Botox - I feel under pressure

[Pitterpatterpotter]

3 of my closest friends are now regularly having Botox and one in particular keeps going on about how amazing it is. None of them have actually suggested I have it but I feel I’m putting pressure on myself as they will stay wrinkle free while I age! I admit two of them look a lot older and have been upset with their lines for years, but one of them looks younger than she is and I am surprised. Is it the new normal? Should I consider it? I only have fine lines on my forehead and round my eyes so far and am frequently told I look a lot younger than I am but I’m genuinely feeling quite stressed about my lines now my friends have none!

I think the wealthy 50 pluses have already moved on from Botox - hence the more recent pics of celebs showing off their crinkly eyes, but with strangely pointy chins.

@Floisme

I think the wealthy 50 pluses have already moved on from Botox - hence the more recent pics of celebs showing off their crinkly eyes, but with strangely pointy chins.

Now I’m intrigued. What are they having done instead do you think?

Where I live, (fairly rural NW England, lots of outdoorsy, no make-up types), not many people seem the type to have Botox or fillers so tye very few I do see really stand out. Not in a good way. Maybe it starts to look normal if you're surrounded by people who do it, but I really don't think there's anything very normal about injecting stuff into your face.

Now I’m intrigued. What are they having done instead do you think?
Something to fix a wobbly jawline - I don't know what but I imagine it's beyond the budget of most women who think Botox might be affordable. Which will be precisely why they're doing it.

That’s really interesting. I guess it was inevitable once every woman and her dog started getting Botox.

🤔 Stealth boast OP 😂

I see Botox more as an occasional treat,( I’ve had it twice) , like getting my nails done or getting my hair coloured (I only go to hairdresser 2 or 3 times a year). When the Botox wears off I go back to how I looked before , but when it’s freshly done I look more “fresh faced”. I don’t see it as a big deal 🤷‍♀️

Yup. I imagine they think Botox is for little people.

Sorry cross post, that was to Alsohuman

If you want Botox for you, then do it. I don't understand why people are so anti. Do your homework and invest in an experienced medically trained practitioner. If you can find a dermatologist who offers botox, you will get fantastic , natural results.
Don't be tempted to go for cheap and cheerful or your best friend's mate who's just done their training. Expect to pay between £300 to £350 every 3 to 4 months.
A good practitioner will make you look fresh, not done or frozen. You won't miraculously lose 10 years. Age is a subtle thing and skin texture, teeth, hands all give signs of a person's age.

I'd definitely get your teeth whitened at the same time. The two changes together will give you a youthful (not younger) appearance.
Most importantly, do it because you want to, just as you would if going for a new hairstyle. Don't feel pressured.

Don't be tempted to over do it.....Do enjoy the compliments!

I have nothing against botox; it's been used for years for facial tics etc so it is safe to use. But for those who say that people can't tell you've had it, please don't kid yourselves. It doesnt matter how well you have it done, we can tell. And often it makes your face look a bit odd. Nobody will tell you this as they don't want to hurt your feelings.

they will stay wrinkle free while I age

Nope, they will increasingly start to look weirder and weirder while you will look normal!

@Alsohuman

You do realise Botox is used regularly on the NHS for multiple different things non cosmetic? So not exactly poison

[quote 2155User]@Alsohuman

You do realise Botox is used regularly on the NHS for multiple different things non cosmetic? So not exactly poison[/quote]
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6112997/

It is quite normal now I think. But that doesn't mean you have to have it!

I'm 40 and have had Botox twice. The first time just on the number 11s and I was very happy with the result - nobody would ever have noticed (despite what people say on here, a tiny bit in one area is very subtle). The last time I had it though, I had a bit more and had it in three areas. I do think it's quite obvious now to be honest, yes my wrinkles are gone because it certainly works, but my face looks and feels a bit frozen. I won't get it like that again, I just don't like the way it looks. And whilst the wrinkles are gone, I don't look younger, if you know what I mean. I look the same but smoother. I can imagine if you kept getting it you would end up looking quite strange as you age.

