In saying that Botox/fillers etc do NOT make you look younger?

[TwinkleWings]

Correct me if I'm wrong but i honestly have never seen any examples of someone having Botox and/or fillers and though "wow you look so much younger!"! I actually think it ages people as it gives them a frozen look or puffy look which is synonymous with having work done which would then lead me to believe the person is of a certain age.

Obviously some practitioners are much better at doing it that others and there are probably some cowboys (or cowgirls?!) our there injecting people with the stuff left right and centre but even when someone has been somewhere reputable I still think it actually ages them.

I'm of the age now where my face ain't what it was. Hurtling towards forty, three kids, always exhausted and often think about getting a bit of Botox (not tempted with filler AT ALL yet) but in all honesty I have never seen a good example of it...ever.

AIBU?

[YesQueen]

YABU. Sort of
Mine makes me less wrinkled but not younger, I think! It's not obvious at all

[Proteinshakesandovieshat]

That would be assuming that you know exactly who has and hasnt had it.

You probably meet lots of people people who have them, particularly botox and not have a clue they have had it.

[ChihuahuaMummy1]

I only have botox on my forehead and " 11" lines,it does make me look younger to a certain extent but not by loads

[Proteinshakesandovieshat]

In fact one of my colleagues has it. I didnt know. I though she looked good for her age but not loads younger.

Wouldnt have known until she told me.

[Reallybadidea]

Do you not think that maybe it's only the badly done examples that you even know about? If it's done well then you would only know if the person told you. A colleague of mine had it done for her 11s last year, she told me beforehand. They were incredibly deep lines so needed filler too. Looks absolutely great, very natural.

[ChihuahuaMummy1]

My dad doesn't know I have it so it cant be obvious as I see him regularly and hed definitely say something.I think fillers look fake though.

[TwinkleWings]

Obviously the place could be crawling with people that have had it and I've no idea and think they look great. But I've at least three acquaintances who I was able to tell had had it before they told me as it was so OBVIOUS! They just looked so smooth compared to the last time I'd seen them. (Two then happened to tell me another I managed to steer the conversation in that direction rather naughtily so she then said she'd had it too.)

[Whoseagooddoggiethen]

Takes years off me but then I go to a reputable doctor rather than a beauty salon to get it done. Same as most of my friends really. Most people don't even know I have had anything done as it is subtle and makes me look and feel a billion times fresher.

[Coldemort]

I don't think it knocks decades off me, but it stops me looking older than I am. Due to my chain-smoking, Sun worshipping 20's my face was beginning to look like a dried up water bed.
I've had both fillers and BOTOX and no-one has ever noticed (I've had conversations like your OP where people have said in front of me that BOTOX looks daft. I'd like to think they wouldn't have said it to my face if they'd thought I'd had it done :)

[BoomZahramay]

Impossible to say as, if it's been well done, you wouldn't know, would you?

You do see plenty of cautionary tales wondering about though, enough to put me off!

[TwinkleWings]

Is there an element of "hit and miss" with it? IE. Two people could go to the same Botox guy (what are they even called?) and one person could look so natural and bright and the other just smooth and tight and obvious because it takes differently to different people?

[boredboredboredboredbored]

I don't want to look younger though just less haggard. I'm 42 and proud to be 42!

[Hwory]

@TwinkleWings you can get it done by a doctor, nurse, dental nurse or beautician on a 1 day course in a salon. There’s v little regulation.

I get mine either done by a doctor or a nurse at a clinic and it looks fantastic.

[MyKingdomForACaramel]

I wouldn’t say it makes me look “younger” but definitely more “refreshed” for want of a better word. That said I don’t have filler and only have minimal Botox - I really doubt you would be able to tell.

[HavelockVetinari]

If you can notice it then it's been overdone. If you go to an actual doctor at a reputable clinic with lots of experience you shouldn't get that frozen look. Costs more, but you get what you pay for.

[PapayaCoconut]

You'd never be able to tell my sister has had Botox. She can move her face normally. She used to get her fillers fine by some beautician and they were very obvious but then she switched to a plastic surgery clinic and now it looks much more natural. When it's done well, you can't tell. And it's not necessary about looking younger anyway. Some people just want bigger lips or whatever.

