Everywhere you look, from the pages of magazines to billboards to movie stars on the red carpet, there is pressure to look young and beautiful – and wrinkle free. It is no wonder more and more young women, sometimes as young as their early 20s or late teens, are seeking anti-aging cosmetic treatments and surgery. Some even believe it will stop or slow the aging process.
Recent controversy has focused on Botox Cosmetic injections. Comprised of a toxin derived from a bacterium that causes the food poisoning botulism, Botox Cosmetic decreases the look of forehead wrinkles and furrows by relaxing certain facial muscles. The effects, which can be quite striking, last for 3-4 months, at which point your face will return back to its original state. For this reason, many people continue Botox treatments indefinitely once they begin.
The Food and Drug Administration, the government arm that regulates Botox, says it is safe and reliable for cosmetic treatment and typically carries only a few side effects, such as headaches or a little pain at the injection site. The FDA, however, does not impose any guidelines as far as age, which raises the question: how old should you be to start Botox injections?
There are many reports of doctors turning patients away who are too young. But in doing so, it is not necessarily the age they’re disputing, but the need. In other words, if there are no wrinkles present, there is no need for Botox. A responsible, reputable doctor will not recommend or conduct a procedure if the need isn’t present.
However, wrinkles can indeed start to appear in your 20s and 30s, and Botox works remarkably in smoothing out those wrinkles, giving you a younger appearance. There is also evidence, although mostly anecdotal, that Botox treatments are more effective when started earlier rather than later, when wrinkles are more deeply defined.
Post provided by Benjamin Stong MD