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I'm 37 and think skin care is very important in the 30s. I've noticed a lot of changes in my skin in the last couple of years and have been on glycolic acids and microdermabrasion rather than Retin-A. I haven't tried Botox but feel I will soon, or at least by the time I'm 40. I've read that Botox is a face lift preventer. It might even be something to start sooner rather than later.
You are a smart girl, get them before they come! I was still soakin the sun up at your age and now i'm trying to erase lines!! I would definitely start retin A treatment, very smart, you don't want those light lines to grow into crow's feet, like i have!! It has helped me so much i do not believe anything over the counter will really stop and or erase or prevent wrinkles except retin A. You might get red a little at first but its worth it. good luck and if iwere you I would take that botox money and go shopping (this is because if you commit to a prescription retinoid you should never need botox)
I agree-you are smart to think about this early. I have not used Retin A but you've gotten alot of advice on that. I have a few acne scars (minor) and have gotten a tube of hydroquinone product OTC that worked really well on them. It fades scars but does nothing for wrinkles. I don't have many wrinkles for my age but I see some fine ones starting around my eyes. If I could use Retin A there I probably would have gotten it already.
Retin A and botox are used for two totally different things. Botox relaxes muscles and retin A is just surface. I have seen my friend's faces who use Retin A and I haven't noticed more than a slight difference in actual wrinkles but hey slight is good! They still have fine lines all over though so to me it really isn't something that makes you look younger. BUT I have seen it make a real difference in the skin surface and I think someone mentioned that with acne scars that caused pitting in the skin. Strivectin (sold at macy's etc) have their ad stating "better than botox" BS it's better. I've tried the stuff--not so. It's like a moisturizer. The physiology of how a wrinkle forms is easy--it's from muscle use over time and when the skin thins and is less resilient it gets pulled and over time the lines will form. No face cream will help that. If it did we'd all have it. There is no magic cream like there is no magic pill for losing weight. So unless you stop the muscles any amount or Retin A will not prevent a wrinkle from forming. Retin A is used to minimize the look, but once you have wrinkles you're stuck. Botox can actually prevent them from forming. It stops the muscle underneath from pulling so it smooths out wrinkles already formed.
I have gotten two rounds of botox (preventative). I am 34 (will be 35 next month) and started about 6 months ago. I have no forehead wrinkles at all, not even fine lines forming BUT I did have a very fine line starting in between my eyebrows which I just hated so I went ahead and like you am trying to prevent any further line. Call around and see the prices per unit and also ask who injects you. I wanted to get injected from a plastic surgeon. I believe some offices an esthetician (sp?) can inject. I am a RN and have seen ads for work to inject as well. Try to find a plastic surgeon to do it though if possible. Price per unit generally ranges from $10-$14. For my first appt the surgeon was "why are you here?" I told him I just wanted the bare minimum to prevent wrinkles. I didn't want the frozen forehead look and he injected it perfectly so that I could still move but not enough to be forming thick scowls and such. He did a super job. I got 20 units the first time and this was all over my forehead and in between my eyebrows. Apparently he typically injects 10-14 units alone in between the eyebrows and I think he only put 4 units there for me. It worked awesome just that small amount did the trick.
The injections themselves didn't hurt at all. I was expecting a slight pinch but nothing, not even like a bee sting or pinch, it hurts more to have a hangnail really.
I have been tempted to get in office microderm but I decided against it. Again after seeing results of friends who have gone in for that and also IPL laser treatment I really noticed minimal-no difference. Its just good exfoliation. A friend just paid for a series of microderms and laser treatments and it cost $1600 (wow!). She still looks 37. Her skin maybe looks a little brighter? But I really didn't notice any changes in her scars or her lines at all unfortunately.
Back to botox--it lasted about 2.5-3 months for me. I think because I used so little it didn't last as long, but they said typically it lasts 3 months so. I paid $210 so for me it's one of those maintenance things now like getting my hair done. I rationalize that I don't get mani/pedis and do it myself so I can spend $66/month on botox. If it is done right it looks really good I think and no one can tell because you can still move your forehead. As far as crows feet go though my surgeon won't inject there since it is too close to the muscles that allow you to smile. He's pretty conservative with it and I like that.