[whitershadeofpale]

what's people experiences of other people having it? I appreciate everyone's experiences but it's different judging yourself than someone else iykwim.

I've seen a few people where it's obvious and when they're young I think it looks very aging. I knew a woman through work who I genuinely thought was a woman in her early forties but she was was only 28! Her skin was very sun damaged and leathery but then botoxed to try and counter it, which just made her look weird and shiny.

A former boss, however, had it just on her 11s prior to her wedding. Her face was otherwise smooth (she was about 35) but had deep set lines between her brows which the botox smoothed out just making her look more rested and softer. I wouldn't have been able to put my finger on why if she hadn't told me though. There may be loads of women like this about-I just don't know that they've had it done!

Anecdotally, I think lot of women look good the first few times they have it but lose sight of what they look like and end up trying to eradicate every line and looking quite alien in the process.

[trackingmedown]

I go to a clinic and a doctor does my Botox very well and very subtly. I have full facial movement and genuinely look 10 years younger than I am. Occasionally I have mentioned it in passing to a friend or colleague and they are always surprised because I don’t look the ‘type’ to have Botox. Even my MIL (very observant and hypercritical) was struck dumb after ranting about the plastic look of women tv presenters and how you always see when their faces have been ‘interfered with’. When she paused for breath I quietly told her that I’d been having regular Botox for 2 years and she hadn’t noticed - it was a great moment!

That being said within the clinic I go to there are two doctors doing the Botox (amongst other things) and clients who want to look natural are directed to the person I see. Clients who actually want to look as if they have had work done (and a lot of people like the ‘fake’ look) see another doctor in the practice.

[DickieDonkey]

Generally it looks shit and is obvious, a couple of ladies that at work have something done, they will be on holiday for a couple of weeks and come back with a wind tunnel look. They look their age but with work done, so they lose wrinkles and have a tighter face but the neck, arms, torso etc is the same. Unfortunately you can’t cheat nature, if it looked genuine everyone would do it.

[trackingmedown]

I agree with what whiter said about people having good results at first and then having too many areas done. It’s very tempting. I started with some in my forehead to raise my sagging eyelids. Then I started having some to soften the crows feet. Now I am tempted to have some around my mouth to alleviate the ‘cats bum’ lines but I am very aware that could be a step too far and start making me look unnatural.

[breakfastpizza]

If done well, Botox can make you look like a better version of yourself. Harsh 11's are super aging and can distract from an otherwise lovely face. No moisturizer in the world is going to get rid of them.

[Cinammoncake]

I'm on the fence. Of the two friends I know have it, one looks younger maybe (or at least, her age but not wrinkled) one doesn't. I think the trouble comes a number of years on when the rest of your face catches up with other wrinkles and sagging, and the botoxed bit looks out of place. This is the beginning of the weird face. Also, you can get new odd wrinkles where your face adjusts to the botox. So I think short term use it can look fine, but longer term not.
But the trouble is, you're not going to suddenly stop doing it and look like you've aged a lot in no time. Slippery slope therefore imo. Therefore I wouldn't.

[Notwiththeseknees]

I started Botox 15 years ago - it had just become a 'thing' and I had caught sight of my )( in the rear view mirror. My frequency ranged from annually (spring/summer), missed (money/time) and I've never had it done more than twice yearly. My nurse practitioner has her own private clinic & she is amazing. I tried lip fillers once to help with the lip lines, but my best friend said not to do it again, so I haven't. It was tiny & natural but she said not (I loved it though).
I love Botox & have no intention of not using it. I see the difference & feel happier and that is all that matters.

[runningtogetskinny]

I agree with the OP, it's usually obvious and actually ageing, someone I work with has it and I assumed she was my age or older (51) as I associate it with people hitting their late 40s. She is actually 42, probably looks 45 but with strange lips, small eyes due to fillers around them, and a shiny forehead! I'm sure some of the posters who think it looks natural on them wouldn't know otherwise, people are hardly likely to tell them it looks crap?! The person I know thinks she looks fantastic, however, her social group also look similar so aren't likely to disagree

[Notwiththeseknees]

Not one of my other friends realised that I had Botox for years until I confessed. Tbh I felt guilty as they kept on about how good I look for my age .