BOTOX® is well known for its ability to temporarily smooth away fine lines and wrinkles, particularly around the eyes, brows, and forehead. However, this popular anti-aging treatment can also double as a preventative, or “prejuvenation,” wrinkle treatment. 

 

Learn more about how BOTOX works to both erase and prevent lines and wrinkles, as well as when to start preventative BOTOX treatments in order to maximize your results.

 

How Does Preventative BOTOX Work?

 

To better understand how BOTOX works to prevent wrinkles, it is important to first understand how BOTOX works in general to smooth away fine lines and wrinkles. BOTOX and other brands of botulinum toxin injections work by temporarily relaxing the facial muscles that cause dynamic wrinkles to form. When these muscles are relaxed, the wrinkles do not prominently show up on your skin. 

 

Dynamic wrinkles are those that are temporarily visible when you make facial expressions, such as “laugh lines” or crow’s feet. However, as we age and our skin produces less collagen, these dynamic wrinkles can become static, or permanent, wrinkles that remain on our faces even when we are not making any facial expressions. 

 

This is where preventative BOTOX can help. By reducing facial muscle contractions and thereby reducing dynamic wrinkles, BOTOX can help to prevent static wrinkles from forming in the first place. 

 

A frequently cited study followed a set of identical twins over 13 years. One twin received regular BOTOX treatments — two to three injections per year — during the entire 13-year period. The other twin only received a total of two BOTOX injections over the same period of time. 

 

At the end of the 13-year period, the twin who received regular BOTOX injections had no noticeable forehead or glabellar lines and had only minimal crow’s feet. The twin who did not receive regular injections did have noticeable forehead and glabellar lines, as well as more pronounced crow’s feet than her regularly-treated twin.

 

What Are the Benefits of BOTOX to Prevent Wrinkles?

 

As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and the same concept is true of preventative BOTOX. It is always easier to prevent or delay signs of aging such as lines and wrinkles than it is to treat deep creases after they have formed. 

 

Getting regular preventative BOTOX treatments also has the benefit of smoothing away any existing lines or wrinkles you may have, so its benefits are twofold: both as a treatment for existing wrinkles and a preventative to delay future skin aging. Thus, this can be a cost-effective approach to achieving and maintaining healthy, youthful-looking skin for years to come.

 

Additionally, BOTOX for prejuvenation purposes typically requires less product with each treatment than traditional BOTOX treatments, so side effects such as bruising and swelling are generally less pronounced with preventative or “baby BOTOX” than with traditional BOTOX treatments used to correct existing wrinkles. Results may also last longer when receiving regular BOTOX treatments.

 

What’s the Best Age to Start Preventative BOTOX?

 

As demonstrated by the twin study cited above, starting regular BOTOX treatments earlier in life can have a compounding preventative effect on skin aging. Thus, the best time to begin BOTOX treatments in order to prevent lines and wrinkles is as soon as you begin to notice these signs of aging on your skin. For many people, this occurs in their mid-20s to early-30s. 

 

BOTOX is approved for use in people ages 18 and older, but if you do not see any signs of wrinkles yet, it may be too soon to begin preventative BOTOX treatments. 

 

On the other hand, even if you did not start BOTOX treatments as soon as you first noticed signs of wrinkles, you can still benefit from beginning regular BOTOX treatments now. While injectables treatments like BOTOX cannot address significant skin laxity, they can improve the appearance of deeper lines and creases, particularly on the forehead, between the brows, and near the eyes.

 

Can BOTOX Be Paired with Other Skin Treatments?

 

Yes! BOTOX can often be paired with other skin treatments to achieve even more comprehensive results or to address multiple skin concerns. Some of the most popular skin treatments to pair with BOTOX include:

 

• Dermal fillers. Injectable fillers and BOTOX are perhaps the most common anti-aging treatment combination. While similar in some aspects, fillers and BOTOX injections have a few key differences that allow them to work synergistically to achieve beautiful, natural-looking results. For example, BOTOX is most commonly used to smooth away lines and wrinkles in the forehead area, between the brows, and near the eyes. Fillers, on the other hand, are typically used to reduce wrinkles near the nose and mouth. Fillers can also add volume to the cheeks and lips. 

• Laser skin treatments. Laser treatments are another popular option to combine with BOTOX. Lasers can address a wide range of skin concerns, including uneven skin tone and texture, acne scars, redness, enlarged pores, and fine lines and wrinkles. When combining laser treatments with BOTOX, your provider may recommend scheduling two separate appointments spaced a few weeks apart, depending on which treatment you have first. Always work with a reputable provider to ensure you schedule each treatment appropriately for optimal results and minimal side effects.

• Peels and facials. Chemical peels and facials like HydraFacial™ make excellent complements to BOTOX, as they can help to improve the overall tone, texture, and brightness of your skin while BOTOX combats lines and wrinkles. In many cases, these treatments can be performed at the same time. 

In Summary

 

Starting preventative BOTOX sooner than later can be an effective way to delay the skin aging process and maintain a smooth, youthful-looking complexion no matter your age. Whether getting BOTOX on its own or pairing it with another skin treatment, always work with a qualified and experienced provider to create a customized treatment plan that fits your skin’s unique needs. 

 

If you are ready to take the first step toward preventing future wrinkles, call our Boca Raton & Fort Lauderdale office at 561-462-0489 or contact us online to set up a consultation with one of our highly-skilled and sought-after skincare professionals in Southeastern Florida.