Good luck, starting this early though you're going to look great when you hit 40 and beyond!
Botox can absolutely prevent wrinkles because it stops muscle use and over time. If started EARLY it can prevent wrinkles from forming. People at our office go in their twenties and get injected with very small amounts for prevention.
There are definitely people who are very against it for whatever reason and like the previous post focus on someone more extreme like nicole kidman (who I agree has been injected with too much). Fact is, if a doctor does a good job and you get the minimal amount it can be done and look very good and very natural and they probably couldn't tell. There will always be extreme cases. Same goes for any plastic surgery really....You go overboard and you look freaky no matter what you 'enhance' or change. I have seen some very bad plastic surgery and some very natural enhancements where no one would know.
For the OP who was interested I assure you you will like the results with a minimal amount not to mention it costs less. My forehead still moves, I can raise my eyebrows and show emotion and it has relaxed a little so it gives off very much a softer effect and I like it. My husband was surprised he LIKED it too (on me) and he is a very no fuss anti plastic surgery himself.
No, what a load of bull, Botox can't and doesn't prevent wrinkles. Wrinkle formation has to do mostly with the breakdown of collagen that begins in the 30s and speeds up in the 40s due to perimenopause. It is partly due to sun damage, since the sun breaks down collagen, but mostly due to aging and the loss of hormones which support collagen formation. If you want to prevent wrinkles, do as many things as you can to build up collagen! Do an anti aging diet that is low in carbs/low glycemic, like the Zone or Perricone. I have done the Zone since 1996; it definitely works to make skin look better. I have also done Perricone since 2002; having fish regularly in your diet can change skin tone dramatically. If fish doesn't work for you, have fish oil. Discovery Health :: Diet Dos for Glowing Skin
Use a microcurrent gadget to tone and lift skin. Dr. Perricone writes about this in his books; electrostimulation of this skin does make a big difference. I have used both Nuface and Tua Viso, two microcurrent devices on the market, and have recently been accused of having Botox!! My face has few/no wrinkles and is tight and toned. I was really aging big time in my late 30s before adding this to my regime. In four months of using microcurrent I probably look at least 6-10 years younger.
Body Beau: Official Canadian Web Site for Tua Viso, authentic non-surgical facelift; micro current facial exerciser (http://www.beauvisage.ca/home/Home/tabid/56/Default.aspx - broken link) Tina Richards: Official Website | Tina Richards NuFace :: Micro-Current Technology
Use a sunscreen of spf 30 daily, year round. Use helioplex or mexoryl sunscreens in the summer especially if you are outdoors more than an hour.
Use an antioxidantproduct as part of your skin care routine and take vitamins. Wrinkles are caused by loss of collagen which is enhanced by oxidative stress/pollution/free radicals. The British have developed an antiaging pill that contains mostly lycopene. Buy tomato paste in bulk and have a tablespoon daily. Study underlines how lycopene can lead to smoother skin
Use an LED treatment at home or at a salon to prevent/reverse sun damage.
Use hormone replacement therapy after your 40s to look and feel your best. Irregardless of what the Women's Health Initiative reported about estrogen, it is still one of the best ways to keep your skin young; lots of women are using it. Without estrogen skin can't make as much collagen and breaks down. I started using the Pill in my 30s and have gone off it recently. I look and feel OK but will eventually go back on some kind of HRT eventually. Effects of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) on Aging Skin
The methods I've listed are more about prevention and on going maintenance than a quick fix. Looking good does cost something, it's not like you can maintain a good look and not spend anything. However, everything I've listed is still much cheaper than Botox, for sure.
Last edited by lemon&lime; 02-21-2010 at 04:29 PM..
Lemon lime, you give a lot of good info, regarding botox though I will have to respectfully disagree with you though.
From dermatology.com: Muscle Use and Wrinkles
Habitual facial expressions cause the skin to wrinkle as it looses elasticity. Frown lines between the eyebrows and crows feet radiating from the corners of the eyes develop as the tiny muscles in those areas permanently contract.
