Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

What age did you start Botox?

430 replies

NameChangeChic · 12/02/2025 19:20

And what was your results like? Did it last long? I’m getting it done soon for the first time and I can’t wait lol

OP posts:
Pamspeople · 12/02/2025 20:21

crankytoes · 12/02/2025 20:18

Do you feel the same way about colouring your hair or wearing makeup?

Yep

DollydaydreamTheThird · 12/02/2025 20:20

pippapipps · 12/02/2025 19:51

This

Agree. I think women go through enough pain in our lifetimes. I will not inflict pain on myself unless it is for a medical reason that is justified and medically necessary. That said I don't have a problem with other people doing it if it makes them happy and boosts their self esteem. We're not here for a long time are we? You do you boo😃

abracadabra1980 · 12/02/2025 20:20

37-at that age when lines when my lines were first starting to show, it was good. I kept it up until I had it done by a 'therapist' who put too much in, and my medium size forehead, started to look twice the size. By my 40's, lips had become a 'thing' and I was in there at the beginning (of the consultant surgeons wife who unbeknown to be had just started 'dabbling'). It resulted in my thin lips being pumped up to the point of ridiculousness, and dropping the bottom line of the top lip on the right and left of my mouth, (note: nobody seems to escape this problem; its the first thing I look at. Teeth that used to be exposed to a little of life/vitamin D/flashing an odd pearly white, hiding behind the new voluminous pressure of the filler.
Roll on to your late 40's/early 50's, and nothing looks authencially youthful as by now you are a walking advertisitmet for cosmetic procedures, with your plastic large forehead and your missing incisors, possibly enhanced with a look of puffy weight gain, from badly injected fillers.
Personally, I can enthuse about this topic,
a) because I'm old and have tried a few of them/watched how the generations play with them. Nobody bothered with their neck or hands - looks most odd to be smooth in parts at 50, but with a neck like a turkey
b) I was lucky enough to have some bad jobs in my experimental years and have learned from it (looking at you, botox consultant who injected too much botox which yes, smoothed out my forehead wrinkles, but also pinched my once pleasant looking eyes, into piss holes in the snow - another 'look' that's common
c) I get why people want to try it, I really do, we all want to look our best
In summary, you can maybe stave off aging in your 30's & 40's, until menopause. Then the shit hits the fan, unless you have a facelift, neck lift and hand lift, you are kidding nobody, and potentially looking really odd. Also, there is something extremely liberating in not giving a shit about wrinkles and ageing any more. I wish I could bottle it.

Pamspeople · 12/02/2025 20:20

Summerhillsquare · 12/02/2025 20:19

I'll have to work another 20 years to support myself, and I'm already losing out on career opportunities to younger people. Mostly men, as it's a technical field. Perhaps it won't really help against ageism (and sexism?) but I feel it's worth a go.

Wow, that's depressing. Sorry to hear that.

Summerhillsquare · 12/02/2025 20:19

Pamspeople · 12/02/2025 20:06

I've never really understood what's so bad about looking your age. Why is old bad? Genuine question

I'll have to work another 20 years to support myself, and I'm already losing out on career opportunities to younger people. Mostly men, as it's a technical field. Perhaps it won't really help against ageism (and sexism?) but I feel it's worth a go.

Pamspeople · 12/02/2025 20:19

Remember folks - the economy would crumble if we all felt fine as we are! Our economy relies on people feeling not quite good enough so we'll pay for stuff to make us look better or feel better. Any normal body part or process is sadly just material for someone to make money out of. Every single human gets older - an endless source of £££ if we can be convinced we should look "good for our age"!

CreationNat1on · 12/02/2025 20:19

45, Havnt succumbed yet.

Moonlightstars · 12/02/2025 20:19

If you start when you are 25 and spend £300 a year on it for 50 years that is £15,000. I could go on five amazing holidays for that! Let alone all the bollocks people spend on face creams. Much happier with my lines!

crankytoes · 12/02/2025 20:18

backpnceagain · 12/02/2025 19:49

I find it sad too how women seem to be using more and more injections and fillers to change their appearance. Ageing is a privilege and I don't see the sense in pumping your face with anything like that. Just seems sad.

Do you feel the same way about colouring your hair or wearing makeup?

crankytoes · 12/02/2025 20:17

wherearemypastnames · 12/02/2025 19:45

It isn't normal - only a very small percentage of women actually use Botox for cosmetic / none medical purposes

But it's in sone people's interests to normalise it

Depending on where you live I think you'd be surprised how many women use Botox.

