Will I be the only one who looks my age?

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Everyone around me seems to be getting Botox, or other beauty procedures. I’m mid 30s and not keen to go down that route due to the ongoing cost. It’s not cheap! But then I wonder if I’ll end up looking miles older than my peers because of this?

Any other 30-somethings who are not planning to get Botox?

I think the issue I have is that there's so much pressure on women to look a certain way. Particularly women in the public eye. No more than that. The friend I had who had Botox was earning around 80k a year maybe 25 years ago. I don't even think I was earning 20k at that point. Even if I had wanted Botox which I didn't I wouldn't have been able to afford it

She had money to tweak herself - and I honestly don't think she needed it. She looked great as she was.

I actually don't know anyone who has work done. I live in the West of Scotland and there are probably clinics where you can get work done not far from me - but not in my rush town I don't think.

If it makes people feel good - fair enough.

I think botox seems to 'thin' the skin in some Amanda holden type way so it looks very aging just with whole different and unintentional result

The thing is that there is so much you can do yourself and I genuinely think it's those thing that makes the biggest difference e.g. eat well, keep yourself fit (whatever that might look like for you), maybe home hair colour, clipped and filed nails, do best you can teeth wise, and most importantly, high SPF suncream every day of the year. To my eye tweakments can look obvious and fake and may make you look different or even good for your age, but rarely younger.

Most people I know do not have botox etc. But my friend who has a high powered job in London says she's practically the only woman in the office who's not getting botox, on WLI or both. So I suppose how you look compared to others depends on the circles you move in.

But I agree with pp, that people with work done don't look younger. I think they just look their age but with work done. I know two people who were so beautiful, in their 30s and now look very weird. It makes me sad that they felt the need to do it.

I’m 40s and not planning too!

My general observation on the aesthetics industry is that everyone, from drag queens to thirty year olds to sixty year olds, are starting to morph into one. You don't look younger after a while, you look carbon copied. It's harder and harder to guess ages but that doesn't mean people are actually looking younger.

I was watching Sheridan Smith in the new BBC drama tonight and she's been at her face, wasn't sure exactly what, but again I don't think she looks particularly younger because of it. It's a sort of homogeneous, no age kind of look.

I’m 62 and I’ve never had any Botox or tweakments. I don’t dye my hair either. Completely grey and rarely wear makeup except lipstick. I recently discovered this amazing Australian woman on YouTube who does Facerobics. Look her up. I wish I’d discovered her years ago but even now the exercises are lifting my face.

I'm 33. Never doing anything, not having botox or surgery is going to be the new flex I reckon. I feel no pressure whatsoever to get anything done

Each to their own, however I do think botox looks awful and it makes younger people look older. You're friends who are having botox in their 30s will make everyone assume they're in their 40s as botox face is quite noticeable.

I would say it's an unpopular opinion but according to this thread it's not, which I really like. Botox and fillers age you as you instantly look like someone who has had work done and probably older than you actually are.

FAR better (imo) to have a consistent and really good skin regime that includes a daily SPF. Drink water. Eat your vegetables. Get the vitamins. Wear a hat. Put the glass of wine down (that one was just to me).

The question for me has always been, when do you stop? Sooner or later, even those with "good" Botox reach the point where it looks odd. The smooth forehead just contrasts against the wrinkles elsewhere.
For now, focus on excellent skin care and being obsessive with SPF. I see a dermatologist for regular treatments - lasers, microdermabrasion, peels. Yes, I have some lines, but my skin is plump, smooth, and glowing, so I really don't care. Maybe skin-care, rather than fillers and botox, could be your thing?

Very interesting
I agree, its like breast implants everyone had them removed as the look was dated and health concerns popped up

I saw Sheridan Smith, her face looked so bland and characterless

I love watching 80s drama, so refreshing that they look like themselves

Reiterating previous posters….at your age you should

use a mineral based sunscreen every single day

dont tan your face. This undoes the all the good skin care you have done

use a serum with vitamin c and some other ingredients like skin ceuticals CE ferulic serum and yes you can use a less expensive dupe.

skin care over Botox or fillers is definitely the long game and the end game.