From other sites:
In small, medical doses, however, this bacterium blocks the release of a chemical known as acetylcholine that is released by the nerve cells, virtually blocking electrical messages sent by the brain (and more specifically, by acetylocholine) to the muscles to contract and move. Because these messages are blocked, there is less of a chance of developing fine lines and wrinkles.
[SIZE=2]HOW DOES BOTOX PREVENT WRINKLES?
[/SIZE][SIZE=2] Facial muscle contraction such as smiling or frowning is the main cause of wrinkles. Because facial muscles are attached to the undersurface of the skin, a crease forms on the surface of the skin every time facial muscles contract to create an expression. When we are young (i.e. age 20) the skin returns to normal after a facial expression. Ultimately, however, the repetitive action of thousands of expressions over a lifetime produces permanent lines (wrinkles) that are considered a sign of old age. Botox treats these wrinkles better than any other single treatment other than surgery because Botox stops the root cause of these lines (i.e. muscle contraction). When Botox is [/SIZE][SIZE=2]started early, it is the single best antiaging therapy available[/SIZE][SIZE=2]s. Although procedures like collagen injections, fat injections, laser resurfacing, chemical peels, and surgery all help fix wrinkles, they are all trying to repair already damaged skin. Botox serves to impede the damage to the skin from ever occurring. Botox can prevent these muscles from creasing your skin every day over many years, therefore, it is intuitively logical that regular and repeated Botox treatments can prevent wrinkles from occurring. If you already have wrinkles, regular and repeated Botox treatments over a period of two years or more may actually even improve these existing wrinkles.
I won't copy and past more, you can just google.....
[/SIZE]Lemon lime--the things you list too are absolute contributors to wrinkles as well including hormones, thinning skin, etc.
I personally find botox works better for me than using OTC retinols like Roc (useless). If you're going to get retin A by RX great! Cannot hurt.
All in all, I Guess in the end you need to continue to do what works for you. The original poster asked specifically about botox and I gave her my experience. If it's not for you-so be it. I do like it and the friends who have used it look better and younger than any of my older friends who haven't. I think it's actually pretty 'cheap' considering all the other non OTC lotions out there. I have not yet used a lotion that I have seen more than slightly minimal results which is why I'm a bit more conservative with that.
Have you used these products and seen good results?
I am under 30 and just wanting to do as much prevention as possible and thought this would be a good start.
I'm also thinking of botox.
I would love to know what your experiences have been with either one.
Thanks!!
I began using Retin A 20 years ago for acne. Then a from time to time I'll use it for about 6 months to a year.
I'm 40 and am frequently mistaken for 20...no kidding! This kid was hitting on me (flirting) and I was shocked! Where was his mother?- were my thoughts. I mentioned he should seek kids his own age and he asked my age....when I told him- his eyes got so wide, his face flushed.....stuttered.
And not too long ago with a sister, someone refered to her as my mother.....she's only 4 years older than me!
Is her face unwrinkled? Is this a good look, something to aspire to? Where is the proof? Patricia Wexler, dermatologist to the stars, has gone on the record stating that she "loves" Botox and has used it for 18 years. She is anti invasive procedure and has not had a facelift.
Excerpt from the article: “I love my Botox!” she continues. “I’ve done Botox for eighteen years, but I don’t do Botox to excess. I do little bits of Botox because I don’t want deep hollows.” She blinks. The corners of her mouth twitch up ever so slightly. “I can smile,” she says.
I have been using Retin A .05 for about 16 years! At first it did make my skin peel so I just used it every other day. It worked great until my acne started "getting used to it" and it did nothing to control my cystic acne anymore. So my doc prescribed Epiduo last year and boy what a difference!! It has a Retinoid in there plus benzoyl peroxide. But if you need something for your skin to maintain its useful glow then use Retin A. I also use a pure honey mask to remove impurities.
I am 39 and hardly have any wrinkles. But then again that may be due to my oily skin!
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(this is because if you commit to a prescription retinoid you should never need botox)
Patricia Wexler, Botox proponent
