"When you use Botox, you are preventing fine wrinkles and preventing deepening of those wrinkles that you already have," says Dr. Nazarian. "Potentially, if you start early, you will atrophy the facial muscles and weaken them so that you don't have to get Botox as often when you are older.
By injecting the muscles that typically cause wrinkles around the mouth, eyes, and eyebrows with Botox before they start to develop wrinkles, you are essentially preventing them before they happen.
In fact, regular Botox use can actually retrain certain muscles to move less, leading to smoother skin with less Botox over time. After Botox wears off, your face returns to its natural state. The dynamic wrinkles that your Botox kept hidden show up again. You will not have any new lines caused by Botox.
And if you're wondering if Botox works if you already have wrinkles, the answer is a resounding YES. In fact, smoothing out facial wrinkles and fine lines, like laugh lines, crow's feet, frown lines, etc., is the primary FDA-approved purpose of Botox injections.
Many people worry that if they stop getting BOTOX injections, their wrinkles will come back faster and worse than before. However, this is not the case. If you stop BOTOX injections, your wrinkles will slowly start to come back, but slower than if you had never used BOTOX to begin with.
There's a common misconception that Botox makes you look older when it wears off. On the contrary, regular Botox treatments make you look younger even after the neurotoxin wears off.
At what age should you stop using Botox? There is no upper age limit for people who want to have Botox. In fact, many women enjoy the refreshed look they can get from Botox and complementary treatments when they are in their 60s or older.
Botox limits movement by blocking acetylcholine, the chief neurotransmitter. Over time, the theory goes, a repeat user of Botox weakens her facial muscles, slowing the process in which dynamic lines (those that form when she is making an expression) settle into static lines (those visible when her face is at rest).
Patients must be 18 years or older to be able to get Botox. However, most experts agree that in most cases, patients at a good age for preventative Botox treatment are those in their mid-late 20s and early 30s who are prone to wrinkles.
When people see lines forming after BOTOX wears off, they assume treatment made their wrinkles worse. Actually, your face simply returns back to its natural state. No new wrinkles or lines are ever caused by these injections.
Years of Botox use may mean you'll need less and less for maintenance over time. "With appropriate frequency and amount, your muscles become less strong and you may not need as much Botox or need it as frequently," Farber says.
"The idea is that if you can't move the muscles in your face, the lines above them won't form." In other words, the injections are said to stave off wrinkles for longer. But Dr Harris says there is no convincing scientific evidence that preventative Botox works.
"If you do too much Botox on your forehead for many, many years, the muscles will get weaker and flatter," cautions Wexler, adding that the skin can also appear thinner and looser. Moreover, as your muscles become weaker, they can start to recruit surrounding muscles when you make facial expressions.
One of the most common misconceptions about BOTOX and other injectable wrinkle relaxers is that using these products will make the patient appear frozen, plastic, or overly tight. In reality, the enhancements made with BOTOX injections can look exceptionally natural when performed by an experienced injector.
Can you still get BOTOX® even at a late age? Yep! BOTOX® works beautifully even for more advanced signs of aging.
Long-Term Consequences of Over-Use
Negative side-effects of prolonged over-use of Botox may include muscle weakness as the facial muscles involved with Botox application slowly lose their ability to function normally.
Using Botox® After Your 40s: Part Of A Wider Treatment
If you consider starting Botox® after the age of 40, you should be aware that Botox® works better with the fine lines due to repetitive movement of the face (smiling, frowning, etc). It works much less for muscles that become heavy or sag from age.
Like many doctors in the “No” camp of having Botox young, Dr Zamani says starting too early is at best a waste of money and at worst, ultimately going to make you look older. “A lot of people start in their 20s as a mechanism to ward off getting lines and wrinkles caused by movement.
If you use Botox for ten or more years, your skin will appear brighter and smoother with fewer wrinkles. Even after stopping Botox injections after years of use, you'll still notice fewer wrinkles between your eyes or on your forehead, which means you'll continue to age gracefully.
Well, don't we wish Botox lasted forever? Unfortunately, it doesn't. Eventually, the action of the neurotoxin will wear off and the nerves will again be able to send those signals to the muscles to start working or contracting. In general, Botox lasts 3-4 months.
The cosmetic use of Botox is safe even in cases of repeated injections. On the other hand, the long-lasting cosmetic use of botulinum toxin can trigger permanent changes in facial expression, and an expressionless, mask-like face.
Answer: No, BOTOX Reduces Sagging
BOTOX works by relaxing facial muscles, but that won't lead to sagging or the loss of elasticity. In fact, the opposite is true. The constant contraction of facial muscles causes our skin to move.