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?

If you're not sure, would you consider micro needling as it's less invasive?

Talk to a good, medically qualified, practitioner if you do decide to go ahead and make sure they are using quality injectables, have full insurance and are part of a professional scheme able to provide 24/7 aftercare advice if necessary.

£100 for 2 areas sounds very cheap to me.

At your age, I would do daily gua sha (made a massive difference for me) and seek out a Morpheus treatment (or any other microneedling with radio frequency).

I think you should do anything non surgical that makes you feel better. You’re still so young and you should enjoy the bounce of youth.

This is a good point about reinforcing negative thinking. All botox will do is reinforce the 'I'm only good enough if I spend hundreds of pounds a year on injecting shit into my face' - and then once you have 'sorted' that, you will find something else that isn't good enough, if the person selling the cosmetic procedures hasn't already pointed it out for you.

I get it, I really do. I have really noticed the wrinkles on my face recently, and I know some of my friends are either considering botox or have already done it, and I'm worried about being 'left behind'. But ultimately, what's the point in competing? I'll still probably never be truly happy with my face, plus I will have a lot less money in my bank account to boot. I have decided on looking after my skin, using sunscreen and tret, and accepting that my face and body are going to change as I get older andq not compare myself to 23 year olds because....I'm not 23 anymore!

I wish I'd done Botox sooner, prevention is better than cure and £100 for two areas is a BARGAIN! Just ensure you do your research and if possible go from personal recommendations. All the myths that it changes shape etc etc js rubbish. It's not fillers, it's a muscle relaxer that wears off after time. What's the harm, if you don't like it you don't get it done again!
Go for it!! Xx

I'm going to take a different tack and say go for it. Prevention is better than a cure. I agree that if your issue is the young 23 yr olds who look amazing in a bin bag then no amount of money, surgery, fillers will ever cure that because that's just a fact of life. The reason people say fillers/botox etc look terrible is because when it's done terribly it can definitely not only age a person but make them look very weird. Very well done, subtle treatments can make a world of difference.

£100 sounds very cheap for this treatment so I hope it's all above board but tweaking things here and there is fine. I have done it and will continue to do it. I don't see it as any different to for example choosing the way I style my clothing and make up and hair.

But do be mindful because it's very easy to look at oneself in the mirror and think you need a whole new face. Tread carefully and do your research but all in all go for it.

I've been getting botox since I was 30. I don't get my nails, brows, lashes or hair colour done and I buy my clothes second hand. Botox is my one treat and my other half wouldn't dream of questioning it. Some people spend the same or more on creams and beauty treatments in a 6 month period. If you want it, go for it.

I feel like there are always more attractive and younger looking 23 year olds around the corner

You are doing it because 23 year olds make you feel insecure about your worth? Maybe investing in a counsellor would be more useful.

Yes, I do in fact know what it is. No need to be hysterical, the dose used to relax a few wrinkles is perfectly safe. We consume plenty of compounds that would be fatal in high enough doses, like caffeine.

Your comments toward OP are really over the top and offensive. Mutilating herself? She has no self esteem? Simmer down, please.

Botox/fillders absolutely can make you look fresher and still totally like yourself. Filler does not migrate unless it is badly or incorrectly injected. The 'it always looks bad and you can always tell' brigade don't make sense-- you can only tell if you can tell. There are so many people who have stuff done quietly and you can't tell other than them looking a bit fresher and well.

Honestly OP, just get it done if you want to. Choose a professional with good reviews, check out the before and after pics, and if you can get a recommended place that is always good. Now is a great age to do this because it will be preventative as well as making you feel more yourself now. Waiting to 50/60 is a choice but by then it is more difficult to get the results you might want.

I have an acquaintance who just had botox today. She said 'It didn't even hurt and I'm wondering why I was putting it off for all those years! ' She posted pics and her forehead lines are reduced, crows feet reduced, 11s gone. She feels and looks great.

Do it! Botox works wonders.

Honestly, I say go for it but take regular photos so you don't lose sight of whats real. At this point it's more about reducing future effects than erasing previous signs of aging. I wish I'd ventured into botox at your age, saying that, the confidence boost it gives me at 39 is worth it!

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

Never heard such bollocks

Also, research your practitioner. Many are better than others!

Do what you want when you want it’s your body , but do it for you not other people

I love botox

I am 35 and have been getting it since I was 23/24

I have been mistaken for a 25 year old (it happened today)

I have also have radiofrequency microneedling which I actually think made more of an impact of my skin - it was agony and afterwards I thought what have I done - I got three sessions as recommended and my skin now. Holy moly. It takes at least 6 months for the skin to regenerate so you only see the rewards far long afterwards

I have that dermaplaning and and I went to a new place last week - the woman touched my skin and she could not believe how soft it was. I told her about RF microneedling and she was like that will be it

I also do profhilo, aqualyx

I am a bit of an addict but I love it!

I did and will be again soon ..

Also I do daily face yoga and gua sha 😂😂

I agree with this

@Ilovemycat1 what is gua sha?

This

These threads always turn into arguments and people slating women for Botox and how it doesn’t make them look younger just makes them look odd yada yada

I love Botox and have been having it for years because I had strong 11 lines from my early twenties ( now gone after years of Botox ) and progressed to getting it in forehead and around eyes .

my botox wore off completely during covid and I went a long while without getting it and still had basically no lines around eyes or forehead due to years of getting it I suspect , I don’t look odd . Plenty of people in there late 30s (my age ) don’t have many wrinkles due to genetics I guess so I just look normal .

Whose to say I’d have many wrinkles anyway ?! il never know but am happy with my decision to have Botox

It makes me look fresher faced and less tired when iv had it done oh and I almost always get asked for ID when trying to buy alcohol when iv had Botox ( but only very rarely do when it’s worn off ) presumably this is because they think I look younger than I am rather than “because they think I look “odd” unless the criteria has changed as to why one needs to provide ID to buy alcohol 😉

if you think it will make you happy go for it but go somewhere decent

@Changemaname1 good for you.

It is interesting how convinced Botox users are of it making them look "fresher". I expect it does if you stare at your still face in a mirror or photo, but I have never seen anyone in motion, speaking, smiling and generally living who looks "fresher" as a result of Botox.

I don’t think it makes me look “fresher”. (Whatever TF that means.) Nor younger. All it does is get rid of the dirty great 11 in the middle of my forehead. So I look less furious after a top up.