Does preventative BOTOX® work? The Nashville Plastic Surgery Institute team typically uses the injectable neuromodulator as a corrective treatment to smooth wrinkles and lines that have already become visible in the skin, but younger patients have recently shown an increased interest in stopping those wrinkles before they start.

Chronological aging causes our skin to produce less collagen and elastin over time, resulting in weaker skin that is more likely to wrinkle. Time is not the only factor working against a youthful look, however! Another reason we get wrinkles is because facial expressions constantly pull the skin into folds. The repetitive facial muscle movements involved in smiling, squinting, frowning, or conveying other emotions through our facial expressions contribute to what are known as dynamic wrinkles on the forehead and around the eyes, such as crow’s feet.

Anyone seeking to “get ahead” of those facial lines should know that it isn’t always possible to prevent dynamic wrinkles with even the best skin care routine at home. That’s why so many patients use BOTOX® to soften them.

The idea behind preventative BOTOX®, however, is to relax the muscles that usually cause wrinkles around the eyes and eyebrows in order to stop the wrinkles before they start. By doing this, you won’t have to correct deeper wrinkles later in life. Preventing signs of aging is always preferable to treating them, especially after they’ve become deeply etched in active areas.

Your injector may be able to predict the areas where the wrinkles will become more developed and use this prediction to create a long-term treatment plan.

The preventative approach tends to be ideal for women and men in their mid to later 20s or early 30s who are beginning to see faint lines on their skin. Patients who have very expressive faces or thin skin may consider having preventative treatments at a younger age since they are prone to developing more pronounced dynamic wrinkles sooner.

Contact the team at Nashville Plastic Surgery Institute to learn more about BOTOX® and other preventative treatments or set up an appointment. Call 615.932.7700, or fill out a contact form to request a consultation if you’re interested.