In 2024, ageing is no longer a dirty word. Skincare brands are tweaking their packaging to reflect that growing older isn’t something to be feared, and more of us are questioning the effects of trends like face taping and glass skin on our self-esteem. But while we’re embracing the ageing process a little more, we’re also on the lookout for subtle ways to rejuvenate skin.
One of those ways is Botox or wrinkle injections. Award-winning aesthetic doctor Dr Steven Harris is known for his frank approach to cosmetic treatments on Instagram. A champion of natural-looking results amid what he calls an epidemic of ‘alienisation’, Dr Harris notes that Botox usage is increasing. “All aesthetic procedures involving injectables are on the rise in my clinic,” he tells R29. A recent report confirms that the demand for Botox is indeed on the rise, while another study sees “a shift in behaviours” among young adults, who now value “prevention over correction”.
Enter: preventative Botox.
Dr Harris isn’t sold, though. In fact, it could be a total waste of time.
Using Botox before lines show up doesn’t make a huge amount of sense. There is no convincing, scientific evidence that preventative Botox works.
Dr. Harris
What is preventative Botox?
Botox or anti-wrinkle injections relax or paralyse the facial muscles. This makes the fine lines, wrinkles and crow’s feet which sit above those muscles less visible. But do these injections work as a preventative measure? Dr Harris thinks not.
“Preventative Botox exists as a concept,” says Dr Harris, and it is offered in various aesthetic clinics up and down the country. “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.
“People are now starting Botox in their early 20s,” says Dr Harris, “but for most people, visible wrinkles tend to show up in the 30s and maybe even 40s.” Put simply, it’s absurd to start doing Botox unless there are visible lines to treat. “Botox is a drug and it should be looked at as any other drug,” says Dr Harris. He adds: “You don’t want to be taking it if it’s not necessary, because there are side effects to it.”
Does preventative Botox actually work?
“To my mind, using Botox before lines show up doesn’t make a huge amount of sense,” says Dr Harris. He continues that there are no definitive studies which show that Botox can prevent wrinkles from forming. Rather, it can minimise them once they are already there. “Even if the muscle itself becomes disused [thanks to regular injections over time], it would soon regain function,” says Dr Harris.
Are preventative wrinkle injections simply a money-making scheme, then? “Potentially, yes,” says Dr Harris, “as people do sell preventative Botox.” Sure enough, a quick internet search for ‘preventative Botox’ in the UK serves up thousands …read more
Source:: Refinery29
