Losing your Botox virginity? Yes it's a thing, and no it's not a big deal.
I’ve worked in this industry for years and I have encountered the so called “Botox Virgin” at almost every decade of life. This is the big question still that gets asked almost daily in my practice.
When is the right time to have your proverbial cherry popped?
The answer is there is there is no right time or age. As with all things aging, and treatment related, this is such an individual approach and solution.
Three things that you need to have to be ready though are: you need to be physically ready, emotionally ready and financially ready.
1.) Physically
I want to see fine lines or wrinkles. If you have no evidence of a wrinkle at rest, I think it's too early. Often a common complaint and drive into the office for a first botox treatment is “the makeup is settling in my lines”. Another physical indication is, muscular asymmetries, pulls, hyperactivity, or heaviness. examples of this can be: differences in brow height, the way a muscle will make the lip pull one side of the mouth down more than the other side, a very gummy smile, or a heavy flat brow. Muscles behave in various manners and have various indications, so if I am not seeing lines, I want to see a physical indication where botox can relax a muscle.
2.) Emotionally
Diving in to the world of aesthetics and botox can be very anxiety provoking and scary for a virgin. For that special first (and every time after), I advise that that special someone who will give you your first prick, should be a responsible, caring, experienced and well versed in their art. Education on the process should be completed, a full facial assessment so that both the practitioner and yourself are on the same page of desired outcomes, and most importantly to build trust and a long lasting relationship. Also emotionally, why are you doing it? It should be a decision made by you, for you. When you really feel your ready, it will feel right, and oh so good.
3.) Financially
So you read that oh so good part about how it would feel like right?!? Well your going to want it again, and again and again. Jokes aside, maintenance is key to prevention and to make the most of your investment. To maintain your results it is advised to have your botox re done every 3-4 months. The muscle starts to become active again at this time, this is the ideal time to help it relax again. This is where the preventative part really shows. The more time that passes where the muscle is relaxed, the less it contracts, which means there is no ability to make lines deeper. So make sure you pick the right time to start and in the end you will be saving your skin and possibly larger and more difficult treatments in the future.
Break down of when people start their journey with Botox:
The earliest age I have injected botox is in the teens- examples of treatments we have done were botox for hyperhidrosis for the armpits (excessive sweating), TMJ, tense scowling that was causing tension headaches.
Having many colleagues and relationships with well respected doctors in the industry, many have also treated as early as in the teens years. One dermatologist had his daughter start Botox at the age of 16 for severe migraines, and one at 18 just for prevention as she was showing fixed lines.
The average age when most people are starting nowadays: mid 20’s -mid 40’s
Mid 20’ to early 30’s: these are our save early adopters, they care about their skin, bodies and maintenance , they are unapologetic about their self care and want to feel their best. This is the time we sometimes see those fine lines, and this is where these patients want to keep them. These patients are what we call the "glow getters". They believe how they age is a choice and they want to take control of it.
Mid 30’s to mid 40’s: Age, life, stress and all their glory are hitting us and its showing. This is the true tipping point. When you start Botox at this time, we can pause and maintain, however often after the mid 40s and into the 50s (genetics and lifestyle depending) is when we start to see more significant aging, and more difficulty in reversing what is bothering the patient. It doesn’t mean it can’t be done, however one session will provide a softening effect to lines and wrinkles and may take many sessions to get your skin back to your more youthful years.
Mid 50’s- 60’s: Here is where combination therapy is most definitely needed in addition to a larger budget. Often Botox may not be enough on its own, where deep lines have settles there is often collagen breakdown, as loss of fat and hyaluronic acid that may need to be replaced and to add tension on the skin. With that said, I have even treated a patient for the first time in their 70s, some people just are completely lucky jerks who have super genetics, and they walk into the clinic complaining of new lines that were there just 5 years ago.
How BOTOX® can help with the prevention of wrinkles and aging:
For many years the cosmetic industry has talked about the preventative benefits of regular Botox treatments and a recent study was conducted on identical twins to support these beliefs of prevention.
To summarize the study, one of the twins received Botox regularly over the span of 13 years, while the other twin only had treatment twice (3 and 7 years before the study).
Results revealed that the twin who received regular treatments did not show many of the typical signs of aging as compared to her twin who only received two treatments. Forehead creases, frown lines, and crow’s feet were the three biggest concerns for the twins. Researchers pointed out that the regular injectable treatments are what kept one of the twins from developing facial lines. They also found there were no adverse effects from long-term use of the botulinum toxin.
To summarize, getting Botox done for the first time is a big deal, I’ve been there, I know it's scary, it's a world of unknown, and it's your face! There really is no right age as we all are so different genetically, and how the environment and our own self care will determine when we will first give it a try.
However once you you hit that sweet peak, where the botox works its magic, it feels like heaven- you feel invincible, like you own a whole new level of confidence.
The next fear and question I next encounter is, will it hurt? To answer that question…..most will say “oh you finished already”? as if it all ended quicker than they expected. I can’t wait to welcome you to the wonderful world of Botox!
Barb
At Skin Worthy, we value educating our patients on their treatments whether they are a first timer or a seasoned expert, we encourage you to come in for a complimentary consultation. We will discuss your goals, assess your skin and decide the best plan of action for your specific needs.
call Skin Worthy 647-350-7546 to book your consultation today!