Botox or retinol/tretinoin

[Maybenotthistime]

Hi, I have read lots of useful posts on here. I am 44 and have lines round my eyes which I have come to terms with. In the past year have got fine lines around my mouth which I would like to do something about , a couple above my mouth are becoming static.I have quite sensitive skin, excema in the past. After reading on here it seems like my options are botox or retinol. Or fillers? Any tips thank you

Try prescription tret first.
Not the OTC retinol. There are many threads on it if you search. Works for me and I am not going for injectables

My sensitive skin can't tolerate tret anywhere near my mouth (I think you're generally advised to keep it away from your mouth and nostrils).

Sorry I clearly have shitty reading comprehension..If you have eczema then Tret may be too harsh.

You really need to work up to Tret. So I started with a retinol, then upped the strength of that until I was fine with tret. I can’t advise whether retinol and eczema are a god mix though.

Botox is good for forehead lines and can be used for crow’s feet. Not for lines round the mouth. You can try other treatments such as radio frequency or microneedling. It depends how much money you want to throw at it!

Thank you all

Hiya again, the beauty therapist I saw said botox was possible for lines above mouth, do you think that's not right? Just checking thanks

As in the top lip? It’s not an area I’d consider using Botox as it could (and often does) affect your smile.

I’d also consider going to a doctor or at least an nurse aesthetician. Botox is complicated and you want to go to someone very qualified. I wouldn’t go to a Beauty Therapist personally

I have eczema and use tret, I have a relatively low dose and use it 3 times a week. I put hyaluronic acid serum on my skin first, then moisturiser, then the tret, it doesn't irritate my skin then. A lower dose means it will take longer to see results but will be just as effective so I've been told

Just had my first botox at 54 for forehead lines and crows eyes and am completely delighted. Went to a lovely nurse practitioner who has done it perfectly so I have some movement still but everything looks so much fresher.

She recommended tret around to lower face so I've signed up to skin and me. I feel like me again, really happy with the results.

My dr. said Botox wasn't really suitable for around the mouth, you need filler for there. I love it for forehead and around the eyes. I also have had good results with tret.

Thank you all

I have Botox and Profhilo, done by a Dr, every 5 months. I’m not interested in having a frozen face and my forehead and eyebrows still move. I am just a bit smoother round the eyes and forehead and the lower part of my face is a tad less wrinkled (that is the profhilo, but I have to say, it bloody hurts when it’s done!). I still look exactly like me, but a bit less….tired? Even my DH who is literally the most unobservant man on the planet will say to me I look “like I’ve slept well” 🤣🤣🤣

Yes I like Profhilo - it’s a long game though. People expect instant results and you just have to stick with it (which gets expensive). It really stings!!

There's also the option of doing 'short contact therapy' with tret, where you only apply it for 30 minutes or so.

Thank you everyone

Sorry for jumping in.. can someone provide a link for the tret they use please.

Hey! Also what are people's thoughts on retinol versus hyaluronic acid serum.
I also went to Boots looking at retinol and was given a sample of no 7 line correcting booster serum. Have applied it twice and have slight blisters under my mouth.

I'm using skin and me. Did the month's trial and really pleased so carrying on. Link is here for you to get a trial (and I get £10 off next month I think as well)

https://www.skinandme.com/?promocode=KATHC5VKH

Botox first and then use others to maintain it. Here goes my routine if you would be interested:
Morning:
Using water to wash your face,
Sebamed clear face gel,
Garnier spf on my face and sun bum on the body
Cicaplast
Evening:
LRP moisturizer,
Tretinoin (0.1) from skinorac
Sebamed clear facial gel

Just signed up with your link, thank you.

You can have Botox for smokers lines but they just really stop the lines from getting worse, they don’t plump the ones that are already there. It’s a really tricky area to treat. You might find that a very small amount of filler can help, a really good dermatologist would take you through the options. They can also prescribe tretinoin if suitable but as others have said it has a habit of leaching into lip tissue and completing drying them out. Either way, do not go to a beauty therapist for this would be my advice.

Can I ask, how do you even start to find a good botox practitioner? I do not know anyone who has had botox to recommend, but keen to start botox myself