Botox and facial fillers such as Juvederm became widespread in the 2000s. Nonsurgical alternatives to facelifts that could be completed in an hour with essentially no downtime for patients were a hit from the start. Beauty-conscious people immediately loved the convenience and the powerful effects of these shots, which can be lasting with regular touchups. It took some time, however, for providers and patients to figure out their preventive use.
How Prejuvenation Works
The principal isn’t hard to understand. Since Botox lessens wrinkles that are already there by relaxing facial muscles and facial movement, it can also limit the kinds of facial movements that cause wrinkling in the first place. If your parents warned you as a child when you made a funny face that it could stay that way, that’s mostly1 not true because it’s not something you’d like to do as a regular habit into adulthood. On the other hand, however, habitual facial movements can leave their mark on the skin over time, causing fine lines and wrinkling in the face and forehead.
Even if you’re too young to have them, you’re probably aware of laugh lines – the one contraindication we know of to the maxim that laughter is the best medicine. But it’s not just smiling and laughing that can cause lines. Frowning, squinting, and other facial movements can also leave their mark. While it’s neither feasible nor desirable to stop smiling or squinting when the light is too bright, Botox can limit the range of motion without impacting the range of expressions a patient can make.2 Dysport is a similar but somewhat gentler product that may be best in certain situations, such as focusing on large areas like the forehead. The most popular facial fillers — Juvederm, Restylane, and RHA – are all available in many forms and can also be part of a prejuvenation regimen. You and your medical provider can decide which product is best in your case.
Where to Go for Prejuvenation?
Your choice of where to get prejuvenation can make a tremendous difference. Our team at Beverly Hills Physicians is among the most respected health and beauty professionals in the Greater Los Angeles and Southern California area. Along with nonsurgical procedures, our friendly and highly skilled beauty and healthcare professionals offer the full range of plastic surgery options at locations in LA County, Orange County, and the Inland Empire.
If you want to learn more, we’d love to hear from you. Please call us or request a consultation online.
1 Cervical dystonia (sometimes called spasmodic torticollis) is a rare illness where muscles in the neck may contract and cause involuntary movements that may look like facial paralysis, which may be the origin of the myth. Botox is the primary treatment for the problem!
2 You may see cases online where practitioners improperly applied Botox leading to drooping and other issues. Those cases are outliers. Normal facial expressions should all still be present when Botox is administered by an appropriately licensed and trained medical professional. It’s also worth noting that Botox is temporary so any issues should go away with time.