More and more, younger patients are coming in for preventative treatments. Patients often have pigmentation issues or scarring once their acne is under control and ask what they can do to improve these imperfections. They also want to know what they can do to prevent their skin from ageing too soon.
At what age should you have Botox?
*40+: Patients with a lighter skin colour and harsh lifestyle (excessive alcohol use, smoking, sun-exposure, stress) may want to consider Botox at an earlier age. After 40 most patients have permanent lines on their foreheads and wrinkles around their eyes. At this age Botox makes a huge difference to a woman’s self-image. It especially boosts the confidence of older moms in the school environment.
*30 to 40’s: Too much movement in your facial muscles leads to wrinkling at a younger age. If you have been looking after your skin, wore sunglasses, had limited sun exposure and have good genes, you might only need intervention in your mid-thirties. Around this time, patients often have a constant frown and complain about people asking them whether they are angry or stressed. This causes them to be self-conscious. By relaxing those strong lines, Botox makes a huge difference in how they feel about themselves.
*20 to 30’s: 10 years ago, it was rare for any twenty-year-old to be thinking of or asking about having Botox. Now, it is not strange at all for a patient to ask for Botox in preparation for their wedding or 30th birthday! Unfortunately, due to long working hours, sun and air-conditioning exposure (and often genetic factors) young patients have lines that stick even when they have no expression. Relaxing the muscle that causes the ‘11’ between your brows prevents the skin from creasing and becoming permanent wrinkles. If you have an expressive face, you may want to start earlier with preventative measures. There are often genetic components too, and once you see the lines that you see in your relatives, you may decide that it is time for a small dose of Botox.
Source: Umhlanga General Practitioners.