I am starting to see signs of ageing and wonder if now is the time to start botox / fillers. Can anyone recommend one over the other? I'm not sure of the difference.
Botox and fillers aren't used for the same thing really - botox basically freezes the muscles to stop repetitive movement that can cause wrinkles (think frowning, which may cause frown lines on the forehead or '11s' between the eyes), and fillers are used to replenish lost volume in the face, usually the cheek area. I haven't had either botox or fillers so I'm afraid I can't recommend any practitioners.
I have also never tried retinol and wonder if I should do that first. How long does it take to see the difference? I have heard it takes quite a while but I don't know if it's weeks or months.
Retinol is an over the counter version of a retinoid. It is used to increase cellular turnover and increase collagen production in the skin (both of which slow down as we age). It makes your skin look brighter and clearer, and can reduce the look of fine lines.
However an over the counter retinol (that you buy at Boots for example) isn't very strong and won't give significant results. But it's good as a starter product, or if you have sensitive skin to get acclimatised.
If you want to use a retinoid your best bet is to get tretinoin (it is a prescription strength version of retinol). It has decades of clinical research behind it, showing its effectiveness. Not available over the counter I'm afraid, but you can get it from companies like Skin & Me and Dermatica on subscription, they send you a monthly bottle. Or some overseas online pharmacies sell it.
However it is heavy duty stuff, so I would advise to research it a bit, and use sparingly at first - and yes, it can take months to show the effects, plus you may end up purging for a while, with flaky, red, sensitive skin while your skin acclimatises to it.
I have been using it for a few years, and I still have the odd day where I peel a bit 😫However I really like the effect on my skin, and will keep using it as long as I can, but the first few months were pretty brutal. I'd say it took 3 - 6 months for me to see proper results.
But it's not a magic cream, it will not prevent sagging jowls or anything like that, it just makes your skin look younger and freshers. Also great if you have congested skin (it was originally developed as acne medication).
Also, if you are going to use any retinol product (OTC or not), you need to use high strength sunscreen everyday, as it makes your skin more sensitive to sun damage.
I suppose I see tretinoin as more of a maintenance thing, and to slow down future visible ageing of my skin, whereas botox and fillers would give you a more immediate and dramatic result, but are also more costly.