3 (Crucial) Questions About Preventative Botox

It is one of the most notorious procedures on the cosmetic market, but it has a reputation for being something that only older people have performed. You know, people who have already developed fine lines and wrinkles on their faces. People who need a way to make their faces look younger.

So what does it possibly have to offer someone who isn’t experiencing those symptoms? What does it have to offer someone younger, who hasn’t developed facial aging?

Turns out, Botox isn’t just a reactionary treatment anymore. More and more people each year are having something called preventative Botox performed.

What Is Preventative Botox?

To understand how preventative Botox works, you first need to understand the fundamentals of how it has been notoriously used for decades as an anti-aging treatment.

What Is Botox?

Botox is made from botulinum toxin type A, a compound that derives from the same bacterium that is known to cause the disease botulism. But don’t worry — the compound that is injected into targeted areas of your face through a tiny cannula doesn’t carry the risk of injecting you with that infamous illness.

Botulinum toxin type A is actually a highly specific, purified version of the compound. When injected into the muscle, it prevents communication between the muscle and the brain. That sounds scary, but in reality, it is kind of like turning on and off the valve of a water hose. No permanent damage is done, but you can temporarily stop the flow.

How Is It Usually Used?

How is stopping the flow of communication between the brain and muscles useful? The answer is simple: wrinkles are formed on the face when muscles contract. When we smile, frown, smirk or sneer, our face is using dozens of tiny, intricate movements to convey our emotions. Unfortunately, that leads to the folding of the skin.

This folding is a key reason that wrinkles exist. By stopping the brain from telling the muscles in your face to move, either consciously or unconsciously, we can stop the formation of wrinkles that appear when we emote. This doesn’t mean you have to be emotionless — in fact, only a few small, negligible muscles can be stopped to make a dramatic improvement to your appearance.

This prevention is the cornerstone of why Botox is so successful. Even people with moderate and severe levels of wrinkling can smooth their faces with a few small injections. No muscle movements mean less apparent wrinkles. It’s a simple, time-tested formula.

How Is Preventative Botox Different?

But recently, a bit of innovation has been developing in the world of aesthetic medicine. Many younger groups are choosing to begin experimenting with the use of Botox before any wrinkles or fine lines have developed. But… why?

The answer goes back to that core cause of wrinkling we mentioned earlier. As we use our facial muscles day after day, the skin becomes accustomed to the movement and makes folds in the skin to compensate for all the shifting skin. This is exacerbated by the aging process, which causes our skin to break down even further from a lack of essential proteins.

Somewhere along the way, we figured out that stopping this process ahead of time can dramatically delay the creation of facial wrinkling. Apparently, there is a second simple formula to Botox: no muscle movement means less wrinkle development to begin with.

When Should You Start Getting Preventative Botox?

Okay, great. We have covered what Botox is and why it is effective as a preventative measure. But when is the right time to start treatment? As a general rule, Botox is typically only used on people who are 18 years or older.

The inconvenient truth is that everyone is different. Depending on your genetics and lifestyle, you may be at risk of developing wrinkles earlier in life. Make frequent trips to the High Desert for motorsports? Spend a lot of time hiking in Lake Arrowhead? Are you a frequent Big Bear skier? Find yourself in Coachella or Joshua Tree more than a few times a year?

This kind of environmental exposure can cause wrinkles and fine lines to set in way earlier, especially if you aren’t wearing protective sunscreen every time you are exposed to harsh UV rays. If your parents or grandparents developed wrinkles early, that might also spell bad news for you. But there are always exceptions to the rules.

Unfortunately, some lifestyle choices like smoking or excessive drinking can also speed up your wrinkle timeline.

Considering all of this, at Senza Aesthetic Medicine we recommend that people begin preventative medicine sometime in their mid-20s to early 30s. If you fall into that age range, or if you are younger and would like to get a consultation about your appearance, you can fill out our online contact form to have a member of our team reach out to you at a convenient time.

What Should I Consider Before Getting Preventative Botox?

All this information can be overwhelming, so let us simplify it down for you with a quick cheat sheet of things you should consider before getting preventative Botox. If you check any of the boxes below, you can likely benefit from this treatment.

• I am beginning to show early signs of facial wrinkles, fine lines or folding.
• I would like to prevent wrinkles from developing for as long as possible.
• I have a family history of early wrinkle development.
• I don’t usually wear protective sunscreen.
• I am in my mid-20s or early 30s.
• I spend a lot of time outdoors.
• I have a history of smoking.
• I consume alcohol often.

Preventative Botox in Redlands, CA

If you are located in Orange County or the Inland Empire, then you are only a short drive away from visiting our office in Redlands. We are a team of professionals who are looking forward to helping you through your aesthetic journey. We are practiced in all Botox applications and can help you design a treatment plan that will meet all your current and future cosmetic needs.

Give us a call at (909) 793-3563 or fill out our online contact form to have a member of our team reach out to you at your preferred time.