Botox, Sculptra and Tretinoin in the UK ... on a goal to look younger this year, what is everyone's experience with these treatments?

[AnnaBelIa]

I’m on a bit of a goal to look younger this year (or at least look less tired 😂) and I’ve been researching and started Botox, Sculptra and tretinoin

I’d love to hear from anyone else who has actually tried any of these...

Botox- How did you find the results? Did it make a noticeable difference to forehead lines, frown lines or crow’s feet? How long did your Botox results last, and did you feel it looked natural?

Sculptra- I’m particularly curious about this one because it seems quite different from traditional filler. Has anyone had Sculptra in the UK for collagen stimulation, skin firmness or facial ageing? How many treatments did you have and when did you start seeing results?

Tretinoin - Has anyone been prescribed tretinoin in the UK for anti-ageing, fine lines, pigmentation or skin texture? I’m wondering whether it’s genuinely worth the irritation and how long it took before you noticed a difference.

If you’ve tried one, two or all three, I’d really appreciate hearing about your experience... especially results, side effects, cost, downtime and whether you’d do it again.

Or any other treatments anyone has tried that they would recommend?

Basically, what actually worked for you.

Following with interest- also wondering how microneedling compared with the three treatments aforementioned

Botox every 4 months. Face not frozen but makes me look 'fresh'. Get a good practitioner to do it. Mine is an NHS nurse

Not had sculptra so can't comment.

Started using tret with Skin & Me about 2 years ago. Built up the dose slowly. Now on 0.50. Have loads of comments about how great my skin looks (I'm 60).

Forgot to mention i had cheek filler as my under eyes were hollow and this has sorted it.

Small amount of lip filler for a natural shape as my top lip had thinned.

I have Botox for my 11s and have just started with tret.

my 11s just made it look like a was angry/frowning all the time so now I don’t look permanently angry. I don’t think I look any younger.

tret I’ve only been using a few weeks but I think my skin looks fresher and I think my marionette lines are softer

Been using tret for about two years. I’m not sure how much it’s helped as I think it’s a gradual change, but I assume it has so I’m continuing.

Botox has been good - I have a tiny amount and still have good mobility in my face but my 11s are smooth and I have fewer frown lines.

Haven’t had sculptra but have had profilho - that has been very good and have noticeably plumper skin though it’s taken a while to show a difference.

I’ve been using tretinoin for about 6 years and the main thing is I don’t look much different which in 6 years I can’t complain about! My skin looks younger than people the same age

I can help with the tretinoin I've been prescribed it through skin and me for about 3 years. I think it's amazing. I feel my skin is good of my age and it improves skin texture, fine lines etc but I see it as more of a preventative rather than cure. You need to start very slowly and work your way up in strength and frequency.
I haven't tried any procedures although I'm curious about them if I was going to try anything it would be Botox in my forehead but I'm too scared and although I want to look the best I can I don't see aging/wrinkles as a bad thing. And I feel like I don't want to take the risk of not looking like myself!

This is a link for skin&me if you use it you get your first and 5th month free just pay £3.50 p&p and I get £10 off my next month!

www.skinandme.com/?promocode=LAURENS5YP3

Following along as at 39 I’m keen to try some preventative treatments. For those using tret, is skin & me generally where to get it from or are they other providers recommended? Keen to start with it.

I’ve been having Botox for around a year (I’m 41). I am very resistant to Botox so had to find a very good aesthetician who liked a challenge!
I have Refyldess which is the stronger Botox. It says it lasts up to six months. It lasts about 12 weeks on me! (Regular Botox lasts 6 weeks!)
I love it, it makes me look refreshed and smooth. I have three areas (forehead, frown lines and crows feet).

I haven’t tried Sculptra as I don’t think I need it yet. I have had microneedling (didn’t notice much difference, but my skin quality is good).

I’ve been using tretinoin for the last three months or so (I bought it from a pharmacy whilst on holiday in Thailand, where it’s cheap as chips). I had a slight amount of dry skin on my chin for a couple of weeks, and some purging (spots on my chin) but it was quite uneventful. My skin is quite tolerant and I’d been using retinal for a while so my skin was hardy by the time I started using the tretinoin.
The main difference I’ve noticed is how soft and glowy my skin is (it was quite dry before). I’m mainly using it for melasma, which takes a long time to fade using tretinoin, so waiting patiently for it to work on that.

There's Skin & Me and Dermatica. Both assess your skin and prescribe accordingly.

If you fancy giving it a go I have a referral code 😊

https://www.skinandme.com/?promocode=LISAS5NCR

My under eyes age me about 20 years. I would never have under eye fillers due to the risk- however small - of blindness or vision issues.

