What to Know About Botox in Your 20s and 30s

What to Know about Botox in your 20s and 30s

Botox is such a hot topic these days. I feel like so many people have such snap judgements / opinions about it (especially in the generation above mine / ours) without knowing the facts! Today, I want to share the necessities: what to know about botox in your 20s and 30s. This includes answering questions I got asked on Instagram and more!

In Today's Article:

IN THIS ARTICLE, I share:

My Botox story (when I started, why I started, what I get done)
Myths about Botox (that are completely untrue)
Q&A

My Botox Story

Why I Got Started

I started getting Botox at the ripe old age of 25. At this point in my life, I was working in a corporate office 3-4 days a week (I was on an international project, so going in daily wasn’t necessary). The days that I went into the office, I would absolutely collapse when I got home. My head would be throbbing, and I had to take a pain pill and nap ASAP or else I would get nauseous. I knew something wasn’t right. After some research and chatting with my Ophthalmologist, I decided Botox was the best potential course of action I could take to cure the problem. Why? Because Botox was originally created to cure migraines! More recent studies show that using Botox (and blue light glasses / reflectors) can help make working in artificially lit environments more tolerable.

What I Get Done (+ a Before and After Photo!)

From there, I started getting Botox in my forehead and “elevens” (area between your eyebrows) so that I wouldn’t have a forehead that was super flat at the top and wrinkly below. In recent years, I have switched to Dysport (more on this below) just because my body metabolizes it slower. I have no regrets about the process or starting so young!

A Few Myths about Botox

(that are absolutely untrue)

Myth 1: Botox and filler are the same thing

This site has a great way of describing the difference between the two in layman’s terms. Essentially:

Botox and other similar neurotoxins:

Freezes muscles, flattens tiny wrinkles
Helps with migraines
Short term fix – get as frequently or infrequently as you want

Filler:

“Fills” area to expand
Can help plump or modify skin, lips, etc.
More often abused than Botox / easier to mess up

The generation above mine confuses these two often and assumes they are the same. This couldn’t be farther from the truth. A few facts that ARE true:

Filler costs SIGNIFICANTLY more than Botox
You can get one without the other
Both can be aesthetically enhancing and should ONLY be done by a certified professional

Myth 2: You shouldn't get Botox until you are "older"

Honestly … and I’m going to get some heat for this one … I think when it comes to Botox (NOT filler) the younger you start the better (*insert shrugging girl emoji*). I have no regrets for starting as young as I did. As long as you can financially handle it (see Q&A below for pricing info), starting in your mid 20s can save you money down the road.

Myth 3: Once you start getting Botox you can never stop

You can get Botox once or a million times, decide it isn’t for you, and stop getting it done with no repercussions (other than you will start deepening your existing wrinkles / start aging again at a normal pace).

My injector uses a great example for this. Imagine your skin is like a piece of paper. Crumple up the paper and then smooth it back out. That is your skin aging / with Botox. Botox will never completely “fix” what wrinkles are already there, but it will make it so they aren’t as prominent or deep. As long as you maintain your injections and treat your skin kindly, the “paper” (your skin) will remain essentially unchanged. Decide you don’t want to continue injections and the paper will begin to crumple more because of age / there is nothing there to smooth it out. That SAID, quitting won’t age you any faster than your friends who never used Botox. You will still age at a normal pace / rate.

Your Botox and Filler Questions, Answered! (Q&A)

This Q&A is all pulled from questions I was asked on Instagram when I shared my (doctor!) friend injecting me. Some are personal and some are more informational. While all opinions to the personal ones are my own, note that I am not a PA or doctor, so the informational ones are answered based solely on my experiences and research.

1 - What does Botox Cost?

Depending on where you go and where you live, Botox can cost anywhere between $8 to $15 per unit. I would be skeptical about going somewhere it costs less (unless you’re going to a friend or it’s discounted as part of a package). That cost is not just about the physical product you are getting injected. You are paying to have a professional who knows what they’re doing injecting you. Never go somewhere or allow someone to inject you where you can’t physically see a certification. That’s how you end up with a bruised face or shitty Botox 😉

Living in Dallas, I have always paid around $12 per unit.

2 - Does getting Botox hurt?

No! Not at all. Your first time is a little nerve wracking (you are – literally – getting a needle stuck into your face), but I’ve never felt any pain. It feels like tiny pinches. The same needles I use for allergy shots at home are typically used in clinics and med spas to give Botox. The needle is teeny and thin. Your injector will mark spots on your face where you need it and then proceed.

3 - My injector said I need 30 units. Does that mean they're going to give me 30 shots?

I thought the same thing, and the answer is no. Depending on the number of areas you are having treated, the number of pricks you receive will range. Multiple units are injected into each site. You will not be getting 20 shots for 20 units.

4 - How long does Botox typically last?

This varies person to person (I need to do another article on this). For me, Botox lasts right around 3 months. When I was my lightest / working out the most, it was less. It all depends on how your body metabolizes the injections. I actually recently switched over to getting Dysport (as I mentioned above) because my body metabolizes it slower (meaning more bang for my buck). Again, I’ll do a separate post on this if y’all are interested? Leave me a comment if you are (I see all of them even those that are unpublished).

5 - At what age should you start getting injected?

This is completely up to you! The average person begins in their mid-20s to early 30s … but you can start whenever you feel comfortable! I’m all about finding your comfort zone when it comes to beauty. While I started pretty young for a reason, I probably would have begun getting injected a few years later for cosmetic purposes anyways.

6 - How do you pick what areas to get injected?

I had to start in my forehead around my temples because that was how to treat my fluorescent aversion / headaches (see “My Story” above). Typically, most people begin around their forehead or eyes to treat / delay crows feet or forehead lines.

What to Know About Botox in Your 20s and 30s