Dr Dan Dhunna is one of the UK’s leading Botox® experts and has spent nearly 2 decades treating thousands of patients, from TV and film stars to the girl or boy next door. One of the most commonly asked questions he gets is “at what age should I start having Botox®?” and it’s one that can’t be answered simply, as every patient is different. Dr Dan Dhunna makes it his mission to offer ethically sound advice to all his patients and would never recommend a treatment, unless he was absolutely sure it was safe and suitable. This is what makes him one of the leading facial practitioners with a long history of achieving astounding results.
First, let’s look at what Botox® is exactly and how it might benefit you, if you are considering undergoing a cosmetic enhancement.
What is Botox®?
Botox® (Botulinum Toxin Type A) is an injectable substance which uses an active element from a purified protein of the Clostridium Botulinum Bacteria. Simply put, Botox® is a neurotoxin that blocks the nerve signals that reach the specific facial muscles that cause facial expressions. It has been used in medicine for many years and whilst treating patients with eye spasms, was found to help temporarily smooth dynamic lines and wrinkles. Botox® is a prescribed drug and must only be administered by a medical professional, such as Dr Dan Dhunna (think doctor, dentist, surgeon or prescribing nurse) and just as importantly, someone who has had specific training to administer Botox® injections in to the face.
As we age, the skin becomes less resilient and lines and wrinkles can start to appear. This can happen in someone as young as 20 or for some, with more resilient skin or fortunate genes, in their 30s. If you are someone who is experiencing lines and wrinkles such as crow’s feet, glabellar lines (the number 11 lines between your eyebrows), forehead lines or even bunny lines (the lines that run down the sides of your nose when you smile) Botox® might just be the answer. However, at Dr Dan Dhunna’s clinics in London and the Midlands, we would not recommend administering Botox® to any patient younger than the age of 18. This is down to several factors which can include risking further skin ageing, body dysmorphic conditions to the fact that youthful skin simply won’t benefit from having these injections, as the dynamic lines and wrinkles they treat have not yet developed. However, for younger patients, we are able to advise on alternative treatments for healthy and glowing skin, before Botox® is needed.
Do I need Botox®?
When you look in the mirror, what are your concerns? Do you see those tell-tale lines beginning to form? Perhaps the more important question to ask is, do they bother you? Most of us want to stay looking our best for as long as possible, and if you are beginning to feel as if your skin is no longer benefitting from over-the-counter creams and lotions and you feel that if you didn’t have those crow’s feet, or forehead lines, you would feel more confident in your looks, perhaps it’s time to have a chat with Dr Dan Dhunna. If the lines and wrinkles are deep and appear on your face even when your face is at rest, the solution might not be Botox® at all, but a more structural repair might be needed, using dermal fillers. Botox® won’t affect lines that are deeper crevices and static on the face, such as marionette or laughter lines. It will only affect those ‘moving’ lines we see when we raise our eyebrows, smile, concentrate or squint. If your skin is just feeling a bit dull or dehydrated, Botox® probably isn’t going to make a huge difference either. Using something like an injectable skin booster may be the answer instead, something that Dr Dan Dhunna can also provide.
Therefore, it’s important to have a pre-treatment consultation with Dr Dan Dhunna, to discuss your options; something we insist on at his clinics, before any treatment is agreed. He can then examine your facial concerns, advise on the best course of treatment and check your medical history for contraindications. This way, you know you are spending your well earned money on something that is going to benefit you and make you feel better about your appearance.
What happens if I don’t like my Botox® treatment?
A question we get asked a lot and the simple answer is ‘preparation is key’. A pre-treatment consultation and facial examination with Dr Dan Dhunna will allow him to be the judge on whether a Botox® treatment will be beneficial for you. He can discuss with you what is really troubling you about your looks and get to the bottom of your worries and anxieties. If he feels that a treatment of Baby Botox®, where smaller quantities are used in a more superficial treatment for the skin would be more beneficial, he will recommend this first. With this slightly ‘milder’ treatment, excellent results can be seen in those younger patients where standard Botox® quantities may not be needed. Using his expertise and the proper preparation before any treatment takes place, Dr Dan Dhunna will ensure that the results you receive will be both beneficial and natural looking. This is the best route to a happy patient, every time.
If I have Botox® at a younger age, will it work as I get older?
Many patients who start having Botox® at a younger age (around 25 to 30) might feel as if the treatment has ‘less of an effect’ later on, but in actual fact, Dr Dan Dhunna never advises more than 3 Botox® treatments in any 12 month period, for this reason. If undergone too regularly, an immunity can develop over time, so spacing your Botox® treatments throughout the year (2 or 3 treatments) is recommended. However, what we also have to consider is, that the face undergoes many changes as we age and we are never going to maintain the same skin quality or looks we had at 25 when we reach 35 or 40, so a healthy and realistic idea of what Botox® can achieve is beneficial to all. It may be that later on, more holistic, combined skin treatments using boosters, fillers, threads or even facial peels, alongside Botox® injections produces more comprehensive and satisfactory results, later on.
How long will my Botox® results last?
The killer question! In short, everyone is different and we tend to find that our younger patients experience more long lasting results from Botox® (around 6 to 8 months). If you have been having Botox® for some years, you may find that you need a treatment every 4 months, still within that 3 treatments per year threshold! However, lifestyle really can affect the longevity of results. Therefore you can have a 20 year old who smokes and sits in the sun, returning for Botox® injections 3 times a year and a 45 year old who never bakes in the sun, eats well and takes care of their skin, getting away with a treatment every 6 to 8 months! As we say, every patient is different and it’s up to you to maintain a healthy lifestyle and skincare regime to maximise your results.
Botox® is one of the most popular injectable treatments in the world, simply because it works, and starting a Botox® treatment plan with Dr Dan Dhunna when you do start to experience those annoying expression lines, can mean all the difference between looking good and looking amazing. Whatever age you are, it costs nothing to have a conversation and to see whether Botox® might be the option for you. Simply call and make an initial appointment, and see whether this simple, fast and no downtime treatment, could give you back that smooth skin and a more confident outlook.
Booking a Botox Consultation
Book your Botox London or Botox Birmingham consultation with Dr Dan Dhunna call 020 8168 0268 or complete our online form