You might have heard people say they have botox to stop them from developing wrinkles. But how much truth is in this? A lot it turns out. First let’s get to the basics.
Why do lines develop on our face?
We all use facial expressions to smile, frown and show surprise, the constant use of these muscles causes the skin to wrinkle, young skin with good amounts of collagen and elasticity will bounce back. But did you know that as you get older you lose this collagen and elasticity in your skin this in turn creates the lines or wrinkles that do not disappear when you relax the muscles in your face. How quickly this happens depends on environmental and genetic factors
How does an anti-wrinkle injection (aka botox) work?
If we think of a scrunched up piece of paper the longer it has been laid flat the less folds it will have but if someone keeps scrunching that piece of paper then more creases develop. That is how skin over muscles acts. If you reduce the activity in the muscle by injecting a small amount of toxin it stops your skin from crinkling and therefore your wrinkles disappear.
Can it prevent wrinkles from forming in the first place?
Yes if the activity in your muscle is reduced your skin won’t crinkle up and lines won’t appear.
Once a wrinkle is already formed however, depending on how long it has been there, it may take more treatments for it to disappear.
Can I naturally stop my muscles from crinkling?
Yes, Kim Kardashian famously once said she tries not to frown or smile too much to prevent wrinkles from forming. Now we all use facial expression in our everyday life as that is what makes us human, but if we train ourselves to stop frowning so much less wrinkles will appear. That is how preventative botox works, as you get used to the feeling of not moving the muscles on your forehead, you tend to activate the muscles less meaning less anti-wrinkle treatments in the future.
Is it safe?
Yes, botox has a well recorded safety profile and has been used for over 30 years. It was originally used to treat problems with eye muscles where it was accidentally found to reduce wrinkles.