In 2022, it was calculated that over 7.4 million people in the US received Botox treatments. Botox is a quite common procedure. From men to women to lawyers to teachers, almost everyone has dabbled in Botox. Botox is an excellent treatment to look more refreshed and rejuvenated, plus it’s pretty much painless! People love heading out during a work lunch break to have a few units injected here and there, but with so many of us getting Botox regularly it begs the question: are there any long term results from Botox?
If you began getting Botox early on (let’s say in your 30s) would that have any effect on your skin and aging 20 or 30 years down the road? Well, an article from the Daily Mail did just that. It documented two identical twins, one who received Botox and one who did not. The twin who received Botox earlier had less wrinkles, less sagging, and just generally looked more refreshed. This isn’t necessarily surprising, as Botox is a neurotoxin that relaxes the muscles in the face (or other places on the body) for an overall smoother look. The whole idea behind slow and steady or long term Botox is your face almost training itself to relax the muscles so little tension and contracting happens and lines aren’t created.
On the other hand, many wonder what the results are for patients who have received, perhaps, too much Botox over the years. Is there such a thing as Botox immunity? Well, some surgeons seem to think so. Most patients are actually receiving more units that are necessary at too frequent intervals, leaving them with what some refer to as ‘Botox immunity.’ The sweet spot for Botox is around 3-4 months and anywhere from 20-40 units. More than that may actually be too much or too frequent.
The general consensus here truly is that everything is best in moderation!
