Discuss: Are you aging on purpose with Botox, Dysport, and more?

Today, let’s discuss: Are you aging on purpose with treatments like Botox, Dysport, and more? What have you tried and hated — and what treatments do you love? At what age did you start?

I saw a couple of articles recently that got me thinking about this – the first was recently on The Wall Street Journal. The article began with an anecdote about Dr. Heidi Waldorf, a dermatologist who every year posts a picture of herself on Instagram and reviews the treatments she’s had. (here Her IG account.)

As they note in the article:

Dr. Waldorf, who began such treatments around age 35, was an early adopter of what we might call “intentional aging.” Adherents of this growing trend are committed to having their faces improved by dermatologists using low-invasive treatments such as lasers (for hyperpigmentation, wrinkles, and scars), ultrasound (to tighten skin), micro-needling (to improve texture), and mild injections rather than chasing eternal youth through extreme measures such as Plastic surgery.

The desire for less intensive procedures indicates a shift in aging aesthetics. In the past, women were more likely to ask for the works: a face-lift, resurfacing lasers, or an excess of filler.

Based on reader conversations here, I always intended to get Botox starting in my mid-30s…but it was a low priority, especially since my extra weight keeps my facial skin nice and plump. (I still mean to go through pictures of my mother and grandmother to see if there was any significant change in their faces at any point; we all have similarly round faces with chubby cheeks (three cheers to my Polish ancestors).

(Me and my dermatologist You have I discussed a filler for my Muppet lines (most likely Juvederm) but, well, I haven’t been able to research it yet…so I’d love any stories you guys have!)

But this, of course, amounts to the idea of ​​”pre-youth”—you should get treatments before you need them in order for skin to stay plump, rather than trying to plump up sagging skin.

There was another recent article on New York times about this pre-youth trend as they spoke to more than a dozen experts to find out if “preventive Botox” is a wise investment. The bottom line is that you are delaying (not preventing) wrinkles, and yes, it can work.

The big problem they noticed was the idea that Botox had been used for decades—not a lot of studies had been done on this, just anecdotal data—as well as the cost of paying for decades’ worth of relatively expensive treatments.

The part that stuck with me about the article was the discussion of whether you can stop getting Botox:

You won’t reverse your progress if you stop treatment – you’ll regain your full mobility, which will slowly cause wrinkles to appear.

It is difficult to track the effect of temporarily stopping treatment, since few people stop injections as soon as they start. Although botulinum toxin itself does not constitute a chemical dependence, many people become “addicted” to the appearance of their face, says Dana Berkowitz, associate professor of sociology at Louisiana State University. …

Your face without Botox “looks ugly to you,” said Dr. Berkowitz, adding, “This wrinkle-free, aging face becomes totally normal. We expect it and then view it as beautiful.”

Readers, let us hear from you — do you intentionally age with treatments like Botox, Dysport, and more? What have you tried and hated — and what treatments do you love? What age did you start at, and how stable are you? How much do you pay for each treatment, and how did you find your preferred provider?

Stock image via Stencil.