by I know this is polarizing: skin aging is natural and definitely better than the alternative (we have a whole podcast dedicated to fragmenting this argument). But for me personally, “feeling good” meant starting a Botox treatment twice a year when the wrinkles on my forehead started to bother me every time I looked in the mirror.
As any skin will tell you, topical anti-aging creams can help remove wrinkles, but the most effective way to do them truly disappears with an injectable neurotoxin, such as Botox. “Botox works by preventing dynamic wrinkles by temporarily weakening the underlying muscle,” Dendy Engelman, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York, told Well + Good. Dynamic wrinkles are those caused by the movement of the underlying muscle and, over time, turn into a static line even at rest. “With Botox treatment, muscle contraction is weakened and the overlying dynamic wrinkle is reduced. And with timely and effective treatment, it can not only reduce dynamic lines with movement, but also soften or eliminate static lines,” he says.
Related stories
While we would do it never to tell you that Botox is an essential element in your beauty routine (again, this is entirely up to you), if it is something you are interested in, we want to give you all the information you need to make the right and responsible choice. That’s the reason for his latest episode Life tries everything, I took a trip to Peachy, a wrinkle prevention studio in New York, to answer your most pressing questions on the subject and show you exactly what to expect from a date.
“Our whole goal is to maintain your natural appearance while softening your wrinkles,” says Megan Dinsmore, Peachy’s medical director. As injections are becoming more and more part of the standard skin care practices of humans, this method is in line with the “precautionary” measures that many people seek out of their injections. “Botox is most effective when used as a preventative tool, so you can smooth out these wrinkles while you can maintain your natural appearance, be able to move your face and express yourself, and that’s really the goal here.”
To see first hand how the process actually works, click play in the video above (warning if you are stingy: there are lot of the needles involved). What if Botox is not for you? Retinoids and sunscreen are a great alternative. Why (tell me now!), The choice is up to you.
Want even more beauty information from our authors? Follow our Fineprint Instagram account) for tips and tricks you need to know.
