Can you prevent aging with botox?

Botox Charlotte

For years, botox has been the most popular nonsurgical cosmetic treatment in the US. This treatment is highly effective for treating wrinkles and grooves caused by the actions of certain facial muscles. 

Many people wait to consider botox until they’re already noticing significant issues with their facial appearance. However, starting botox earlier may actually help to prevent some of these issues from arising in the first place. 

How can botox prevent aging? At what age might someone begin to consider starting botox if they’d like to prevent aging?

Botox prevents wrinkles by relaxing muscles

The repeated actions of facial muscles can gradually lead to the formation of deep grooves and wrinkles. Each time the muscle acts on the skin, it creates a fold. At first, the skin can bounce back, and smooth out again after the muscle relaxes. However, as the muscle creates the same fold over and over, it eventually starts to affect the tissues, creating a wrinkle. 

Botox acts on these muscles. It prevents the nerves from causing activation of the muscles, which keeps them in a relaxed state. Without the actions of the muscles, the skin folds will not occur, and so wrinkles will not form in the area.

This means that botox is actually much better at preventing wrinkles than it is at treating them if they’re already there. 

Botox can be started in the late 20s or early 30s

If you use botox on skin that hasn’t yet formed grooves or wrinkles, then botox will stop that from happening in the first place. Injections of botox into areas with smooth skin will cause them to stay smooth for longer. In fact, since these areas will never be affected by wrinkles at all, the results will tend to be even better than for people who wait until they notice the signs of aging to get their injections.

This is why some people choose botox injections in their younger years, often beginning in the late 20s or early 30s. At this time, the skin still has good elasticity, and wrinkles generally haven’t formed yet. By using botox, the smooth and youthful look to the face will last for much longer.

Botox can still be useful when you’re older

If you already have some grooves and wrinkles, botox will still help. Over time, as the muscles stay consistently relaxed, the skin will tend to smooth out again, and the appearance of the wrinkles will soften. However, botox will not immediately get rid of wrinkles or grooves.

If you want to get rid of wrinkles that have already formed, then you might want to consider using dermal fillers to fill those in. Some people choose to combine fillers with botox – the dermal filler gets rid of wrinkles and the botox prevents them from coming back.

Botox Charlotte

Whether you’re a younger person who’s considering using botox to prevent the visible signs of aging, or a somewhat older person who’s already started to experience aging, botox might be a good option for you to consider. Depending on your concerns, you might want to combine it with another treatment, such as fillers. If your concerns about your appearance are more severe, then a surgical treatment, like a facelift, might be better able to get the results that you’re looking for.

A specialist in the field of cosmetic medicine will be able to advise you on your various options, and which one would be most likely to get the results that you’re looking for. This will require an exam, as well as a discussion of your medical history along with your goals. If you’re in the area around Charlotte, we invite you to schedule a consultation with Dr. Miles. As a double-boarded plastic surgeon, he’s highly qualified to help you decide if any of these treatments would be right for you. Please contact our office to schedule your appointment.