So I suppose my point is, it's not always a hood think to me wrinkle free anyway. I've realised I quite liked my crows feet, and my forehead lines didn't bother me much anyway! It was just the number 11s I hated. It's easy to get carried away, but you definitely will look better aging naturally so keep your face as it is!

@Alsohuman

So I’m assuming you would refuse it if you absolutely required it for medical reasons?

www.nhs.uk/conditions/cosmetic-procedures/botox-injections/

[quote 2155User]@Alsohuman

So I’m assuming you would refuse it if you absolutely required it for medical reasons?[/quote]
Like what? What medical reason would there be whereby I’d die if I didn’t have it? I assume you’ve stopped maintaining it’s not poison, by the way.

Incidentally, I thought this was S&B, not AIBU, I didn’t really come here looking for an argument.

@Alsohuman

It’s not an argument.

But I’m curious how someone could view something as such a horrible substance when the NHS quite happily offer it

The best baby shower ( didn't want one, was thrust upon me!) present I had was a superb facial appointment at a salon from my best friends . I had it about 8 weeks pp ( I dozed off due to the sleep deprivation) and for about a fortnight afterwards everyone said how amazingly rested I looked. Lol, I was on about 2 hours sleep a night. If I had the money I would have a treatment like that every month rather than botox. Lots of more natural affordable ways of keeping youthful skin op.

I'm 43 with minimal lines that only show when I frown or smile (normal looking in other words).... I couldn't afford Botox or Fillers even if I wanted them!!
My best friends can't afford it either.

However I have several colleagues at work who can afford & have Botox & fillers.
The youngest is 32; the oldest is 71.
They all have it done in quite a subtle way.

Yet the women who are my age at work who have Botox say they envy me as I still look younger than them - because I've never smoked, always used spf & have good genes I think. So I don't feel under pressure to have Botox.

But I'm paranoid about my jawline since reading about how it softens in your later 40s.
I look in the mirror every day to check, I'm overweight so I have a slight double chin & I think, omg when my weight goes down will I get my jawline back??

First world issues I know!!

But I'm paranoid about my jawline since reading about how it softens in your later 40s.
I look in the mirror every day to check, I'm overweight so I have a slight double chin & I think, omg when my weight goes down will I get my jawline back??

The good news is yes, your jawline will sharpen if you lose weight. The really, really good news is I didn’t notice any difference in mine until well past my 60th birthday - and I was past caring then!

I have 42 injections of Botox into my face, head, neck and shoulders every 12 weeks for medical reasons. The pain is minor. It's for chronic migraine, where I was suffering 23-27days a month of agony, and this reduces it to around 6-12 and massively lessens the severity of the attacks.

I hate what it does to my face. I hate being unable move it properly, I hate the dead spots in my forehead where the movement is stopped, I don't like the way I look with it - it's totally put me off beauty treatments of that type forever.

Whilst it's short lasting, I'm only 40, and have no desire to piss about with my face now I've seen what it does.

Women who have aged gracefully- those whose weight hasn't yoyo'd, and have a reasonably healthy life style- look so good. Really really good.

If the various beautiful celebs embraced their maturing selves, they'd look better than all the touched up ladies around them, imo. I suppose some of them didn't have great bone structure (or whatever it is that makes them beautiful) to begin with. Most did though, surely, or they wouldn't have got where they are?

You do realise Botox is used regularly on the NHS for multiple different things non cosmetic? So not exactly poison.

It literally is a poison. Hence the 'tox' bot on the end of the name. It's a neurotoxin. And yes, there are lots of horrible things used in necessary medical treatments which you wouldn't want to take for trivial vanity reasons but which you would probably take if they were prescribed to save your life or cure a medical condition.

I tried it once, on the run up to my daughter's wedding, just between my eyebrows, and I hated it. I was very sick the following day and scared myself witless when I googled possible long term side effects. I also hated the heavy feeling it gave my brow.

I would never have it again. I actually like my face - it has warmth, character and humour. It's sad to see a woman like Carol Vorderman, who's a year older than me, have all the character stripped from her face and now looks like a bad waxwork of herself. It's a slippery slope and one I'd rather avoid.