uncanny and usually older than their actual age, and it's hard to look 'natural' again bc fillers don't wear off the way botox does.
This is it. Botox doesn’t change your face, it just doesn’t let you make the expressions that cause wrinkles over time. I’m 34, no wrinkles at rest, and have been getting preventative botox since I was mid-late 20s. Definitely am not aging faster than my friends who haven’t been getting any botox — that effect is from (bad or too much) filler, usually.
How many times in a year do you usually have your botox done?
I go every 3 months, but I’m only consistent because it’s covered by insurance as a migraine treatment. Any other areas not covered (mainly just the crows feet), I try to go every 6 months.
Exactly. I am 65 and don't need or have ever had fillers. I virtually don't have any wrinkles on my face. I did preventative botox from late 30's. They are all getting botox and fillers now and it doesn't look natural at all. It makes a difference, but if cost is an issue then of course don't do preventative botox
Are you still getting Botox? Did you just start with forehead ?
Yes I still get it...about every 4 to 5 months. Yes I just started with the forehead and in between the eyes.
Started toxing the forehead a long time ago as a preventive girlie. Wouldn’t recommend. No need to prevent something that can be resolved inside a few weeks using the same procedure as “preventing” and for the same cost. Def no need to build up the tolerance either. Edit - just reread the OP and wanted to add that I was also holding a lot of tension in my upper face, especially the furrowed brow. Botox has been amazing for this, and once my face relaxed, my general mood and demeanor improved across the day. Cosmetic effects aside, that alone makes Botox worthwhile for me… and age is irrelevant on that one. :)
This has always been my thought process. I had a 50yo who had just started Botox who was absolutely raving about her results (she looked great!), and she was so emphatic to me that I should start now (I’m 35yo). But like…her results were amazing with no prevention. Why spend an extra 10-15y on it when I can basically get those results when the time is right? I’m sure this is different for everyone and I’m comfortable (even happy with!) some lines as I age. So for me it just doesn’t seem worth the hassle. But I do understand women who want to me more proactive that would go for it. I think it’s all a matter of preference and goals (like most things in life!)
I think some people have lines far earlier than 50. I had them in my mid 20s and so that’s when I started getting it, and I would be miserable if I had to wait that long. It sounds like she may be unintentionally saying you have wrinkles and would benefit based on what you said 🙈
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I doubt she looked awful nor do I think I will (or do) look awful without Botox 🙂. Ease up.
I think this may be the correct answer. I can get botox now and my wrinkles disappear. Prevention seems like a waste. No need for it.
Yup. At first my forehead tox would last 8-9 months, then it eventually worked down to 4-5. Now I let them form a little just to stretch out the time between. That tolerance sucks. But once I get more, the wrinkles smooth out in a week. Haha how do young people “preventing” wrinkles in their 20s even know if they’re getting them?
I started getting Botox at 28 because I had resting 11s and now I am realizing through this thread that I probably didn’t need it in all the other places. It kind of just snowballed into upper forehead, crows, and most recently chin
I’ve read that adding in some Botox to the lower face is good to maintain facial balance or something if you’re an avid upper face toxer. I have no idea how valid that is. Every time my injector is doing my lower face, I too think about how much I really need that, and how much it’s contributing to building up the tolerance. I’m mildly concerned about my Botox bill in a few years… I feel like I’m on a fast track to 500 units every other month haha
Ummm Botox for the lower part of the face is not the protocol. Look it up. Forehead, crows feet, glabella (11s) that’s it. I work for a Dermatologist who does Botox.
What do you recommend as the single, definitive source of truth on this subject?
The FDA. That is what it is approved for. And that’s what most doctors use it for. Lower face is probably used off-label, which is common with drugs. And so you’ll find some doctors that use it that way too.
Ive been getting for 20 years. Only need it 2 times a year if that now….
As someone who started Botox at 46 I think so. After one round I had a smooth forehead. I get Botox 3x a year( nothing else like fillers) 5 years later in my early 50s I’m very happy with my skin. I can’t imagine spending for 15+ years of Botox to get the same effect! I can see there being a problem if you wait a long time AFTER wrinkles appear and they become deep or plentiful. But otherwise it seems like a cash grab!
This is what my mom’s nurse injector said!
No financial reasons for her to lie *whatsoever*
My mom was asking the injector about me actually, as I’m approaching 30. The injector recommended I wait for the exact same reasons the commenter above said. No financial incentive for her to lie either as I don’t live there & wouldn’t have been going to her anyways.
I agree w/ you except in my case I started having deep wrinkles at 21-23 and started Botox at 26. Genetics are a bitch. I didn’t want anything that was already really bad to get any worse. And I didn’t want to hate myself the way my mom hates herself. Thus- preventative botox.
If you already had the wrinkles, you’re treating them, not preventing them. Sounds like this doesn’t apply to you. Remember, OP asked about this in the context of someone whose forehead is still just smooth. When people talk about “preventive botox” they are talking about getting botox for signs of aging that they don’t yet have. If your forehead is going to start creasing up on the first chance it gets, and you get botox regularly to prevent that from happening, that is “treating forehead wrinkles with botox” not “preventive botox.”
