• Home
  • About
  • Services
  • Articles
    • Skin Care Tips
    • Videos
  • Location
  • Contact
  • 908-754-0770
  • Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Center For Dermatology & Laser Skin Surgery

Edison, NJ Dermatology

  • Home
  • About
  • Services
  • Articles
    • Skin Care Tips
    • Videos
  • Location
  • Contact
  • 908-754-0770

Will Getting Botox in Your 20s or 30s Mean Fewer Wrinkles Down the Line?

April 11, 2022 //  by Dr. Robert Paull, MD//  Leave a Comment

In certain circles on social media, it’s impossible to avoid. The talk about using Botox when you’re young to help stall the signs of aging – before they even start.

The basic idea of what’s being called “prejuvenation” is that by using Botox, which freezes wrinkles, in your 20s or 30s, you won’t form the grooves people try to erase later in life. By “people,” I mean many, many people. Injections of botulinum toxin, the neurotoxic protein known by its brand name Botox, were the most popular cosmetic procedure in 2020 by a wide margin. And that’s been the case for many years. 

The majority of people getting those injections are women over 40. Though, in 2020, about 811,000 Botox procedures were performed on people in their 30s, which was about 18% of the national total.

So, is there any merit to the concept, or is prejuvenation being propped up by social media hype?

Does it work?

Botox blocks acetylcholine, the chief neurotransmitter. Theoretically, a repeat user of Botox will, over time, weaken their facial muscles, slowing the process in which dynamic lines (the ones that form when they make an expression) settle into static lines (the ones that remain visible when their face is at rest).

Basically, they’re inhibiting muscle contractions and, in turn, decreasing their facial movement. Which should prevent the formation of wrinkles over time. Even though Botox wears off in three to four months, some speculate that it is delaying the aging process. But, at this point, it’s difficult to say with certainty. 

Botox has been around long enough now for us to know that it’s a safe and reliable treatment. Millions of procedures are done each year, and reports of serious side effects are almost nonexistent. But very few studies have explored its long-term use.

A 2006 study looked at identical twins over 13 years. One regularly received Botox injections. The other did not. The researchers reported that lines were “not evident in the regularly treated twin,” but they did appear in her sister. In a follow-up, when the twins were 44, the treated twin didn’t have static lines at rest; her sister did.

In a 2011 study, a group of 45 women, aged 30 to 50, received small amounts of botulinum toxin in their foreheads every four months. Two years after they began treatment, once the last treatment would have worn off, researchers found the neurotoxin significantly reduced their wrinkles.

Encouraging as these results sound, we’re talking about less than 50 people between the two studies, which isn’t enough to say definitively.

Is there a downside?

Is there any harm in trying? No. Even if you try Botox and decide it’s not right for you, you can stop at any point. You’re not going to reverse your progress. You’ll just get your full mobility back, slowly creating wrinkles.

Another consideration: The cost of repeated procedures can add up. Before starting a regimen you might not be able to sustain, talk with your dermatologist. They may be able to suggest less costly alternatives, like sunscreen or retinols, which can increase collagen in the skin and help counteract the visible effects of aging.

Spread the love

Category: Skin Care Tips From Dr. Paull

Previous Post: «Is Dairy Destroying My Skin? Is Dairy Destroying My Skin?
Next Post: Why Those Flakes and the Itchiness on Your Head May Not Be Dandruff »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Our Location

TCM Plaza Suite B7
Edison, New Jersey 08820

P 908-754-0770
F 908-754-4731

Located at the intersection of Inman Ave. and Progress St. across from the Inman Grove Shopping Center and the Edison Senior Citizen’s Residence.


Current patient office hours are:

Tuesday 9 AM – 7 PM
Wednesday 12 PM – 5 PM
Thursday 9 AM – 12 PM
Saturday 9 AM – 2 PM [Every Other Saturday]

Office is open for scheduling and questions every day from 9 am until 1 pm and during scheduled office hours.

Follow Us

Recent Articles

Struggling With Persistent Itchy Rashes? A Patch Test Could Reveal their Source (Part 1)

If you have sensitive skin and you tend to react dramatically to new skincare or haircare products – red, itchy skin or a rash that can take weeks to clear up – you might benefit from a patch test, …

More Skin Care Tips

© 2023 · Robert M. Paull, M.D. • 4 Progress Street, Suite B7 Edison, New Jersey 08820 • Maintained and Developed by Trinity Web Media a NJ WordPress Company