Sad about signs of ageing in 30s, shall I get Botox?

[Thedivinyls]

I'm sure people are going to tell me, "You're being ridiculous, wait until you're 50/60" and I do get that, but I also don't want my feelings to be invalidated.
I've got faint 11 lines and crows feet which are worsening. I do wear high SPF every day, sunglasses most days, never smoked, don't drink, no sunbeds etc. But I suppose ageing is inevitable in spite of all this.
I've been using tretionin for 2 months and have zero results so far, but I'm told it can take several months to work.
I don't feel I look as fresh as I used to, and my eye area is a bit hollower.
I know it's not the end of the world, but I don't feel as confident as I did in myself 2 or 3 years ago.
A solution would be to get Botox, I've had it before and it worked well. I have an offer where I can get 2 areas for £100.
However there's a constant societal pressure to be 'saving every penny' especially at the minute.
Just this feeling that it's wrong to be spending money on anything that's non essential, and that's wrong in itself, especially with working full time.
My partner says I don't need it and could never justify spending £100 on it, but then I feel like there are always more attractive and younger looking 23 year olds around the corner.
I mean I'm doing it for myself first of all. Should I get it?

I know I’m arguing all sides here, (and so are you) but…

You aren’t committing to have it everything six months until you’re 50. It’s less of a commitment than highlighting your hair or taking out a phone contract.

Maybe doing it once or twice will be enough to ease you over the shock of getting your first lines. I’ve just colour-glossed my first few white hairs for the first time and actually it’s made me realise I won’t bother again. I’m just going to grey gracefully. You might end up feeling like that. So it’s not all or nothing.

True, I may not.. i just think I'll end up wanting to do other parts of my face as age affects them, lips etc.
I hope I'll have accepted things by then though.

I would love to just accept the ageing process, but I don't know how.

Then perhaps the money would be better spent on a therapist or self-help books etc.

Yes. I had some in three areas, everyone told me I was crazy but I feel so much better for it and my friends have all commented on how good my skin is looking.

Well that's a lie Judith😂

My partner says I don't need it and could never justify spending £100 on it, but then I feel like there are always more attractive and younger looking 23 year olds around the corner.

You do realise no amount of Botox will make you look 23 again?

Not one single person has ever looked better after any cosmetic procedure.

^^ rubbish. You know every single person that's had cosmetic procedures??

I've had Botox once as have a few of my friends and they look fantastic. We get it done by a qualified doctor and do only small bits and if we want go top up after a few weeks. We're all coming 40.

If you can afford it and it will boost your confidence, why not. People have too many opinions on what others want to do with their own bodies.

Botox is preventative so will stop the lines that have already formed from getting any deeper.

once the lines are deep Botox won’t really do much apart from soften the look of them.

I would also be cautious as £100 is cheap for Botox , I can’t even buy it for less than £100 and that’s without the prescription cost on top. It’s likely the injector is using unregulated product or is sharing vials between clients.

I'm 32 and I have botox. My aesthetician explained that starting in your 50s can sometimes be too late to start seeing the best results and at my age, it's a great preventative.
It will not make you look 23 again, but I am so happy with the results of mine, it makes me look happier. I honestly think I look better for it and I had a few people ask if I'd been on holiday as I looked rested.
Like others have said though, £100 is quite cheap, is that for just one area though? Just make sure you do lots of research into who's doing it.

The thing about Botox is that it will never be enough will it? It's not something you have once and then that's it, you have to keep going back for it, forever really I guess? And there are a few women my age (late thirties/early forties) who are getting just a tiny bit here and there, and look good, but what about when they are 50, 55, 60? They will probably be getting more and more, plus filler to counteract the effects of the botox and the sagging, and then that's when you end up looking unnatural and strange.

Plus the money aspect, it's a big commitment financially if you want any real long term benefit.

Yes that’s a slippery slope if you have low self esteem which is why working on your confidence/self esteem may help. Your face is perfectly normal and people that look like you, with the same “flaws” you perceive, are able to be successful in life in all areas. You don’t need to change anything and you can build confidence from other aspects of your life.