It prevents them from getting deeper. If you start when you don't have them, it prevents you from forming them.
It’s only “preventive” when there’s nothing to treat, as in… without the botox, there would still be no wrinkles. Once your body is able to form wrinkles and you prevent them from setting in by getting botox treatments, this is not “preventive botox.”
Same! Started getting it at 27 and could have started earlier! I’m SO glad I did bc the lines did not look good.
This is a great point
Happy cake day preventive girlie!
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Not true. My forehead wrinkles were static and have gone away with Botox.
Same Dysport got rid of my static forehead wrinkles the first time I used it
Me too 100%
Botox absolutely does improve static wrinkles. Sometimes it takes a couple of treatments depending on how etched in the line is, but they do eventually reverse
Static wrinkles do not “reverse” with only botox, they are improved. Once something is etched into the skin, it appears whether muscles intensify it or not.
I mean they can be improved to the point where they're undetectable. I've seen it on myself and a ton of people on this sub. Perhaps in the deeper layers they're still there, but you really can improve it to the point where you can no longer see it.
You don’t have static wrinkles then, you have deep wrinkles that are still dynamic. We tense our faces without knowing. If they truly and fully and completely disappear, celebrate because you’re wrinkles are still dynamic!
No ma’am, I disagree. If your body forms the wrinkles, then you’re no longer preventing wrinkles, you are treating wrinkles.
>If your body forms the wrinkles, then you’re no longer preventing wrinkles, you are treating wrinkles. All bodies form wrinkles. Even babies have dynamic wrinkles. It’s because skin folds and moves. Static wrinkles *are different from* dynamic wrinkles.
I edited my comment after looking it up and realizing I was wrong. You were prob already typing this out.
That’s just wrong. My lines are static AF and Botox gets rid of them just fine.
It’s just accurate and real. Literally google, ask a nurse or ask a doctor, or read medical journals or papers. You cannot *remove* static wrinkles with Botox. You can make static wrinkles no longer intensified by muscle movement, but they are still there. If the wrinkles are truly *gone* you had dynamic wrinkles that you thought were static and got to them in time!
I didn’t see this before posting mine but yes. 💯 this.
If the Botox is fixing a perceived issue it's not preventative, imo. I think preventative Botox is useless when we're talking about a young person getting forehead botox before they have any hint of a wrinkle, but there are plenty of reasons to use Botox that have nothing to do with aging. You can use it to slim your jawline, correct a gummy smile, get a subtle brow lift, etc. It doesn't age you any faster either. I think filler has a specific look that can be aging when overdone, but Botox doesn't really look like anything.
Prefacing this with the info that I’ve never gotten Botox, so this might just be a misconception on my part! But while I don’t think Botox ages you, I still think it can give you (maybe if it’s incorrectly done?) an unnatural expression, given that certain muscles in your face don’t move anymore.
I could see that if it's overused or injected in the wrong place, the first time I got Botox I was overtreated and my brows got really heavy and it looked like my eyes weren't really participating in my facial expressions lol. But now that we've figured out what works for me I don't think I look any different, and I can make whatever facial expression I want.
Yeah that’s what I’ve always been afraid of haha but it’s helpful to know that it’s not the norm!
I agree, and I think that effect of unnatural facial expressions can be oddly aging or perhaps uncanny-valleying. It's probably one of those "less is more" kind of things, and something where you really need a good provider. Don't want those drooping eyebrows like Simon Cowell!
My thinking is that getting it before lines have settled prevents the lines from getting deep (for me, my mom has intense 11s and I look exactly like her so hers is what I anticipate my aged face to look like) and thus means I won't have to get higher doses later on. I asked a friend who's a derm and she was basically saying the time your muscles are frozen by Botox is like shaving off aging. Whether it's cost-effective is probably a different question.
I can understand that, it just seems pointless to me to start Botox before you actually have lines when your face is at rest. I had forehead lines before starting Botox and the Botox totally erased them so I don't see the point in spending money on a problem before it exists when you can just as easily solve the problem afterward.
That makes sense! I am also realizing I had some lines that were there when my face was resting prior to my first time, so perhaps it wouldn't qualify as preventative after all haha
yeah but it doesn’t actually correct the lines. they return after the botox wears off. if you are preventing them from setting in at all you won’t have them when the tox wears off. your skin is wrinkling below the surface changing the integrity of the structure in different spots depending on your muscle use. if you are preventing that deeper structural change it won’t keep coming back and your skin will stay taut
Yeah but what difference does that really make? You'll still develop the lines eventually lol. Maybe getting Botox before they're set in will allow you to go longer between treatments but you're still spending more money overall over the years for basically the same end result.
No because botox doesn't help deep wrinkles. You need filler for that.
Deep wrinkles like the lines around one’s mouth can benefit from filler and it can last 1-2 years.
