Cosmetic Dermatology: How to Use Botox for Wrinkle Prevention

Botox injections are one of the most popular cosmetic procedures on the market today. And while you might be familiar with the practice of using Botox to reduce eye wrinkles, have you ever considered using it to prevent wrinkles entirely? Here’s what you need to know.

What to Know About Botox

How Does Botox Work?

Before you invest in this cosmetic dermatology service for wrinkle prevention, it’s important to understand how it works. Most people think that Botox “freezes” the muscles where it’s injected, but that’s just not true. In reality, Botox injections operate by blocking signals from your nerves that tell muscles to contract. Without muscle contractions, your skin isn’t stretched to such extremes and any wrinkles present on your face can relax and soften. This means that Botox is an ideal treatment for wrinkles that form as a result of muscle movement, such as the 11’s between the eyebrows, crow’s feet, and horizontal lines across the forehead. Fortunately, it’s exactly this process that can help prevent wrinkles, too. By inhibiting the movement of these muscles and training your face to avoid using them, Botox can be an excellent preventative wrinkle treatment for younger patients.

When Should I Start Preventative Wrinkle Treatment with Botox?

While this is a great question, there isn’t one answer that fits everyone perfectly. Everybody has different skin and different facial mannerisms, which means different people may want to start preventative Botox at different times in their lives. For some people, consistent forehead expressions may result in wrinkles developing in that area during their early 20s. Others may not even begin to see signs of fine lines in their forehead until well into their 40s. In addition to facial expressiveness, factors like genetics and overall skin health play a role in determining when preventative Botox will be most effective for a patient. It’s also important to note that sun damage and smoking tend to make fine lines and wrinkles develop sooner and more severely, so be mindful of those factors. In general, preventative Botox treatment should begin before lines start to appear when your face is at rest. Whether that’s at age 25 or age 35 depends on the factors we mentioned above and countless more.

What Will the First Session Entail?

While Botox isn’t entirely non-invasive as a cosmetic dermatology service, it takes much less time than you might think to get in and out after your initial consultation. An initial consultation about preventative Botox might take about 30 minutes or so, but the injections themselves rarely take more than five or 10 minutes, depending on the area you’re having treated. Since Botox is typically only used on problem areas, you shouldn’t have to deal with too many injections in a single session. Results for this wrinkle reducer also take a relatively short time to reveal themselves. In most cases, results will start to appear in a few days and reach their peak about two weeks after your initial injections.

Botox is an excellent treatment option for reducing the appearance of wrinkles and helping to prevent them. If you’re interested in preventing facial wrinkles or have more questions about Botox injections, schedule an appointment with North Pacific Dermatology today.