Botox.
A lot of
adult women + men get these
stinging shots of
youth EVERY
3-4 months to stay
wrinkle-free.
But if your
20-year-old daughter announced to you, that she wanted to get
Botox to have a
perfectly smooth complexion what would you say?
You'd probably remark that she were
crazy. But some experts believe it's OKAY to begin receiving
Botox shots in your
early 20s to
really keep
wrinkles away.
A
recent commentary in the
JAMA Dermatology publication suggested just that-- stating that it is
"rarely too early" to start the
"conservative and thoughtful use of neuromodulators [i.e., Botox], fillers and noninvasive energy-based treatments."
One
dermatologist from
Boston said this to
Today-Health:
"If you slow down the use of these muscles beginning early in adult life, the lines never develop," Dr. Kenneth Arndt says.
"Rather than going backward and fixing something that’s there, you can inhibit it from starting in the first place." And he co-wrote the
JAMA commentary.
"We’re not advocating treating infants, children and people in their teens," he added. "What I would suggest is at whatever point [people] begin to notice and are bothered by some of these things like frown lines or forehead lines … it’s reasonable to consider starting treatment with Botox. It’s easier and more effective to inhibit progression than come in 10 years later and take them away. We’ve termed it 'prejuvenation."'
Not
every expert thinks this is a
good idea.
"For the average person to start using Botox in their twenties is overkill," Dr. Arthur Perry, a board certified plastic surgeon with offices in New York and New Jersey told
Today-Health.
"There’s a variability in the wrinkles and thinning of the skin, so to do it before the late thirties is probably unnecessary in the vast majority of people."
Plus,
Botox is
pricey---about
$700 for halting
wrinkles on just the
forehead area, alone. And you have to go back for
more Botox every
3-4 months.
Learn all about
Botox here.
Our
humble advice: If you are in your
20s, limit the
amount of
sun you get. ALWAYS wear
sunscreen. Don't smoke. Don't drink a lot of
alcohol.