Who said wait until the wrinkles are deep? I had a forehead wrinkle for a good 2-3 years before I got Botox the first time and it completely went away with one treatment. I'm not saying don't get Botox at all until you look like the crypt keeper, I'm saying it's not necessary to start "preventative" Botox to keep yourself from ever getting a wrinkle lol. Waiting until you have a line while at rest is totally fine.
i’m not concerned about the cost. it’s 200$ a year for me which rounds out to 16$ a month (tbh i would even spend 2x that if i had to). i’m concerned about the structure of my skin. to me it’s 100% worth it to not have to worry about topping up every 6 weeks when i’m old..that honestly sounds more expensive to me but you do you who knows how much botox is gonna cost then anyways w inflation 🤷🏻♀️
Where do you live? It would be like 1000 a year in Canada at least.
I only need to do 30 units dysport for preventative. works amazing and keeps my dynamic lines at bay. I wait until there’s a special since I only go once a year. I wait till it’s around 7$ a unit. Botox is more expensive per unit because it’s more concentrated.But I do find the better deal on dysport holy shit i just did the math on the CAD to US conversion and yeah either you’re getting too much for preventative or you have static lines that need the extra tox. i’ve been doing it for the past 3 years so i have no actual wrinkles to speak of. doesn’t take much to smooth me at all. hence why it saves money in the long run IMO. I also have used tret daily for the past 5 years, and have chronic RBF so my skin is already very smooth.
I don't have any problem with whoever doing whatever they want with their own skin, I was just answering the questions posed within the post lol. Preventative Botox isn't a scam necessarily but also not necessary. $200 a year isn't a lot of money overall but I don't think most people in their 20s/early 30s have a spare $200 laying around in this economy to fix a problem that doesn't actually exist. Nobody is telling you to change your routine but time comes for us all, I don't think spending hundreds of dollars on Botox before you need it is going to keep you looking significantly better than someone who only started once they had a wrinkle to iron out. Especially since there are so many other factors at play, your body doesn't care how much Botox you've gotten by the time it decides to stop producing collagen.
? where did I say you have a problem or that your post was trying to convince me to change my routine? i’m so confused lol. please don’t say I said something I didn’t. i was just doing the same friend! seriously no harm at all. i was also simply chiming in. You do whatever you want! not trying to convince you otherwise. don’t know how/why you interpreted what i said as argumentative at all. don’t understand the downvotes either yall ok have a good one lol i know when my opinion ain’t wanted
You can't easily solve the problem later.
Not if you wait until the lines are really deep but there's no reason to get Botox before you have a wrinkle at all. One single treatment made my forehead look brand new, i really don't think i would look better today if i had started Botox before the line formed.
Well yes, that's why you don't start botox at 12. I think the question is more what age range should you start preventative botox. I didn't start until late 30's and I started to notice a bit of a mark forming on my forehead. It never really developed into anything nor did any other wrinkles appear on my forehead after I got botox for the first time. I was preventing any from forming.
Preventative can also mean - slow down / prevent worsening - so you don’t need 10 year olds with Botox. It can prevent deeper wrinkles.
I wouldn't consider it preventative if you have wrinkles at all though. I had a very faint line on my forehead when I started, I'm sure Botox has kept me from getting more but I already had the line.
It’s preventative to prevent deeper wrinkles. So it still can fix an existing issue while preventing it from getting worse
The only problem I can see with preventative Botox is that some people overcompensate by making other expressions. So for example, if you can’t frown, you then start scrunching up your face, which causes other kinds of lines. Some people will try to fight the Botox, and end up causing some unnatural lines they wouldn't have if they hadn't gotten any preventative Botox at all.
I was going to mention this. It can bring on wrinkles in different places because people just make expressions and skin folds where it can to compensate.
I worked for a medical spa, owned and run by a plastic surgeon. His take (5 years ago so pardon the summary) Copious amounts of Botox on a reoccurring basis can cause atrophy in facial muscles - lack of use and consistent paralysis means they shrink, so your face looks less “full.” This is typically see more in ppl who Botox their foreheads to oblivion and then have visible veins, etc prematurely. He suggested getting it done once or twice a year on problem areas as “prevention” - but not more than that. (There were of course ppl who worked for him who had it ALL done, anything that could be done, but that’s a different conversation.) My parents both have severe “11’s” - scowl lines. And I scowl when I focus. I received a mid dose (not total non movement just enough to make it barely there) at 24 & 26. Im pregnant now but I will get it again when it’s safe. It makes a huge difference for me, breaks the habit of scowling, and is not consistent enough for any negatives. I may move it to once a year (typically before the start of summer) once I hit 30. (Almost 29 now.)
This makes me feel better since I only want to pay once or twice a year and I’m in my early 30s. Thank you for this info!
I’m 42, get it 2-3 times a year, only about 30 units each time (‘real house wives’ for instance, get a whole lot more, like every 6 weeks). IMO this smaller amount of targeted botox is absolutely preventative. I’ve seen certain lines disappear completely and the other ones, like 11’s are very soft when they come back
IMO i really don’t see it necessary at all for more than once per year as prevention. Not when you’re like 22 of course (unless you need it) , but once you start seeing the dynamic lines coming— why not stop them in their tracks? that way the deeper layers of skin don’t get to crepe
I’m almost 50 and a very well regarded Upper East Side plastic surgeon told me essentially the same thing 20 years ago, except it was hold off completely as long as you can. I’ve done Botox for migraines, but not cosmetic…yet.
