Am I Too Old For Botox®?

Let’s face it, the majority of us are daunted by the thought of ageing. With youthful faces flaunted all over the media, it’s no wonder that we aspire to look a little less tired and a bit more fresh-faced. Irrespective of how great your skincare regime has been over the years, as we age, it takes longer for our skin cells to regenerate. The collagen and elastin, which makes our skin lovely and plump, start to breakdown quicker; this leads to more prominent wrinkles. If that wasn’t bad enough, as ladies approach the menopause, skin tends to become drier and thinner too!

With this in mind, the average age of clients who decide to start anti-wrinkle treatments such as Botox^® is around age 35. This age is often when we start to see those dreaded wrinkles and fine lines appearing more permanently around the eyes and on the forehead. You may have heard of the term “preventative Botox®” in magazine articles and on social media, but what does it mean? The term “preventative Botox®” is when Botulinum Toxin Type A (often commonly referred to as Botox^®) is used in specific areas to stop wrinkles from becoming deep-set. Deep-set wrinkles creep in as we age and the skin takes longer to turn over/regenerate. To help, if you think of continually folding a piece of paper, the first time you fold it, the crease is there but you can probably iron it out so that it’s not so noticeable. But the more times you fold it, the harder it is to disguise! So, if you already have wrinkles, can I benefit from Botox^®? The short answer is, Yes!

There really is no upper age limit for who can have Botox^® and age alone shouldn’t stop you. Unlike our inevitable increase in years/age, our bodies and skin all age at different rates. So really there is nothing stopping you from having Botox®, but you should be aware of realistically what can be achieved. For example, whilst it might be lovely if you’re in your 60’s to come out looking like your 30’s… It just doesn’t look quite right and with Botox^® alone it is completely unachievable – unless you have miracle genes!

As we approach our 40’s, 50’s and 60’s, wrinkles become more pronounced and skin tends to become thinner and drier. You might need to consider complementary treatments, such as laser treatments, skin peels and fillers to really achieve the optimum result you are after. There is also the fact that sometimes it’s not possible or desirable to completely eradicate wrinkles. However, what we can achieve is a softer, fresher and more rejuvenated look. I often describe this to my clients as the “Bahamas look”; that look you have when you’ve just come back from a super relaxing holiday! As a result, you may or may not be surprised to know that many clients report that people don’t realise they have had any treatment, but they have had comments that they are looking really well. This natural, fresh feel is exactly what we’re after!

Blog Post by Dr Siobhan Hewson

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