In the past few years, there’s been a pivotal shift in the age category of women opting for Botox treatments. Once considered by women of middle to old age, the impact of social media has caused a considerable spike in the number of women experimenting with the treatment at a far younger age. From editing and filtering images to achieve the perfect look, women have now transitioned towards preventative injectables and Botox treatments for the same.

We spoke with Dr. Mohammed Hussain Alqahtani, a renowned plastic surgeon, to shed light on the treatment that has witnessed an uptick in popularity with the millennial generation. 

Q: Doctor, what are preventative injectables and Botox?

A: Injectables and Botox are a cosmetic minimally invasive procedures avidly used to smoothen facial wrinkles on the forehead and between the brows, crow’s feet around the eyes, and fine lines around the mouth and eyes. 

Nowadays, the treatment is used to reverse faint fine lines when they first appear as a preventative measure; before they turn into wrinkles. The fine lines start getting deeper with age, and treating it at an early stage reduces the chances of wrinkles forming in the future.

Q: How does it work?   

A: Injectables and Botox stop the development of wrinkles by blocking signals from the nerves and inhibiting contractions of the muscles. The paralyzing of muscles results in relaxed skin, which looks smoother and youthful. The treatment also trains the face to slow down movement in the muscles, which delays the aging process. It can even be opted for the correction of facial symmetry.

Q: What is the right age to start considering undergoing preventative treatment?  

A: There has been an influx of women who have started the treatment in their early 20’s. I believe the perfect candidates are women in their mid-twenties to the early thirties and those with expressive faces. However, once the early signs of fine lines or resting face wrinkles start appearing, it is the ideal time to start getting the treatment to delay the onset of deep wrinkles.

Q: How must one take care of the skin to delay early signs of aging?

 A: Incorporating sunscreen, anti-aging products, and chemical peels into the daily skincare regime helps stave off the early signs of aging.