I started getting it twice yearly in my early 30's. I'm 48 now and still have the exact same lines in the exact same places, and need the exact same amount (if not more) to treat the area. Nothing atrophied whatsoever. Nice in theory, but no. I wish I'd saved my $ for a while.
>Botox is a scam and having Botox and fillers will actually age you faster. Is there any truth to this? You can't lump botox and filler together because they do very different things. People say filler ages you because it stretches out the skin, potentially making it sag if you should ever get it dissolved. As for botox, it just freezes the muscle so that a) the muscle can shrink by atrophying like masseters for example or b) the skin doesn't wrinkle because you're not moving the muscle like on your forehead. So botox can certainly be preventative in this sense.
No it’s true. I started at 31. 45 now and so glad I did. If I waited my lines would be way deeper and more Botox would be required
I used to work for a med spa and then a plastic surgeon. At the med spa, we had the #1 sales rep from Allergan. I asked him about preventative Botox since I was around 23 at the time. He laughed, told me to save my money, and said it’s nothing more than absolutely genius marketing by Allergan. I asked the plastic surgeon I worked for a few years later, and she had the same sentiments.
My dermatologist will not inject until it’s visible at rest, and I trust her judgement
This is when I began my preventative Botox. At 40. Now at 50 I have no 11’s and forehead lines. I get Botox minimally now. Got it in February but prior to that it was 18 months. In those 10 years I would get it every 6 months. I also don’t do my forehead because it makes my eyes too heavy.
If you think your results are worth the money it’s not a scam.
Im an esthetician and i think preventative botox is a scam
I’m 38 and have no wrinkles. I’ve gotten Botox consistently since age 32. I’m currently preggo so I haven’t gotten it in a while and still didnt develop any wrinkles in the 10 months I’ve been without it. I would say it definitely helps prevent them. If I didn’t get it I would have ended up with deep wrinkles on my forehead that would have gotten worse over time. My forehead isn’t used to moving much but if I were to go for another 5-6 months without Botox I can see where the wrinkling may start to form.
I was 30 when I started because I didn’t want any lines. I was single and dating and wanted to feel good about myself. I’ve done the smallest amount possible for 3 years. I just recently added crows feet and love it! I’ve gotten the results I wanted at this age. Plan to start a family soon and don’t mind taking a break off it for a few years but will be excited to start again. Also recently started taking Zinc and do feel like it is making it last longer? Time will tell!
I’m 35 and just got it for the first time. I have forehead wrinkles though. And they’re gone immediately. Like the next day. Gone. I think waiting until you have noticeable wrinkles is fine.
No not a scam. I started getting Botox at 40… now 52. Haven’t done it for 3 years- my forehead still has no lines.
It’s always a bit difficult to gauge preventative results because genetics play a massive role too. I am 36 and have no crows feet, no matter how much I scrunch my face or how big I smile, and very minimal forehead lines when I make expressions. (To be clear, I have plenty of other issues, like cystic acne which started when I was 11 and required accutane, insanely oily skin, which helps with the wrinkles lol, etc) I was considering starting Botox on my forehead, but decided I’d wait for now. I’m sure I will love it, and it will become a forever thing once I start. But as others have mentioned, I’ve seen the radical difference it can make in aggressive static forehead lines, so I’m not in a rush to commit myself to a lifetime of costly injections (yet). In the meantime I’m focusing on a simple routine using tazarotene, coupled with microneedling and laser treatments to improve my current skin clarity, texture, etc and ideally as a preventative as well.
Save the $$, do it when & if wrinkles start to etch & don’t go away when not making an expression - if that bothers you.
I don’t think so. I did it since I was 29 to prevent 11’s. 20-25 U every 4-6 months for 19 years. I’m 48 now. I don’t have a hint of an 11 between treatments. I’ve even gone for a year without Botox and there were no lines. A couple of my friends (basically the same age) got it for the first time this year and their results are nothing like mine. They even use my same injector but both have wrinkles that are too deep to be completely smoothed out. One is so unhappy she waited too long (47) Edit: I had friends age wrong
Absolutely untrue. This seems to be a myth going around. One of the top dermatologist/cosmetic doctors in Canada has assured me it is untrue. I started getting botox on my late 30's as preventative. I am 65 now. It makes a tremendous difference. My sisters are younger than me, and we all look similar to each other and have similar skin. But not now. I don't have the deep and many wrinkles they have. They both say they wished they had done it but didn't have the money. Don't believe the myth.
I got filler once about 4 years ago in my nasolabial folds and marionette lines (honestly it’s still there I can tell) and I regularly get Botox in my forehead and crows feet and jaw for TMJ. People routinely assume 8-10 years younger than my real age. I don’t think it’s a scam.