I know a lot of people who have had Botox and fillers. It makes them look smoother but not necessarily younger. I think lip fillers are bound to go out of fashion soon.

Pressure from who? Do you mean the aesthetics industry or a particular group of ordinary people? Serious question. My young colleague says she feels under pressure to get treatments but it is certainly not from her colleagues
of a similar age.

I have known women who got it done well, it is subtle and looks great. For the first few years anyway (except those who were still young, weirdly made them instantly look older).

The issue was as they used it more and more. As they actually aged 'subtle' went out of the window, it had to, more had be used to get the same smoothing effect. They got the same 'lion face' look.

Celebs with millions, entire teams and resources available, still don't actually look younger without filters. Just smoother and 'off'.

Personal preference. I’ve found lots of people don’t talk about it. I’m very open about my tweakments and treatments as people do ask my skin routine and want to know how I get my skin so good. When I mention I get Botox they are surprised at that although the ladies I go to err on the side of caution and I still have movement just not lines anymore.

i think if you look after your skin with a good routine and stay hydrated then your skin will thank you for it. SPF and it smoking are the biggest things you can do that will help you look younger in my opinion.

I think if you want to treat a specific issue such as a deep frown line it might help. But I agree with those who say that badly done it can make you look like you're older. I also think people who look after themselves - moisturiser, hydration, sun screen, etc. and have fully mobile faces look far more beautiful than people with frozen faces.

On the broader topic, I find it amusing that I am a rare 58yo woman who looks 58, leaving out fact I'm not fat which actually most women my age are but I don't think fatness indicates age. My skin probably looks much older than most 58yo women around me due to my youth in sunny country. English women mostly have much better skin than me at my age, unless they smoked. This doesn't bother me. Sometimes I feel like a rare unicorn and the only 'real' one, lol.

Most people don’t have Botox, I find that at our age (I’m 31) there are people who look much older and people who look much younger and people who look their age - and the ones with Botox span all 3 groups. Genetics, lifestyle are the biggest impacts

I’m in my 50s. Similar. Yes I have 11s, yes I have jaw sagging a bit. Yes I have laughter lines around eyes. And I could care less!

As much as I read about it online or see on tv, it doesn’t translate into real life. Eg I only see a few people with the massive lips and I live in a city. I see just as many wrinkled and overweight people as before, despite Botox and WLI etc

I wouldn’t start Botox yet. What I would do is:-

clean diet, fruit and veggies
daily vitamin
spf 50 every day even when raining and especially on holiday.
cleanse and moisturise morning and night. Toner if you like it at night. Always take up makeup off at night and use flannel and face wash or lotions and reusable make up pads. Not face wipes.
add serum morning and night if you need/want it. Vitamin c brightens. Use night cream.

You can use tret (forget spelling) if you’re worried about wrinkles but you need to use spf with it. Ditto retinol (The Ordinary do a good one), but you have to use moisturiser afterwards.

I’ve tried high and low end brands. Use what suits your skin. Mine is cheap as chips atm!

Exercise too. I heard yoga is great for keeping young especially in the face. I used to do it for years and need to get back into it. Apparently you rarely see a wrinkled yoga teacher! Also it helps with stress which I personally think can age you.

This is not what people are aiming for though - they are aiming for the best they can look at whatever their age is be it 50,60 or 70. In your 30s you have no idea about what will happen to your face although a look at your mother is often a good indicator. Genes play a massive part and then you have the natural movement south of your fat pads and muscles. It happens to some more than others. Botox was not a thing when I was in my 30s. Now subtle filler is a game changer in the older face. Each of us has the freedom to do what we want. It's easy to say I will never have anything done when you're only 30. It's like the my child will never have a dummy 😂

I’ve had Botox before and have full movement in my face. It gets broken down and stops working if you don’t redo it