BOTOX® Cosmetic in your 20s?

I was at a plastic surgery conference last year, and the host speaker told us that his 18-year-old daughter brought up BOTOX® Cosmetic. She wanted to know why she couldn’t get BOTOX® Cosmetic to “prevent aging.” So he, in turn, posed the question to all of us plastic surgeons in the audience.

“Who in the audience would recommend using BOTOX® Cosmetic to those in their 20s?”

It turned out that more than 90% of the audience felt it was safe and would, in fact, recommend using BOTOX® Cosmetic in younger patients to “prevent” facial aging.

This got me thinking about the topic, and it brought to mind my shirt analogy I always tell my younger patients. Just as a shirt becomes creased at the elbow due to continual bending at the arm, in a similar way, whenever we frown, squint, or smile, our facial lines and wrinkles form and then eventually, over time, ‘set’ into the surface of the skin.

BOTOX® Cosmetic in Your 20s

If someone in their 20s begins BOTOX® Cosmetic treatments, it is considered a preventive rather than a corrective treatment. When injected correctly in the face by a trained plastic surgeon, BOTOX® Cosmetic temporarily “freezes” the facial muscles that cause frown lines and wrinkles. I normally recommend that patients use BOTOX® Cosmetic every 3 to 6 months to prevent wrinkles from returning and to prevent the facial muscles from regaining strength. Well, that same thought process leads me to believe that with BOTOX® Cosmetic use from an early age, those facial muscles never become strong enough to form those wrinkles that make us look older, more tired, and even angrier.

Recently, a patient of mine in her early 20s came into my office for her first BOTOX® Cosmetic treatment. At first glance, you would not think that she would be an ideal candidate for BOTOX® Cosmetic, as she had no visible frown lines or wrinkles. The main reason for her visit, however, was not to get rid of wrinkles but to prevent aging. She also brought up a common concern: not wanting to look like a typical Hollywood starlet on the red carpet, frozen like a “deer in a headlight” with no facial expression.

I believe that to achieve a conservative look, patients need to ensure they see a surgeon well-versed in the anatomy of facial muscles and who uses the appropriate dose of BOTOX® Cosmetic in the right areas. The key, in my opinion, is not to look “done” or expressionless, but rather to stay looking young, refreshed, and rejuvenated.

Needless to say, my young patient loved her results! And her friends, who had not been supportive of her getting BOTOX® Cosmetic at such a young age, did not even notice that she had anything done, but did comment on how “fresh” she looked recently.

Contact Dr. Firouz for your BOTOX® Cosmetic

Dr. Jimmy Firouz is a board-certified plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, highly trained in injectable treatments such as BOTOX® Cosmetic. Dr. Firouz focuses on delivering beautiful results for his patients’ personal goals. If you’d like to know more about injectables such as BOTOX® Cosmetic, contact Dr. Firouz today to schedule your initial consultation by calling 310.274.4321.