Exitstrategist · 12/02/2025 20:17

41 on three areas and it lasts 6 months. Well it probably lasts 4-5 but I stretch it out due to finances

MasterBeth · 12/02/2025 20:17

Newbie8918 · 12/02/2025 20:00

What about society judging bald men?

There's an increasing trend for men to have hair transplants which in some cases involves surgery!

I can list a whole host of beauty standards that both males and females are subject to but nothing seems to evoke as much judgment as Botox on MN 🤷‍♀️

I think men having hair transplants to counteract the appearance of a perfectly ordinary aging process is as depressing as women having Botox to counteract the appearance of a perfectly ordinary aging process.

I have never had Botox and never will. I think it's mysoginist bullshit that the lines on your face need removing.

InWithThePlums · 12/02/2025 20:15

BlueSkyBeing · 12/02/2025 20:05

Am a bit shocked at this thread too. I don't want to judge those who choose to make use of such things it's up to them, but it feels like shaming age, a natural process.

Me too. I’ve been anxious about aging since I was about 10 (!). I don’t want a child of mine to feel like that.

I don’t think there is anything wrong with getting Botox per se (I wear makeup- I am not completely virtuous) but I don’t think we should start thinking of it as standard practice when people get a few wrinkles.

Changeandchanges · 12/02/2025 20:15

DazedAndConfused321 · 12/02/2025 20:06

Mid 20s- it's preventative!

I hope this is a joke.

Moonlightstars · 12/02/2025 20:15

Newbie8918 · 12/02/2025 20:00

What about society judging bald men?

There's an increasing trend for men to have hair transplants which in some cases involves surgery!

I can list a whole host of beauty standards that both males and females are subject to but nothing seems to evoke as much judgment as Botox on MN 🤷‍♀️

I equally think it's sad men need to resort to transplants. Society has become so ageist.
Botox isn't very common only about 7% of women over the age of 25 have it. I can always tell who's had it because I used to work in a botox clinic doing something else so it's very obvious to me. So weird that wrinkles have become such a no-no. Being older is great!

SittingNextToIt · 12/02/2025 20:14

Have never contemplated it even.

Youcanttakeanelephantonthebus · 12/02/2025 20:11

I don't understand how it is preventative. Surely it just creates wrinkles elsewhere as one area is frozen which means the other areas start to get wrinkly so you end up playing Botox whackamole?

DappledThings · 12/02/2025 20:10

45 and never considered doing it. Knock yourself if you're really that bothered about actually looking your age (like a PP I don't understand what's so bad about that) but the way the thread is titled, like it's an absolute certainty that all women will do this is so depressing.

Newbie8918 · 12/02/2025 20:10

Pamspeople · 12/02/2025 20:06

I've never really understood what's so bad about looking your age. Why is old bad? Genuine question

Looking your age and looking GOOD for your age are two different things.

I believe I look my age but I have nice skin.

Pyjamatimenow · 12/02/2025 20:09

30 and I’m 40 now. I don’t have any static lines even when it’s worn off.

Zusammengebrochen · 12/02/2025 20:09

Pamspeople · 12/02/2025 20:06

I've never really understood what's so bad about looking your age. Why is old bad? Genuine question

Absolutely nothing.
I agree with the person who said the money could be so much better spent!

Thirteenblackcat · 12/02/2025 20:08

Newbie8918 · 12/02/2025 20:06

But I don't invest all of the money I have. Botox costs me £160 every 5-6 months. I can afford it.

I have Botox alongside independence, travel and freedom!

This

BLUEcups · 12/02/2025 20:07

Never and 40’s. A boss at my work was late 40’s and she dressed well and looked quite glamorous until one day she came in and looked different (not in a good way) and someone said yeah she’s had Botox and that put me right off. She looked like a cross between a mannequin and a puff fish. She was chuffed with it though 🫣

Newbie8918 · 12/02/2025 20:06

Pamspeople · 12/02/2025 20:04

I often think about how much freedom and power women could have if they invested all the money they spend on treatments, fashion. Not judging anyone for feeling pressure to look a certain way, and the normalisation of all this stuff is so powerful. But wow, the amount of independence, travel, freedom women could have instead

But I don't invest all of the money I have. Botox costs me £160 every 5-6 months. I can afford it.

I have Botox alongside independence, travel and freedom!

Zusammengebrochen · 12/02/2025 20:06

Another one really saddened to see this being normalised. The only time I ever used botulinum toxin was in cultured cells during a summer project in a lab, and that's how I plan to keep it! It's pretty much always obvious, even if you thinkit isn't. If you really feel have to get some done, please, please ensure it's someone properly qualified.