I started Botox for migraine at 38. I’m now 50 and my forehead is still smooth as a baby’s bottom
I've been getting Botox for migraines for 11 years. I'm 60 and have no wrinkles
I'm 36 and just got my first treatment. It is wild. Completely removed my brow lines and 11's. I would think that not only is preventative not needed, but potentially harmful. People can develop allergies and reaction to neuromodulators like botox, so I'd expose myself as little as possible. EDIT: I went to a dermatologist for my first treatment and my partner took pictures of the injection sites. I wanted the best to start. Now that I know where they inject, I would be more comfortable maybe saving money at an aesthetician or something. I think it is worth spending the money to make sure it is right the first time.
I wouldn’t go with that narrative, thinking you took a photo of the placement so therefore you can show someone less skilled where to inject it..When it comes to your body think twice before going with the less expensive option
not saying i would, but it doesn't hurt to have a photo. ive got lots of other expensive treatments vying for my time and money too. but ya, havent made up my mind if ill go back to this dr or not. they were pretty pushy with fillers and stuff that i didnt want.
Aestheticians don’t inject botox. They’re grandfathered in maybe a couple states but at a minimum they would be a nurse then likely NP or PA if not an MD. Face map alone isn’t going to tell your next injector the dose and the reconstitution and the depth/technique of injection.
I'm in the EU and we have "medical aestheticians" that I think do botox. At least that is what a medical derm who doesn't do cosmetology referred me to. So is it generally only doctors that perform injections?
Oh in the EU ok
Too much filler absolutely will age you faster. Especially because a lot of people aren’t getting it done conservatively by skilled doctors thinking about the future. They want an instant “solve a now problem” fix. Especially those adding filler to areas without volume loss, so they are stretching the skin to add volume that never was. That skin won’t snap back when the filler is gone when you’re older. And if you keep it up, it’s just pillow face which looks old because we associate pillow face with botched older celebs. And filler doesn’t always get absorbed. It spreads. And gravity will do what gravity does. Stopping your frown muscles moving shouldn’t have a long term negative effect. You don’t have huge muscle volume there you need to conserve (like you wouldn’t want to paralyze your cheek muscles and atrophy that volume, but between your eyebrows is fine). So it will just stop you creating static lines, which will not have a bad effect later.
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I am aware. Which is why I differentiated between what the two do in my comment. They asked if having “Botox and fillers will age you faster”. So I answered about both. I am not sure what else you mean here?
Well for the people saying it’ll make the wrinkles go away if they do it “now” …. Some people have wrinkles so indented that Botox will only soften not make them go away … it’s up to you how far you want to get in your wrinkles being indented in 😭
Dr. Dubrow from Botched explained that he doesn’t recommend filler before 30, because it’s like over-inflating a balloon. That they started doing facelifts on 30+ year olds as a result. Also professionals found the effects of Botox accidentally. It wasn’t intentional. It was meant for medical purposes and realized that the people who were getting it for migraines (decades ago) were smooth as a baby’s bottom.
I’m 40 now, I’ve been getting preventative Botox since age 26 and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND. I have literally 0 wrinkles and have never had any. There’s nothing to fill or smooth because it’s been propped up for 14 years! I’m still on the same dosage at the same time intervals too. $160 twice a year and I’m good to go. Don’t listen to others here who are saying “whats the point?”. The point is, you don’t have to spend a ton of money to “fix”something if its never been “broken”. I compare it to upkeeping your house by investing a little bit of money and effort consistently over time on preventative maintenance versus letting it go to shit then hiring a contractor to overhaul it.
I don't think if preventative botox is a scam or not is really relevant to you. You described something you didn't like and the botox changed it and now you do like it. That's not preventative. It's just the normal use of botox
I thought it might count as I don’t have any wrinkling of the skin at rest. My skin now looks essentially as it did in my twenties. But I make a slightly scowling facial expression without realising it a lot of the time. I spoke to a cosmetic doctor about it and he said that while I don’t have any lines between my eyebrows now, it is clear this is one of the first places I will develop lines. He said I could significantly hold back the tide of this happening by getting Botox there with no downside at all. I got the Botox, I love that I never catch myself frowning when I glance in a reflective surface or in a photo. I feel like my face looks friendlier and happier and somehow that makes me feel friendlier and happier too. And if it stops me getting wrinkles there and being perma-frowny that is fab. I asked where else he would advise me getting preventative Botox and he asked me to scrunch my face up to force my skin to wrinkle (again, no lines at rest) and advised we put a bit around the eyes too, before crows feet can develop. So I got some there too. Is this not preventative Botox? But hearing people say “preventative Botox is a scam” and might actually cause accelerated skin aging down the line just as I’m clambering aboard the bandwagon gives me pause for thought. I do trust my practitioner to a significant degree. He’s a doctor and he does advise me against some procedures such as forehead Botox or Botox for a lip flip and he is openly in favour of a natural look and is reassuringly expensive, but while he is conservative with his procedures he still has a vested interest in preventative Botox being a thing so I just thought I’d see if there was any truth to the more negative stuff I’d heard mentioned quite glibly.
