Is Botox® Right for Me?
Botox® is one of the most popular methods for addressing lines and wrinkles due to aging, but most people are not aware there are multiple types dermal fillers that can be utilized in conjunction with Botox® injections to add volume if necessary, depending upon your age and visible signs of aging.
Botox® is equally suitable for men as it is for women and could be the best treatment for you to address certain signs of aging.
You are a good candidate for Botox® if one or more of the following applies to you:
- You have crow’s feet or worry lines around your eyes
- You have moderate to severe frown lines between the brows
- You find that your makeup is collecting in facial creases and lines
- You’re experiencing a droopy brow
- You have lines above your upper lip
Skin ages at a different rate and every man and woman feels differently about the way aging skin makes them look and feel. The good news is that you don’t have live with wrinkles that make you appear or feel older than you feel or give you a tired looking appearance.
How Botox® works
When you smile or frown, the muscles in specific areas of your face are reacting to signals from your facial nerves. Botox® is injected under the surface of the skin to temporarily block those nerve signals from reaching your facial muscles, in essence relaxing them so they don’t respond so enthusiastically.
Botox® is injected strategically into specific areas determined by your cosmetic specialist and it’s an FDA-approved cosmetic treatment for improvement of lines and wrinkles. Injections are made with a very small and thin needle, the size of a hair follicle, and can be administered in as little as 10 minutes, depending upon the areas you wish to address.
Botox typically begins to work in 3 days with maximal effect seen in 3 to 4 weeks. The treated lines, wrinkles and creases will be visibly smoother and results are natural looking – not frozen or artificial. Although results vary from person to person and areas treated, Botox® can help you look refreshed, lively and more youthful.
When should I use Botox®?
There’s no hard and fast rule as to when you can begin utilizing Botox® injections. The best guideline is when lines and wrinkles begin to bother you and that time is different for everyone.
If your face is particularly expressive, you may begin to wrinkle earlier than others and turn to Botox sooner.
Nonetheless, there are a variety of actions that you can take to preserve your youthful appearance at any age:
- Wear sunscreen
- Moisturize your skin daily
- Do not smoke
- Minimize stress
- Drink plenty of water
- Minimize the use of alcohol
For additional tips on this subject, read our post 25 Foods & Supplements For Glowing Skin.
However, even the most elaborate beauty regimen won’t stop the aging process. Personalized, preventative and ongoing skincare measures should be explored.
Botox® provides an easy and effective way of retaining a youthful appearance at any age.
Preventative Botox®
If you’re still on the younger side of the age spectrum, Botox® can be used as a preventative measure at the very first appearance of even faint lines and wrinkles. The dosage needed will also be lower when administered as a preventative.
If you’re not sure if Botox® will be an option for you, try this easy experiment…
Look in a mirror – smile and frown at yourself. The wrinkles that you see in both instances will worsen and deepen over time. Botox® injections can reduce the need for more invasive treatments in the future as you age.
Botox® Maintenance
To maintain your youthful appearance, you should plan for recurring Botox treatments every 3-4 months to relax the wrinkles again.
In small amounts, Botox is also effective for smoothing wrinkles on the upper lip and it can be utilized to strategically lift a sagging brow.
Once referred to as “character lines,” fine lines and wrinkles may have nothing to do with the type of person you are, but they do have a distinct impact on the way you look and feel about yourself, as well as, the impression you leave on others. So it is in your best interest to stay on top of your Botox maintenance schedule.
Deep Botox®
For deeper lines and wrinkles typically caused by loss of collagen and volume, a deep Botox® treatment can provide results when used in conjunction with a dermal filler to reduce wrinkles and plump up your facial skin.
Much depends upon the location of the wrinkles and how much volume has been lost. When used together, dermal fillers help fill and define facial contours and Botox® will smooth and minimize any remaining lines that exist.
A Botox® and dermal filler combination can be used at any age. Good candidates for this combination treatment are people that have typically retained a youthful outlook, but have experienced changes in their facial appearance that make them look tired, sleepy or upset.
If your goal is to improve your look to the best version of yourself – Botox® is for you.
Botox® Will Not Fix Everything
A consultation is the best way to determine if Botox® is the best option for you or if other treatments may be available to address other concerns such as wrinkles exacerbated by: dry skin, loss of volume, or even your current beauty regimen.