Botox is a prescription only medicine which should be injected by a trained and experienced doctor or dentist. Botox is a sought after specialist treatment and works temporarily on a muscle by stopping the signal from the nerve to the muscle which prevents it from contracting. The overall result is a reduction in the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles producing a smoother look to a person’s face.

After your doctor has injected Botox, it can take up to 2 weeks for the complete effect to be seen on the muscle that has been treated. The effect can last anywhere from 3-4 months where some people have seen results up to 6 months.

There is no correct time to be treated with Botox, but due to a lot of the media craze promoting such treatments and increasing general awareness amongst the pubic, patients tend to start making the decision in their late 20s-30s or at least start thinking of visiting the doctor to discuss Botox treatments.

There is a difference in skin ageing from your 20s to 30s and 40s. In your 20s, skin in supple, firm and wrinkle free. In your 30s, wrinkles tend to remain on the face without actually frowning, you might start to see slightly harsher lines appearing and by your 40s, wrinkles tends to become grooves and leave deep set lines in the forehead, frown lines become deeper and crow’s feet more prominent. Also women start to notice their lipstick bleeding into the fine wrinkles that have appeared above their top lip. Some patients may start to notice deeper creases along the sides of the nose known as bunny lines.

This transition is due to natural ageing where the skin starts to lose natural elasticity and collagen but a faster progression of this is due to sun damage/excessive exposure and smoking.

Botox in your 40s tends to be more of a treatment to help smooth out the skin and relax the muscles compared to in yours early 30s where Botox can be injected in a lot of individuals as a preventative treatment. In your 40s, you may have harsh lines and wrinkles that have formed known as static lines, these wrinkles are present without you smiling or frowning so Botox treatment here would help soften these lines and maybe after a few treatments some lines may be erased and you may need dermal fillers combined with Botox to help lift out the deeper grooves. Overall majority of patients are very satisfied with the result and outcome of having Botox treatment in their 40s. An added benefit is that the effect of Botox may actually help slow down the need for surgical procedures.