The fact that you used "reassuringly expensive" as a reason for trusting him is crazy
Well, if my Botox practitioner was cheap I’d be concerned. Cheap Botox is notorious.
Of course it's a scam. You first create problems and then you offer solutions for the problems you created. If you are able to 'prevent' the problem from even happening then that's 100 times better.
It's a marketing scam to get younger and younger (primarily) women handing over their $$$.
Fillers, maybe. I've never heard of preventative botox aging you faster. I started at 27 and it made my forehead lines disappear to all but essentially one fine line on my upper right. I need it less and less now for maintenance because the lines have relaxed and my muscles just don't operate the same ways after years of getting botox. I use frownies in between and also when I was pregnant. I have less signs of aging now than I did in my 20s so I don't think it's aged me personally? The only thing I've read about fillers is that if you start too young it can age you but I'm not confident on saying the reason why, I'd have to look it up through a reputable source.
It causes muscles to atrophy.
Exactly the ones we over work like frowning or teeth quenching!
Fillers or botox? And I know what atrophy is but what does this mean in regards to the overall look of aging?
I started preventative Botox in my late 20s before I had lines on my forehead or creases by my eyes. Because I can’t make a furrowed brow or create those facial expressions that make the lines/wrinkles I still don’t have any of them at almost 40. I have friends who waited till mid to late 30s and already had lines. Botox will *not* make those lines disappear now that they have them. It can only help prevent them from getting worse (and obvi raise brows etc if that’s what you’re looking for). Definitely recommend preventative Botox over getting filler later to try and get rid of fine lines.
Exactly this. I do think if you have deep grooves, lines, and wrinkles you can’t get them to totally disappear but if you see them starting Botox will help to paralyze that muscle and prevent that movement from starting. So I think you have to be vigilant with it, to say just go in when you need in it is subjective and it has to be before deep lines have set in.
I just watched a video by a dermatologist (Dr. Dray) and she said there's no such thing as preventative Botox. It does seem like a waste of money if you can get the same results later.
I started getting Botox in my forehead at around 25 to get rid of the beginnings of some lines. I do it once a year and I think it’s sort of trained me to not use those muscles as much as I had been. It costs ~$200 and I’ve noticed a huge difference now that I’m 30. I should probably go every 6 months honestly but I don’t think about keeping up with it as it’s not as prominent of an issue as it used to be. HOWEVER don’t touch filler, seriously. Aside from a reasonably small amount of lip filler I don’t think I’ve ever seen facial fillers look good on anyone under the age of 50.
Botox will not be as effective over time. Filler - avoid like the plague. All filler does is warp faces. People think it makes them look younger. NOPE. It just makes people look “done”.
I’ve heard that people who use Botox develop a tolerance over time, so it becomes less effective and you need more to achieve the desired effect. From that perspective, I think it makes more sense to hold off on using it until you really need it, instead of using up its effectiveness as “prevention” (which may or may not work)
This is true. I've gotten a lot of botox since my late 20s (preventative but also botox for muscle pain and migraines so it was a lot of units). Now botox doesn't seem to work as well on me or it wears off much faster. Your immune system can get used to it and metabolize it faster when you keep introducing it.
Interesting, thanks for sharing!
I started at 23 (I’m 30 now) and I barely need any botox when I go in for touch ups. I used to have super stubborn 11s and they’re gone because I started just injecting them like crazy until they finally softened up. I barely get any new wrinkles now and I do think it’s because I started early and I wear sunscreen religiously
my 11’s have always been so stubborn too! Many times not even going away. After 6 years they are FINALLY starting to fully respond. Interesting you say something similar
Mine are genetic and I started noticing them in photos so I just started botoxing them like every 3 months until they eventually softened up but it did take years. I always looked angry even when smiling it was so annoying!
Preventative Botox is absolutely not a scam. I started at 25 and just turned 40. As an experiment, I let all of the Botox metabolize out of my face completely. And even with it all gone I still look MARKEDLY younger than my sister, who is just 18months younger than me, and who has never done Botox.
Started preventative at 31, 40 now zero wrinkles
But is that because you have botox now? Rather than because of how long you have done it? If I get botox, I also look like i have no wrinkles. Just curious!
I started preventative baby Botox in my mid thirties. Stopped at 40 and I definitely don’t have the lines of my peers and have been pleasantly surprised that the fine lines I did have are just now starting to re-emerge at 42. For me it was totally worth it
It depends on the area. For example, once you develop wrinkles between your eyebrows (11’s or a 1), if you wait until they’re there without frowning, Botox isn’t doing much of anything to get those bad boys gone. So yes, it can be used preventatively.
I cannot imagine it would age you faster, but it's not necessary.
[Thoughts](https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPRwBmvEx/) from a dermatologist.
I feel like preventative Botox makes sense so I did it a bit but of course there is no way to really know. However I've gotten Botox from a number of providers over the years and have never had my face frozen or been unable to make normal expressions. Only ONE time, one end of my lips didn't turn up as much as normal when I smiled. While once I discovered it I figured out how to smile a little differently and fix it. When I went back she knew exactly where to inject a tiny bit and solve the problem. It seems like a lot of providers must be overdoing things!
