This is something I’m asked about a lot.
“If I start having anti-wrinkle treatment now, will it stop my wrinkles getting worse?”
The honest answer is: it can help, but it doesn’t stop your face from ageing.
Wrinkles are caused by a combination of things. Our facial muscles move thousands of times a day, and over the years that repeated movement can cause lines to become more noticeable. At the same time, the skin itself changes. We gradually produce less collagen and elastin, lose some of our natural hydration, and the skin becomes less resilient.
So, while anti-wrinkle injections can reduce one part of the process, they aren’t a magic pause button for ageing.
And this is where I think it’s important not to get too caught up in the question of what age you should start.
There isn’t a magic number.
So, How Do Wrinkles Actually Develop?
When we’re young, our skin is remarkably good at bouncing back.
You smile, frown, concentrate or squint in the sun. The skin creases, then springs back again when your face relaxes.
These are dynamic lines.
Over time, repeated movement, combined with changes in the skin, can mean those lines don’t disappear quite as completely when the face relaxes. Eventually, some lines can become visible even when you’re not making an expression.
That’s when a temporary expression line has started to become a more permanent wrinkle.
And there are other things involved too. Sun exposure, smoking, genetics, skin quality and simply getting older all have an impact.
So wrinkles aren’t caused by one thing, and that’s important when we’re deciding how, or whether, to treat them.
How Do Anti-Wrinkle Injections Help?
Anti-wrinkle injections work by temporarily reducing the activity of specific facial muscles.
They don’t fill a wrinkle. That’s what dermal fillers are designed to do in appropriate areas.
Instead, by reducing excessive muscle movement, we reduce the amount of folding happening in the skin.
Think about a piece of paper. If you repeatedly fold it in exactly the same place, eventually you start to see a crease even when the paper is lying flat.
Skin isn’t paper, of course, but the principle is useful when thinking about expression lines.
If we reduce some of that repetitive movement, we can reduce the constant creasing of the skin.
This can soften existing dynamic lines and, when used appropriately, may help slow the process of those lines becoming more established.
The aim isn’t to stop you moving your face.
I don’t want a face that can’t frown, smile or look surprised. Good treatment should still look like you.
It’s about reducing excessive movement while keeping your expressions natural.
Does That Mean Anti-Wrinkle Injections Prevent Wrinkles?
Not exactly.
I think it’s important to be clear about this because the word “prevent” can be misleading.
Anti-wrinkle injections don’t prevent the natural ageing process. Your skin will still change with time, collagen production will still decline, and things such as sun exposure will still have an effect.
What they can do is reduce one of the factors contributing to the development of expression lines.
This is why I sometimes treat patients when their lines are beginning to appear, rather than waiting until they are deeply etched into the skin.
But that doesn’t mean everyone should start treatment as soon as they see their first line.
Quite the opposite.
So, When Is the Right Time to Start?
There isn’t one.
I don’t think your birthday should determine when you need anti-wrinkle treatment.
Some people have naturally strong facial muscles and develop quite pronounced expression lines at a relatively young age. Others may have very little movement or very resilient skin and barely notice lines for many years.
What matters much more is what your face is doing.
When I assess someone in clinic, I’m interested in what happens when you move your face and what happens when you relax it.
For example:
- Are the lines only there when you frown or raise your eyebrows?
- Do they disappear completely when your face is relaxed?
- Are they beginning to remain when you’re at rest?
- How strong is the underlying muscle movement?
- What is the quality of the skin?
- Is the skin dry, thin or lacking elasticity?
- Are there other signs of ageing contributing to what you’re seeing?
That’s much more useful than simply saying, “I’m 35. Should I be having Botox?”
What If I Already Have Wrinkles When My Face Is Relaxed?
This is where things become a little more complicated.
Anti-wrinkle injections can still help, particularly if muscle movement is continuing to contribute to the line. But if a wrinkle has been there for years and is clearly visible when the face is completely relaxed, simply relaxing the muscle may not make it disappear.
That’s because the skin itself has changed.
And this is one of the reasons I don’t like treating every wrinkle in exactly the same way.
Sometimes the muscle is the main issue.