What do you think will change about your life if you look different? Factually you will have less lines and less money in the bank after Botox, if you’re happy with that then go for it. Don’t put any more thought into the “results”, eg “if I eradicate all signs of aging, Y will like me or Z will happen for me”.

Go for it, I get Botox every 4-5 months and it looks natural x

Definitely get the botox, im 34, got my first round back in April and havent thought twice about getting topped up, I felt amazing.

I'd be a bit wary of that price though, sounds a bit too cheap.

I am 34 and started having botox last year
Mine lasts 4 months so not very long, and I pay £280 for 3 areas. I researched for around a year and go to a doctor based in a nice area, who is also is an A&E doctor.
I wouldn't trust most people to inject my face, especially as if they hit slightly in the wrong place you could end up with a droopy eye and the only method for reversal is time!
So please be careful who you choose.
Nobody has ever noticed I've had it, but commented how good I look. When I show they before and after images they're shocked at the difference
I don't have fillers or anything but I would really struggle to go without botox now, it's a real commitment!

I love Botox. I've had it for 4 years (I'm 39 2--3 times a year by a doctor. It's worth spending more. It's your face after all.

Why are women so repulsed by lines and wrinkles on themselves and other women?

Don't listen to the PP who say it looks ridiculous or to wait until you are older. They likely don't even know what Botox is! The time to get Botox is BEFORE the wrinkles set in, and it will prevent them from forming. Go for it of that's what you want to do, who cares what anyone else thinks? No one will even realise you've had it anyway, but you'll look refreshed and prevent signs of aging from showing up.

Yeah it’s an odd comment. OP no matter what you do, you can never “compete” with them. They have their time to enjoy their looks, just like you did at their age. If you’re worried about people thinking they’re more attractive than you eg your partner leaving you for them, that’s on him and not something you should get Botox to prevent.

You should be more worried about the side effects vs the cost though. Botox can make your face numb and affect other areas eg by migrating to an adjacent muscle or making your face appear asymmetrical. It can also be painful and have short term side effects. You must wait for the product to wear off if anything goes wrong, there’s nothing you can do to speed it up. Getting cheap botox is risky cause you’re increasing the chances of getting an infection or dodgy results. So your dilemma needs to include you investing more into a decent practitioner

Work on your self esteem. Embrace aging. Botox won’t make you look younger. You will just look like you have had Botox. Two of my colleagues in work have it- to be honest they are all girls with low self esteem and various issues at home. They are in their 30s. Still look it.

This is worth thinking about. It’s fine to say you’d like the Botox now, but even you must be able to see the insecurities in your post. There’s nothing wrong with doing things that make you feel good, whether it’s hair dye or Botox or self tan. BUT you know you’re not going to get younger, and sadly we all start to get wrinkles and go grey and all that jazz. So by all means get something that makes you feel better, but there’s also some acceptance to come with it to.

Do you know what botox is? Because it sure doesn't sound like it, although well done on reciting the marketing spiel.

Op, if you have shit self-esteem before you inject poison into your face, you will still have shit self-esteem afterwards.

It's not going to magically make you start liking and valuing yourself. It will reinforce your belief that you're not good enough unless you mutilate your face. Which seems an unhelpful thing to tell yourself.

The only way to "prevent signs of ageing" is to die so that you don't age. Your whole body changes.

Agree with first PP - can always tell and never improves things, just transiently affects mental state but reinforces negative thinking IMO. Do you have 'aesthetic procedure' content pushed at your social media and do you search for such content?

Every woman I've worked with who has this says something along the lines of 'I know you can't tell as it's subtle but I've been having fillers/Botox/procedures...' then are surprised when I can tell them the week they first had it. People conflate other people not saying something with magically subtle work. I judge the industry and influencers who encourage this especially for teenagers and for the HCPs who fill their pockets doing this without specialist training and administering IV vitamins to be pee'd out. Roll on adequate regulation in England.

No.

If you get botox, you just look like a middle-aged woman who’s had botox. Some people like that look, I think it’s very robotic and unattractive.

You’re correct that there are lots of 23 yr olds etc who are more attractive than you and me. There is nothing you can do about that. You can’t turn back time all yoh can donis waste anlot of money trying and end up looking weird and fake.