Botox before 30: yes or no?

Much commented and widespread, the Botox It is commonly a subject on wheels among friends. There are loyal supporters and users, but also fearful of exaggerated and artificial results. After all, when and how should you make use of this powerful weapon of aesthetics?

To clarify this point, let's understand how she acts. Botulinum toxin (Botox) is a muscle paralyzer and nothing more.

At expression wrinkles, or dynamic wrinkles, are those that appear only when we contract muscle, such as forehead wrinkles, between eyebrows and crow's feet. When we have a relaxed face, they do not exist, but if we express ourselves, such undesirable wrinkles arise, leaving us looking angry, tired and aged.

Over time, by folding the skin in the same place, the contraction of the muscle eventually generates permanent wrinkles, which remain even if we do not express ourselves (static wrinkles). Patients with thin skin or strong facial muscles, are more prone to the formation of these creases early.

So if we apply to botulinum toxin In these muscles that generate the dynamic wrinkles, we will prevent them from contracting and forming these wrinkles, providing a more relaxed, youthful and lighter appearance of the face. Also if use is started before the creases become permanent, we can avoid them, sparing the skin from muscle action.

So when should we start using Botox?

There is no math for that. Ideally, use should be started when the skin creases show signs of marking, even when we do not express ourselves. If applied at this stage, we will be able to make the skin recover and prevent static wrinkles.

In patients with very thin skin, usually those with fair skin, this can happen before age 30. For patients with thick skin or thin facial muscles, they may start expression marks closer to 40 years. For those where the marks have already gone deep, the botulinum toxin can soften them, but it will hardly eliminate them.

Remember, the action of botulinum toxin usually lasts around 6 months, during which time it can be reapplied. Since any unused muscle tends to atrophy, repeated use of Botox may thin the muscles that generate the wrinkles, so their long-term action is not so damaging to the skin.

Botox injections: What to expect (April 2024)