Sometimes skin quality is playing a bigger part.
Sometimes there has been a loss of volume or support.
And often, there is a combination of factors.
The trick is working out which one matters most.
What About the Skin Itself?
This is the bit I think can sometimes get forgotten.
We can reduce muscle movement, but we also need to look at the skin sitting over that muscle.
As we get older, collagen and elastin decline. Skin can become drier, thinner and less elastic, and fine lines can become more obvious as a result.
So if someone comes into clinic worried about fine lines, I don’t automatically think, “They need anti-wrinkle injections.”
Sometimes the skin itself needs more attention.
Good skincare, appropriate skin treatments and improving hydration and skin quality can all have a role, depending on what I’m seeing.
This is why I always prefer to look at the whole face and the quality of the skin, rather than treating a single line in isolation.
What About Skin Boosters?
Skin Boosters are very different from anti-wrinkle injections.
They don’t relax muscles.
They are designed to improve the quality of the skin, with hyaluronic acid used to improve hydration and the overall look and feel of the skin.
They can be particularly useful when skin is looking dehydrated, crepey or lacking that healthy, hydrated appearance, and can help improve the appearance of fine lines associated with poor skin quality.
So, if we’re comparing the two:
Anti-wrinkle treatment works on muscle movement.
Skin Boosters work on the skin.
Sometimes one is appropriate. Sometimes the other is. Sometimes we use both.
But I wouldn’t recommend both simply because they’re available.
Do Dermal Fillers Treat Wrinkles?
Sometimes, but it depends very much on why the wrinkle is there.
As we age, we lose some of the fat and structural support within the face. That can make certain folds and hollows more noticeable.
In carefully selected areas, dermal filler can restore some of that lost support and soften the appearance of deeper folds.
But fillers aren’t generally the answer to forehead lines or crow’s feet, where muscle movement is usually the main driver.
Again, it comes back to understanding the cause rather than simply treating the symptom.
What About Skin Tightening Treatments?
Skin laxity and collagen loss can also contribute to the way wrinkles look.
If the skin is becoming less firm, treatments that stimulate collagen can sometimes form part of a wider treatment plan.
At Fountain of Youth, we use Focus Dual, which combines radiofrequency microneedling and HIFU to target different depths of the skin.
The aim isn’t an instant “lift”. Instead, the treatment stimulates a gradual process of collagen remodelling, with changes developing over time.
Whether it’s appropriate depends entirely on the individual. It isn’t something I’d recommend simply because someone has a few wrinkles.
So, Do I Need a Combination of Treatments?
Not necessarily.
This is probably one of the most important things I’d say.
You don’t automatically need more treatments to get a better result.
If muscle movement is the main reason you’re developing forehead lines, anti-wrinkle treatment may be all that’s needed.
If your skin is dehydrated and lacking elasticity, improving skin quality may make more sense.
If loss of volume is contributing to a fold, carefully placed filler might be considered.
And if skin laxity and collagen loss are part of the picture, a collagen-stimulating treatment may have a role.
Sometimes the best treatment plan is one treatment.
Sometimes it’s a combination.
And sometimes the best advice is not to treat something yet.
That’s why I don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach to aesthetic medicine.
My Approach to Anti-Wrinkle Treatment
At Fountain of Youth, I want you to still look like you.
I’m not interested in making everyone look the same, and I certainly don’t want to take away your ability to express yourself.
When you come for a consultation, we’ll look at how your face moves, the quality of your skin and the changes that are actually bothering you.
Then we can talk honestly about whether treatment would be worthwhile and, if it is, what treatment makes the most sense and how much you actually need.
Sometimes that’s anti-wrinkle treatment.
Sometimes it’s improving the skin.
Sometimes it’s something else entirely.
And sometimes, it’s doing nothing for now.
For me, good aesthetic treatment isn’t about treating every line you have. It’s about understanding why it’s there and deciding whether it actually needs treating.
If you’re beginning to notice lines and aren’t sure whether anti-wrinkle treatment is right for you, you’re very welcome to come and have a chat with us at Fountain of Youth in Salisbury. We can assess your face properly and talk through your options without assuming that you need a particular treatment.