It’s a fact of life: As we age, we develop lines and wrinkles on our faces (and other places). This happens due to a number of factors, some of which we can control to some degree, and some that we can’t.
One of those factors is the repetitive folding of skin due to everyday facial expressions. This is why we see perpetually unhappy people with “frown lines”, or by contrast, happy people who develop “laugh lines”. You really can see – to some extent, anyway – a person’s life experience literally written on their face!
Of course, some lines are going to happen no matter what, and have little to do with our moods. We all talk, smile, raise our eyebrows, and so on during the course of a normal day. No one is saying you can avoid making all facial expressions, or that you should. But when you repeatedly furrow your brow, for example, you are going to develop a line there sooner or later. It’s just a part of life.
But what if you could avoid some of these lines from ever developing? That’s the idea behind preventive Botox. We typically think of Botox as something older people do, to manage their forehead wrinkles or smooth out their frown lines. Yet, more and more young people – those in their thirties, particularly – are seeking preventive Botox.
Botox works by paralyzing the nerves that control muscle reflexes in the area of injection. No, it normally will not cause you to feel completely numb or prevent you from making any facial expression at all! However, Botox does work incredibly well at preventing certain expressions, such as deep frowns and squinting, that help to create the most common imperfections in our skin.
If you’re concerned about fine lines, particularly around the area of your forehead, give us a call to schedule a consultation. We can discuss whether Botox might prevent those barely-noticeable lines from getting deeper and more visible, with simple and routine injections a few times per year.