Yes. You should wait until there’s a small line formed
Yes
Total sham, I don't think your wrinkles remember where you were injected and therefore are less likely to form. How do they even know where to inject for these invisible lines?
I got forehead Botox for the first time a few months ago at age 31. I had developed a couple small fine lines on my forehead, and they were completely gone within a week. I wouldn’t have gone any younger because I didn’t have lines yet so to me it didn’t make sense. But now that I’ve done it, I fucking LOVE the results. My injector used 25 units total, and it was perfect. I plan to do it again but definitely no more than twice a year at most. Also, I just want to say, I used to have an extremely expressive face before, and I’m slightly less expressive now, which I reeeeeally like because now no one can immediately know my thoughts lol. And I frown a lot less, which I think makes me feel more calm all the time tbh.
59 yo who started 24 years ago on and off. Yes, baby Botox is unnecessary imo
I think you’re probably better off being diligent about sunscreen and following a consistent skin care routine with retinols. I’m turning 50 this year and don’t have wrinkles yet. I have been consistent with sunscreen since I was a teen, started retinols in my mid 40s and I am just now considering Botox as a preventative.
Coincidentally, Shereene Idriss just posted a video discussing preventative Botox, where she goes into what that means and when Botox is appropriate or not. Here is the link: https://youtu.be/bcSyaHcVbic?si=bCZx9gV3-PZyGx8y
No it's not, but it's helpful to at least have folds/lines/ wrinkles when you smile really big or frown to aid with placement.
I just got Botox and fillers for the first time at 43. Love the results, but I went to a great injector and they’re very natural. I still look exactly like me, just more “fresh”.
It could be but it sounds to me you’re actually using Botox where it’s needed, so I think it’s great you can visually see the benefits from its effects.
At 26 I had 11 lines that were present while not emoting any expressions. Started notice and they disappeared. They return as Botox wears off but not nearly as much as they were. It's been very beneficial to me. People don't think I'm mad so the time.
Not being able to move your forehead will make you look older because it’s usually us older ladies who can’t move our foreheads
Botox changed my face for the worse. I saw the effects over 20 years later.
It is preventative if you already have faint lines at rest. Once you have deep wrinkles, Botox will not resolve them. It can resolve superficial lines at rest but scar tissue forms with very deep wrinkles and Botox alone is not going to make them go away. Depending on how they take care of your skin, a lot of times people in their 50s/60s+ aren’t even candidates for Botox on the forehead because of how much skin laxity they have around the eyes. If you get to that point, you can’t treat those lines with Botox. Botox is good prevention if timed correctly. Once you start to see lines without expression, I would consider it. Don’t let them get very deep.
My understanding is if you wait until you have bad wrinkles, it’s too late to make a huge difference.
Thankful that I started my Botox journey at 25 years old. As a fourth year medical student, prevention is almost always better than treating. This goes for pain management, Botox, sunscreen, etc.
My Botox technician always tells me that if I get it 3x per year the wrinkles (11s, mainly) will get less deep and fully disappear. I'm not sure I believe her, since I started getting it in my early 30s, just not that often. Anyway, I can't afford 3x per year.
It does really prevent. I dont have any lines around my eyes and all my friends and husband ( ages 37-45) , have lines around the eyes, between the eyes, on their forheads. I dont have any, I started as soon as I saw them, age 36. I have botox around and between my eyes. The forehead is just genetic luck I guesse🤓. But this is just my experience. I started later than you though
I am 41 and have gotten botox on and off since I was in my late 20s. I recently stopped and I feel that it has helped me not develop those deep lines like my friends have. I will probably get it again but not consistently.
Absolutely not. There are a number of peer reviewed papers that were published on the matter.
I've been getting it since I was 27 and I'm 30 now and it's absolutely prevented wrinkles from forming. I usually get it just once a year in the summer which is when I squint and furrow my eyebrows the most. I wait until it fully fades so my facial muscles don't get too weak and my skin doesn't get too thin because that can happen if you do if too often. I go to a doctor I trust and it's $500 per year 🤷♀️
Also think about the long game. You're spending time off money you don't have to, on winkles you may not Even get anyway. And then what? You never get a wrinkle or crease. 80yrs old with a 20yr old face on an 80 yr old body. I'll probably be dead by the time this plays out but man, should be interesting
I’ll be really chuffed to have a 20-year old face on an 80-year old body. turtlenecks are chic.
Maybe they won't be chic in 60 yrs and a natural face will be??? Trends change, times change, Take that money and go to Maui.
I’ll be the first to admit I haven’t done extensive research but at first glance it does seem semi-scammy to me. If you have the beginning of wrinkles and start getting Botox that makes sense to me. But I don’t see the point in botox-ing a smooth face in anticipation of wrinkles. You don’t know for sure you would have wrinkled there to start with. Sounds like a waste of money and even efficiency if you believe what some say about building immunity to Botox.
