Lifestyle
I’m in my 40s. Is it too late to try Botox?
Dear Face Time, I’m in my early 40s and I’ve never had Botox, but I’m surrounded by it. I live in a big city and all of my friends are big believers in the neurotoxin. I’m not against it — not scared of needles, don’t really object to the idea of chemicals in my face — but, for me, it’s more about “Ugh, do I really need to add another thing to my beauty regimen?” My understanding is that you have to keep on doing it for it to actually work and that sounds time-intensive, not to mention expensive. I don’t have wrinkles that keep me up at night. But obviously, I know more wrinkles will eventually come … so I don’t want to wait until it’s too late. Is now the time to do it? — Decision Paralysis
Dear Decision Paralysis, In a world where literal 22-year-olds with fewer lines than an atom mirror are dropping coin on preventative “Baby Botox” to avoid even the slightest sign of aging, I’m going to start with what I suspect is an unpopular opinion: If your wrinkles aren’t bothering you, you don’t need to freeze them with a neuromodulator like Botox. Period. You’re right that these injections are temporary (treatments last about 3-6 months), expensive (between $300-$1,400 a session, depending on your city and injector) and getting them before you’re ready is also a slippery, self-critical slope.
If you are currently looking at your face and not hating what you see, my advice is to bask in this rare and glorious moment as a woman on Planet Earth. The truth is, aging naturally can actually be more gratifying than you may have imagined yet and, contrary to everything the world and TikTok will tell you, you may continue to like what you see. I am perhaps in the old-school minority when I suggest that you need not panic nor bend to societal pressure and, instead, let your face do what it’s going to do. Keep up a quality skin care routine (including daily sunscreen) and if and when there comes a time that you are not loving what your face is doing, then — and only then — should you consider more serious interventions.
If you are currently looking at your face and not hating what you see, my advice is to bask in this rare and glorious moment as a woman on Planet Earth.
That said, if you wake up at 48 and think, “I can’t live with these frown lines,” Botox can be an amazing tool for softening wrinkles — no matter what your age. “For the large majority of cases, patients who are starting at some point in their 20, 30s, 40s or 50s, Botox will relax your muscles and make those lines go away,” board-certified dermatologist Dr. Blair Murphy-Rose told me. In terms of being “too late” for Botox, Murphy-Rose says that “at some point, as skin laxity really increases in an aging face, Botox doesn’t necessarily always respond the way it does in a younger face. But I’ve successfully treated patients in their 90s. I’ve actually treated my grandmother in her 90s — honestly, with a beautiful result.”
And in terms of “preventative” Botox? You might not even need it: “Deep lines can happen for some people very young, but they can also happen for some people at a much later age. So it really depends on your genetics, your environmental exposures and your skin type and tone. There are so many variables,” she explains. Murphy-Rose says that super deep lines can be harder to reverse with a neuromodulator like Botox, but they’re still not impossible to smooth with a combination of Botox and a hyaluronic acid filler.
Last, while in recent years Botox has become ubiquitous (offered in at-home gatherings — like a modern-day Tupperware party! — and at places like the gym), finding a skilled injector matters to your result.
“You want an experienced injector who has very good in-depth knowledge of the anatomy,” Murphy-Rose says. “Because Botox is not harmless, it carries risks and it can’t just be reversed. So if it’s placed poorly and you’re getting an unwanted effect — which honestly happens more often than you would want to know about — you just kind of have to sit it out for the most part. You just have to wait the four to six months till it goes away.”
If you do decide to get Botox, Murphy-Rose says your best bet to achieving the look you want is to find an injector who shares your aesthetic and be clear about your goals upfront.
What’s the best makeup for wrinkles? Does retinol work? Ask Jennifer Romolini anything, as the kids say, and she’ll answer with straightforward, expert-backed advice. Submit questions in the comments below, on social @yahoolife or email askfacetime@yahoo.com.