So is Botox just no big deal now? Like getting a spray tan?

[Rosacharmosa]

I'm 32 and have been stressing over fine lines and aging recently. I know it's complete 1st world problems and aging is a privilege etc, but I suppose social media and other things have gotten into my head.

I see people on here, and Instagram and even a couple of people at work talk about botox and how amazing it is, so I booked a consultation at a beauty clinic type place that a colleague recommended.

The consultation was yesterday evening and I was surprised at how casual it all seemed. I said I was a bit anxious about it going wrong and looking weird, side effects and things and the woman just seemed baffled that I'd even be thinking about these things. In the end I decided not to book in and said I was feeling apprehensive and would mull it over and she basically seemed to regard me as though I was panicking over a manicure or a spray tan?

So now I'm wondering if I'm just being OTT, it's no big deal and I should just go for it and get rid of an insecurity, or if actually it is a big deal and the world is just going a bit mad?!

Would love to hear thoughts.

This.

@Devongirl1983Kate Winslet has absolutely had Botox. It’s subtle and she’s not had too much in the eye area so she still has expression but she’s a classic example that you can have it done without looking overdone or weird

She doesn’t look frozen in anyway and she certainly has wrinkles. The messaging she puts out is brilliant aswell - that we should be proud to look the age we are. Making it to your 50’s without something horrendous getting you on the way is an achievement in itself.

If she has had botox, it certainly isnt obvious at all as I commented to my DH how refreshing it was to see a normal face (with wrinkles!) when she was last on Graham Norton.

Completely agree, she looks fantastic and her messaging is brilliant but it demonstrates that not all people who get these things done are vapid, frozen air heads as some people are perpetuating on this thread. You can be proud to look the age you are and also want to look the best you can for that age

Im also apprehensive about it. I'm 41 and could definitely use it on my forehead. Plenty of younger mums at the school do it (and you wouldnt know, they dont look 'plastic')
I'm mainly apprehensive about the ongoing cost and if there are any long term health effects. I mean, you're putting poison in your face!

If you're going to do it, i'd look at waiting till you're nearly 40 otherwise you've got years of ongoing cost. When do you stop?

There are a few people on TV that I have noticed recently who have smooth, botoxed faces but their necks are very wrinkly. Their necks (and hands) show their age but their frozen faces don't match. It's another thing that can make the botoxed look very odd.

It is a very strange look. Not an aesthetic I want. Botox is becoming more accepted but it's a shame that the frozen face, expressionless look is becoming more acceptable.

Not for me -aside from the fact I am ageing pretty well (nearly 60 and good genes) I also have that "why would I have a toxin injected in my face" belief.
Not a vegan but I am vegetarian and use no animal tested products especially important for cosmetics.
The line always rolled out is " it makes me look fresher" like a piece of cod or something 🤔

If I remember rightly when I looked into it, it was first used to treat people with a ‘lazy eye’. This was in the 70s I think. I’m pretty sure there would be a whole ton of evidence by now if it was as overtly dangerous as injecting poison into your face. It’s a medication!

You need a practitioner who takes your concerns seriously. I had it in my forehead lines and it made my eyelids very heavy and droopy because they are already hooded. This, and crows feet Botox caused temporary but significant discomfort and dry eyes. Now I only have my 11s done with a different injector (a dr), which is fine and gives a fresher appearance. Just be aware that it can go wrong!

To be fair I have medical Botox for an eye condition which has been a miracle cure for me, it’s not just used for cosmetic purposes

I'm aware of that @Chocolateapot and having it for medical purposes is of course completely different (I'm sure most would agree).

I am 47, and I've never had it. My close friend does get it done however, and what I have noticed is......the lines on her face that I never noticed/ paid any attention to, have become more obvious to me now, when it's wearing off.
I think it's just something to be aware of, if I notice it then I'm sure she does too.

I suspect that is is as you’re paying such close attention, I don’t think it’s a general thing, more about you.

Id like to get it but what concerned me how to get someone properly qualified and how do they know where to put it for different things eg is like some on my forehead it's not bad but Def starting to get deeper lines also my eyes could do with some widening up..

@Sinthie this is what worries me !
Was your first lot with a doctor ?

32 is definitely too young. There are loads of other ways to improve your skin at that age. Retinol or tretinoin? SPF every day. Vitamin C.

I started Botox at 43 (I’m 50 now) I don’t have it very often - once or twice a year max and I often take a ‘fallow’ year. So expression lines come back and I don’t develop compensatory wrinkles elsewhere. I also have a low dose and leave some lines.

I’m well aware that a wrinkly neck/ slight jowling with a perfectly smooth forehead looks very ‘off’ so I spend time and money on these areas and let the lines come back on my forehead. It’s really not the be all
and end all

Oh and I did some lasers and other treatments at 40 before Botox so it was merely the icing on the cake.
i wouldn’t start with Botox.

You need to make sure you go to someone with medical experience for the safety aspect. A lot of aesthetic practitioners are women who previously worked in the NHS who want a more flexible job once they have children. The first lady I went to was an assistant to a plastic surgeon and the lady I go to now has worked in ICU and paediatrics. They will be able to advise you exactly where to have it from watching the face move as you talk/ smile. A good practitioner won’t put it where you want it if they think it will look too frozen or make the brow heavy for example. Both ladies I’ve been to have said they regularly have to tell people they won’t overinflate their lips or do treatment where it’s not suitable. For example only 20% of people are suitable for tear trough filler so you need to go to someone reputable who isn’t just in it for the money. Make sure you look at their socials and website to check their credentials.

@Delatron what money and how in the neck and jowls 😀

Lots of people don’t get “something” done though. At least the women I know. I haven’t had anything done and nor do I dye my hair. Some of my friends have had Botox, many haven’t . Some, but not all, colour their hair. We are from mid fifties to early sixties.

Hmm it’s complicated and a very hard area to treat (and expensive). I’ve had Sofwave which is a heat based treatment. I’ve also had lots of skin boosters such as regular Profhilo and Skinvive. Still not happy with my jowls! They aren’t awful but nothing is really working.

I also use Zip halo in this area.

My doctor has suggested threads but I don’t want this.

On a lot of these threads are women who consider Botox the preserve of the vacuous. But they all presumably get something done. They dye their hair or whatever.

@Oblivionnnnncan you explain how dyeing your hair is on the same scale as injecting a toxin into your face? Hair is dead the minute it leaves the scalp. Dyeing it isn’t anything like injecting some shit into your forehead in order to have absolutely no expressions. 🤨

OP I've not done it but I'm 34 and of my close friends there's 2 others who haven't done it and 4 who have, it's quite common. Whatever your choice, do your research and go to someone qualified, reputable and who you feel confidence in.

What were the lasers for, out of interest?

I think it's one of those things where the first few times can look good, but then people either want more or their face ages around it, so that over time it can look a bit mismatched and unusual.