I’m intrigued by your post suggesting that cheek filler helped you with this. Can you tell me what product they used and if you had any particular physical characteristics that made it successful?

I’ve been wary because I noted in the press photos of a very famous mother of the bride depicted at her daughter‘s wedding with eyes sunken in head and puffy cheeks - and I’m afraid that’s what would happen to me. I wondered if fuller cheeks would make the eye socket look even more sunken?

I had tear trough filler which has been a complete game changer ! They use a finer filler which is the only licenced product for the area - anyone using normal filler shouldn’t really as it can show. Only have to have it every 10-12 months. My eyes look so much fresher and make up goes on smoother. I have never been able to cover my eye bags with make up and now I actually look better without ! Which is something I never thought was possible

I’ve had Botox for frown lines, crows feet and forehead. Not frozen look but my face looks fresher and more lifted. What I have found is certain ones don’t last as long - usually 2-3 months for me

I have Botox about once a year and use tretinoin as part of my regime. Both make an amazing difference.

I had Botox in the middle of last week and it’s just kicked in beautifully.

I went straight onto the strongest tretinoin I could buy, but use it sparingly. We hear the term ‘glass skin’ bandied around a lot - this really does it.

Fair enough. The risk isn’t worth it for me even with the most experienced surgeon. Many won’t touch it.

I’ve NC but this is at 42 with 6 years of Tretinoin. always done skincare, never slept in my makeup and a sun avoider
have just started using a micro current device so will see how that helps

I've been using tretinoin since 2020 . The great thing about it is you just don't need any other expensive skin product. Just SPF and a comforting moisturiser (I use cerave products). Just start slow and you'll be fine.

Recently started microneedling every month (since April). The glow is incredible. Definitely seeing a difference in skin clarity whereas tretinoin seems to work better on me for texture. I'd never bother with another facial.

Do you do the microneedling yourself at home?

Am 47 and in the last year, Tretinoin from Skin&Me has worked wonders for rosacea and fine marionette lines and 1ml in each cheek of filler has made me far less tired, hollow-eyed, jowely and saggy looking after 6 stone weight loss. My DDs describe it as a ‘glow up’. I was incredibly low maintenance up until this point and had always looked young for my age (albeit very fat) until I suddenly didn’t. I’m delighted with the results.

No I go to a clinic for it. I have seen you can get pens to do it yourself but the woman I go to will sometimes do 1 - 1.5mm depth and for that you need all your products to be sterile.
You can go higher than that but I am happy with the results going monthly. It's expensive but where I go no more than a Hydrafacial.

Been using tret for 6 or 7 years and its transformative. Pics of me at the time I started, so early forties, show me with a dull and pigmented complexion. And I thought I had looked after my skin up until that point. Tret just keeps the skin fresh. Doesn't do much for my smile lines but I don't care so much when my skin glows.

Botox I have on number 11s for frowning. I'm not sure how much longer it will keep looking natural in comparison to the rest of my face. 40s were the best time to do it for me as at least I've not been able to frown for nearly a decade.

I haven’t had Sculptra but have had Radiesse which is similar, in my lower face. Too soon to see result just yet as I only had it last month.

I started having Botox this year at the age of 36 and I love it. The woman I go to is about natural tweaking enhancements rather than full on frozen face.

I have also started doing microneedling but again it’s a long term process. Main thins is to make sure your equipment/skin/surfaces/serum is sterile and appropriate for MN.

I use tret 0.025 of an evening and Azelaic Acid 15% in the AM followed by moisturiser and a good SPF.

My skin has never looked better, I’m annoyed it took me this long to get in to some sort of proper routine with it!

This is what Tret has done for me. My skin before I started using it looks far more dull and pigmented. It doesn’t do much for sagging and jowls, preventative or otherwise, but it makes your skin look fabulous over time.

I’ve been using tret for over a year and have definitely noticed a difference.
I don’t find it too expensive as the ‘monthly’ subscription lasts me longer than a month so I just push back the next delivery date. You only pay just before dispatch, so it’s roughly every 6-8 weeks for me. It also reins in my spending on other random serums containing actives.

I use 0.05 tret with Dermatica and the subscription is very easy to manage if you do need to make changes to the dates etc. I have a Dermatica code if anyone is interested:
Try personalised skincare for just £2.90, plus £10 off your next month.
Head to www.dermatica.co.uk and checkout with code VY3WRV

Thanks for sharing other skincare experiences, I’m definitely going to explore the microneedling.

Mine isn't under eye filler like tear through. She injected it in the apple of my cheek and on my cheek bone. It's very subtle and not hamster like. It helps lift the face.