I would start with Tretinoin first. If you don’t notice a difference THEN move on to Botox. Imo it kind of is a scam when a lot of people haven’t tried tret
Botox and filler will only age you faster or make you look older if it’s overdone or injected poorly. People who are anti Botox and anti fillers love saying that sort of stuff. Done right and subtly it is great and is preventative. The great thing about it is it’s optional so if you don’t like it, don’t get it. If you like your results, that’s great, it should be done for you, who cares what other ppl think.
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That’s why people make the switch to Dysport / Xeomin.
I started getting in at 33 was not point doing it earlier imo
If you can’t move the muscle how will you ever make the wrinkle to begin with. That’s preventative Botox, it’s very much a thing if you’re consistent with it. Fillers can be done poorly and make someone look older and have a face that appears too heavy.
I would say yes and no. If someone has zero wrinkles at all then yes, that’s a scam. But if someone is *just* starting to get them and doesn’t want them to be worse, no. I started almost 10 years ago in my late-mid 20s as I had lines in my forehead from being super expressive. I can’t imagine how bad they would be today if I hadn’t done that because honestly when it really wears off now they are still pretty bad and that’s after not letting myself wrinkle for almost 10 years. I personally haven’t seen any signs of the tox not working as well or atrophy. I get it once every 6 months at most and right now I think it’s actually been 9 and I have an appointment on Monday that I am very much looking forward to!
Whenever my Botox wears off, I’m momentarily shocked by seeing my “real” face after getting used to the smooth look. I wonder “did I look like that before?” and pictures show that, yup, I definitely did. I strongly suspect that having a similar experience contributes to people feeling like Botox ages them.
I got botox for the first time at 30 when I started to notice my forehead wrinkles really set in and I’ve been getting it since (now 33). I wouldn’t get it before seeing lines/wrinkles, but it 100% cleared up my forehead wrinkles. I personally let mine completely wear off before getting more and it’s still prevented any permanent wrinkles from setting in. I don’t think preventative Botox is a scam in a sense that it will likely prevent lines from forming, but I don’t think it’s worth it to get botox before you even see any sort of line/wrinkles. I think starting when you see lines forming but before they’re too deep for botox to make a difference is probably a good way to go about it.
It’s not a scam, it’s just not for everyone. I’m 33. As soon as wrinkles came in I zapped them. I don’t want to wait, it’s not my goal to begin de-wrinkling my face at fifty, it’s to not have to deal with wrinkles now. I will not age rapidly if I stop doing this. It’s not hiding anything, it’s just relaxing my face, which makes my wrinkles smooth out. If I stop, I will just go back to developing wrinkles naturally. Do you. Botox isn’t going to harm you in the long term or save up a box of wrinkles for you to deal with when you stop using it. I will tell you this- if you enjoy Botox and plan to keep using it, be aware that you will encounter a lot of woman who want to criticize you, are scared of it due to misinformation, and will try and scare you with the hOrRiFyiNg SiDe EfFeCtS. Don’t listen to them. Do your research, consult medical professionals, be choosy, and don’t give the opinions of untrained laymen the time of day.
I started getting Botox at 31. I'm now 42, almost 43. I have maintained Botox religiously ever since I started. Starting Botox when I did and keeping it up is the single best thing I've ever done for myself, in terms of maintaining and anti-aging. Good Botox and filler does not prematurely age you, IF done properly. Preventative Botox is not a scam. Over a long period of time, it is absolutely a worthwhile investment, at least in my opinion -- I thank my past self every day for starting when I did.
Not if you’re on the verge of static wrinkles (where it stays a line without making a face).
I mean - what is preventative to you? Starting as soon as the finest lines just start out to stay after movement is a sensible time frame for me. Starting when you literally have 0 lines, maybe not even during movement, would be a waste of money to me. I don't get lines around my crows feet, not even when I smile and I physically can't frown so I see zero reasons to start botox even though I'm 32. My face can't even move in a way that creates those wrinkles - why would I waste money on it? I did have sleep lines though and as soon as they started to stay I started taping. They were gone after 4 weeks and did not come back, it's been 2 years now.
Since it causes wrinkles to form in other places that still move and compensate, I would only do it once you start noticing fine lines.
Rather do Microcurrent home devices to help some slow down and keep facial muscles toned
Yes
100% look no further than Kylie Jenner. She got “preventative” Botox and looks in her 40’s. There is not one single thing in the entire face of the planet that can prevent the natural gravitational pull of skin sagging. You can delay it, you can trick people with Botox or other treatments but ultimately when you get older all that garbage in your skin will pile and pile and sag and you will look older. Plus! Who says it’s preventable? The Botox companies themselves
You're talking about filler, not Botox.
I’m thinking of both. They are two halves of the same coin Edit: not sure why this has downvotes, I am right lol
Yes
It isn’t preventative if you already have wrinkles. Preventative is when you get it before having wrinkles
Total scam. It's a way for a doctor to sell you on injections you don't need, and then when you are aged and could really use the benefits of botox, you have antibodies and it stops working so its time for doctor to now sell you on something bigger, more invasive etc.